diff --git a/components/espcoredump/corefile/elf.py b/components/espcoredump/corefile/elf.py
index 8ffa12b6cd..76c2c60a63 100644
--- a/components/espcoredump/corefile/elf.py
+++ b/components/espcoredump/corefile/elf.py
@@ -284,6 +284,13 @@ class ElfNoteSegment(ElfSegment):
         super(ElfNoteSegment, self).__init__(addr, data, flags)
         self.type = ElfFile.PT_NOTE
         self.note_secs = NoteSections.parse(self.data)
+        for note in self.note_secs:
+            # note.name should include a terminating NUL byte, plus possible
+            # padding
+            #
+            # (note: construct.PaddingString can't parse this if there
+            # are non-zero padding bytes after the NUL, it also parses those.)
+            note.name = note.name.split(b'\x00')[0]
 
     @staticmethod
     def _type_str():  # type: () -> str
diff --git a/components/espcoredump/corefile/loader.py b/components/espcoredump/corefile/loader.py
index 144a350826..8f9fce7442 100644
--- a/components/espcoredump/corefile/loader.py
+++ b/components/espcoredump/corefile/loader.py
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ class EspCoreDumpLoader(EspCoreDumpVersion):
         for seg in core_elf.note_segments:
             for note_sec in seg.note_secs:
                 # Check for version info note
-                if note_sec.name == 'ESP_CORE_DUMP_INFO' \
+                if note_sec.name == b'ESP_CORE_DUMP_INFO' \
                         and note_sec.type == ESPCoreDumpElfFile.PT_INFO \
                         and exe_name:
                     exe_elf = ElfFile(exe_name)