diff --git a/kittens/ssh/main.py b/kittens/ssh/main.py
index f5c66c8f5..73c38197a 100644
--- a/kittens/ssh/main.py
+++ b/kittens/ssh/main.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import sys
 import tarfile
 import tempfile
 import time
+from base64 import standard_b64decode
 from contextlib import suppress
 from typing import (
     Any, Dict, Iterator, List, NoReturn, Optional, Set, Tuple, Union
@@ -62,7 +63,11 @@ def get_ssh_data(msg: str, shell_integration_dest: str = DEFAULT_SHELL_INTEGRATI
         return f'\036{msg}:'.encode('ascii')
 
     try:
-        hostname, pwfilename, pw = msg.split(':', 2)
+        msg = standard_b64decode(msg).decode('utf-8')
+        md = dict(x.split('=', 1) for x in msg.split(':'))
+        hostname = md['hostname']
+        pw = md['pw']
+        pwfilename = md['pwfile']
     except Exception:
         yield fmt_prefix('!invalid ssh data request message')
     try:
diff --git a/shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap.sh b/shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap.sh
index 44890a0d9..3f4065a64 100644
--- a/shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/shell-integration/ssh/bootstrap.sh
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ cleanup_on_bootstrap_exit() {
 }
 
 die() { printf "\033[31m%s\033[m\n" "$*" > /dev/stderr; cleanup_on_bootstrap_exit; exit 1; }
-dsc_to_kitty() { printf "\033P@kitty-$1|%s\033\\" "$(printf "%s" "$2" | base64)" > /dev/tty; }
+dsc_to_kitty() { printf "\033P@kitty-$1|%s\033\\" "$(printf "%s" "$2" | base64 | tr -d \\n)" > /dev/tty; }
 debug() { dsc_to_kitty "print" "debug $1"; }
 echo_via_kitty() { dsc_to_kitty "echo" "$1"; }
 saved_tty_settings=$(command stty -g)
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ password_filename="PASSWORD_FILENAME"
 data_complete="n"
 leading_data=""
 
-printf "\033P@kitty-ssh|%s:%s:%s\033\\" "$hostname" "$password_filename" "$data_password"
+dsc_to_kitty "ssh" "hostname=$hostname:pwfile=$password_filename:pw=$data_password"
 size=""
 
 untar() {