diff --git a/io/serialport/25-serial.js b/io/serialport/25-serial.js
index e0d76a99..b03dd4e9 100644
--- a/io/serialport/25-serial.js
+++ b/io/serialport/25-serial.js
@@ -214,7 +214,8 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                     splitc = new Buffer.from(newline.replace("\\n","\n").replace("\\r","\r").replace("\\t","\t").replace("\\e","\e").replace("\\f","\f").replace("\\0","\0")); // jshint ignore:line
                 }
                 if (addchar === true) { addchar = splitc; }
-
+                addchar = addchar.replace("\\n","\n").replace("\\r","\r").replace("\\t","\t").replace("\\e","\e").replace("\\f","\f").replace("\\0","\0"); // jshint ignore:line
+                if (addchar.substr(0,2) == "0x") { addchar = new Buffer.from([addchar]); }
                 connections[id] = (function() {
                     var obj = {
                         _emitter: new events.EventEmitter(),
diff --git a/io/serialport/package.json b/io/serialport/package.json
index 07a3601f..d2ec4449 100644
--- a/io/serialport/package.json
+++ b/io/serialport/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "name"          : "node-red-node-serialport",
-    "version"       : "0.8.4",
+    "version"       : "0.8.5",
     "description"   : "Node-RED nodes to talk to serial ports",
     "dependencies"  : {
         "serialport"   : "^7.1.5"