diff --git a/src/test/torcontrol_tests.cpp b/src/test/torcontrol_tests.cpp
index 2a4457721..5624c818c 100644
--- a/src/test/torcontrol_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/torcontrol_tests.cpp
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(util_ParseTorReplyMapping)
         "Foo=\"Bar\\nBaz\\t\" Spam=\"\\rEggs\" Octals=\"\\1a\\11\\17\\18\\81\\377\\378\\400\" Final=Check", {
             {"Foo", "Bar\nBaz\t"},
             {"Spam", "\rEggs"},
-            {"Octals", "\1a\11\17\1" "881\377\37" "8400"},
+            {"Octals", "\1a\11\17\1" "881\377\37" "8\40" "0"},
             {"Final", "Check"},
         });
     CheckParseTorReplyMapping(
diff --git a/src/torcontrol.cpp b/src/torcontrol.cpp
index 446d4402a..a5cd1b7c6 100644
--- a/src/torcontrol.cpp
+++ b/src/torcontrol.cpp
@@ -329,13 +329,14 @@ static std::map<std::string,std::string> ParseTorReplyMapping(const std::string
                         // octal digit if encountered sooner.
                         for (j = 1; j < 3 && (i+j) < value.size() && '0' <= value[i+j] && value[i+j] <= '7'; ++j) {}
                         // Tor restricts first digit to 0-3 for three-digit octals.
-                        if (j < 3 || ('0' <= value[i] && value[i] <= '3')) {
-                            escaped_value.push_back(strtol(value.substr(i, j).c_str(), NULL, 8));
-                            // Account for automatic incrementing at loop end
-                            i += j - 1;
-                        } else {
-                            escaped_value.push_back(value[i]);
+                        // A leading digit of 4-7 would therefore be interpreted as
+                        // a two-digit octal.
+                        if (j == 3 && value[i] > '3') {
+                            j--;
                         }
+                        escaped_value.push_back(strtol(value.substr(i, j).c_str(), NULL, 8));
+                        // Account for automatic incrementing at loop end
+                        i += j - 1;
                     } else {
                         escaped_value.push_back(value[i]);
                     }