diff --git a/pygatt/backends/gatttool/gatttool.py b/pygatt/backends/gatttool/gatttool.py
index 4d038fae..bc8b11dd 100644
--- a/pygatt/backends/gatttool/gatttool.py
+++ b/pygatt/backends/gatttool/gatttool.py
@@ -20,14 +20,9 @@
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-if hasattr(bytes, 'fromhex'):
-    # Python 3.
-    def _hex_value_parser(x):
-        return bytearray.fromhex(x.decode('utf8'))
-else:
-    # Python 2.7
-    def _hex_value_parser(x):
-        return bytearray.fromhex(x)
+
+def _hex_value_parser(x):
+    return bytearray.fromhex(x)
 
 
 def is_windows():
@@ -490,14 +485,14 @@ def _handle_notification_string(self, event):
             log.warn("Blank message received in notification, ignored")
             return
 
-        split_msg = msg.strip().split(None, 5)
-        if len(split_msg) < 6:
+        match_obj = re.match(r'Notification handle = (0x[0-9a-f]+) value:(.*)',
+                             msg.decode('utf-8'))
+        if match_obj is None:
             log.warn("Unable to parse notification string, ignoring: %s", msg)
             return
 
-        hex_handle, _, hex_values = split_msg[3:]
-        handle = int(hex_handle, 16)
-        values = _hex_value_parser(hex_values)
+        handle = int(match_obj.group(1), 16)
+        values = _hex_value_parser(match_obj.group(2).strip())
         if self._connected_device is not None:
             self._connected_device.receive_notification(handle, values)
 
diff --git a/tests/gatttool/test_backend.py b/tests/gatttool/test_backend.py
index 00f63d53..56c5bcf1 100644
--- a/tests/gatttool/test_backend.py
+++ b/tests/gatttool/test_backend.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ def test_multi_byte_notification(self):
         eq_(bytearray([0x64, 0x46, 0x72]),
             device.receive_notification.call_args[0][1])
 
-    def test_malformed_notification(self):
+    def test_empty_notification(self):
         event = {
             'after': "Notification handle = 0x0024 value: ".encode("utf8")
         }
@@ -83,4 +83,14 @@ def test_malformed_notification(self):
         device = self.backend.connect(address)
         device.receive_notification = MagicMock()
         device._backend._handle_notification_string(event)
+        ok_(device.receive_notification.called)
+
+    def test_malformed_notification(self):
+        event = {
+            'after': "Notification handle = 0x0024vlue: ".encode("utf8")
+        }
+        address = "11:22:33:44:55:66"
+        device = self.backend.connect(address)
+        device.receive_notification = MagicMock()
+        device._backend._handle_notification_string(event)
         ok_(not device.receive_notification.called)