diff --git a/protocols/ircs2s_common.py b/protocols/ircs2s_common.py
index 480c8e2..1707e18 100644
--- a/protocols/ircs2s_common.py
+++ b/protocols/ircs2s_common.py
@@ -150,14 +150,18 @@ class IRCCommonProtocol(IRCNetwork):
         if data[0].startswith('@'):
             tagdata = data[0].lstrip('@').split(';')
             for idx, tag in enumerate(tagdata):
-                tag = tag.replace(r'\s', ' ')
-                tag = tag.replace(r'\\', '\\')
-                tag = tag.replace(r'\r', '\r')
-                tag = tag.replace(r'\n', '\n')
-                tag = tag.replace(r'\:', ';')
+                tag = tag.replace('\\s', ' ')
+                tag = tag.replace('\\r', '\r')
+                tag = tag.replace('\\n', '\n')
+                tag = tag.replace('\\:', ';')
+
+                # We want to drop lone \'s but keep \\ as \ ...
+                tag = tag.replace('\\\\', '\x00')
+                tag = tag.replace('\\', '')
+                tag = tag.replace('\x00', '\\')
                 tagdata[idx] = tag
 
-            results = cls.parse_isupport(tagdata, fallback=None)
+            results = cls.parse_isupport(tagdata, fallback='')
             return results
         return {}
 
diff --git a/test/test_irc_parsers.py b/test/test_irc_parsers.py
index 04d71fd..530560a 100644
--- a/test/test_irc_parsers.py
+++ b/test/test_irc_parsers.py
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ class MessageParserTest(unittest.TestCase):
                     # method that relies on command handlers being present. So we can't reasonably test
                     # them here (plus handle_events() outputs params as a command-specific dict instead of)
                     # lists)
-                    self.assertEqual(atoms['tags'], IRCCommonProtocol.parse_message_tags(inp.split(" ")))
+                    self.assertEqual(atoms['tags'], IRCCommonProtocol.parse_message_tags(inp.split(" ")),
+                                     "Parse test failed for message tags: %r" % inp)
                     _, inp = inp.split(" ", 1)
                 if has_source:
                     parts = IRCCommonProtocol.parse_prefixed_args(inp)