lib/PublicInbox/NNTP.pm | 2 +-

diff --git a/lib/PublicInbox/NNTP.pm b/lib/PublicInbox/NNTP.pm
index 39e2f88e5135d4e9bb08ed65e1a54b96a722c6f2..d1f75f6fc07a17e942d0c372fb114d63d8a40ac3 100644
--- a/lib/PublicInbox/NNTP.pm
+++ b/lib/PublicInbox/NNTP.pm
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
 # returns 1 if we can continue, 0 if not due to buffered writes or disconnect
 sub process_line ($$) {
 	my ($self, $l) = @_;
-	my ($req, @args) = split(/[ \t]/, $l);
+	my ($req, @args) = split(/[ \t]+/, $l);
 	return 1 unless defined($req); # skip blank line
 	$req = $self->can('cmd_'.lc($req));
 	return res($self, '500 command not recognized') unless $req;