diff --git a/evennia/utils/tests/test_text2html.py b/evennia/utils/tests/test_text2html.py
index 506c920a1b..e288feb53d 100644
--- a/evennia/utils/tests/test_text2html.py
+++ b/evennia/utils/tests/test_text2html.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 from django.test import TestCase
 from evennia.utils import ansi, text2html
+import mock
 
 
 class TestText2Html(TestCase):
@@ -90,6 +91,62 @@ class TestText2Html(TestCase):
             "a  red    foo",
             parser.re_double_space("a  red    foo"))
 
+    def test_sub_text(self):
+        parser = text2html.HTML_PARSER
+        mocked_match = mock.Mock()
+        mocked_match.groupdict.return_value = {
+            "htmlchars": "foo"
+        }
+        self.assertEqual(
+            "foo",
+            parser.sub_text(mocked_match))
+        mocked_match.groupdict.return_value = {
+            "htmlchars": "",
+            "lineend": "foo",
+        }
+        self.assertEqual(
+            "<br>",
+            parser.sub_text(mocked_match))
+        mocked_match.groupdict.return_value = {
+            "htmlchars": "",
+            "lineend": "",
+            "firstspace": "foo"
+        }
+        self.assertEqual(
+            " &nbsp;",
+            parser.sub_text(mocked_match))
+        parser.tabstop = 2
+        mocked_match.groupdict.return_value = {
+            "htmlchars": "",
+            "lineend": "",
+            "firstspace": "",
+            "space": "\t"
+        }
+        self.assertEqual(
+            " &nbsp;&nbsp;",
+            parser.sub_text(mocked_match))
+        mocked_match.groupdict.return_value = {
+            "htmlchars": "",
+            "lineend": "",
+            "firstspace": "",
+            "space": " ",
+            "spacestart": " "
+        }
+        mocked_match.group.return_value = " \t "
+        self.assertEqual(
+            "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;",
+            parser.sub_text(mocked_match))
+        mocked_match.groupdict.return_value = {
+            "htmlchars": "",
+            "lineend": "",
+            "firstspace": "",
+            "space": "",
+            "spacestart": ""
+        }
+        self.assertEqual(
+            None,
+            parser.sub_text(mocked_match))
+
     def test_parse_html(self):
         self.assertEqual("foo", text2html.parse_html("foo"))
         self.maxDiff = None
diff --git a/evennia/utils/text2html.py b/evennia/utils/text2html.py
index 6d49b6a445..011d6efb34 100644
--- a/evennia/utils/text2html.py
+++ b/evennia/utils/text2html.py
@@ -310,8 +310,7 @@ class TextToHTMLparser(object):
         elif cdict["firstspace"]:
             return " &nbsp;"
         elif cdict["space"] == "\t":
-            text = match.group()
-            return " " if tabstop == 1 else " " + "&nbsp;" * tabstop
+            return " " if self.tabstop == 1 else " " + "&nbsp;" * self.tabstop
         elif cdict["space"] or cdict["spacestart"]:
             text = match.group().replace("\t", "&nbsp;" * self.tabstop)
             text = text.replace(" ", "&nbsp;")