diff --git a/platformio/commands/debug/helpers.py b/platformio/commands/debug/helpers.py
index c9b36897..ddc9db97 100644
--- a/platformio/commands/debug/helpers.py
+++ b/platformio/commands/debug/helpers.py
@@ -33,8 +33,11 @@ class GDBBytesIO(BytesIO):  # pylint: disable=too-few-public-methods
     STDOUT = sys.stdout
 
     def write(self, text):
-        for line in text.strip().split("\n"):
-            self.STDOUT.write('~"%s\\n"\n' % line)
+        if "\n" in text:
+            for line in text.strip().split("\n"):
+                self.STDOUT.write('~"%s\\n"\n' % line)
+        else:
+            self.STDOUT.write('~"%s"' % text)
         self.STDOUT.flush()
 
 
diff --git a/platformio/proc.py b/platformio/proc.py
index c90590e3..066813ed 100644
--- a/platformio/proc.py
+++ b/platformio/proc.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class BuildAsyncPipe(AsyncPipeBase):
         for byte in iter(lambda: self._pipe_reader.read(1), ""):
             self._buffer += byte
 
-            if line and line[-3:] == (line[-1] * 3):
+            if line and byte.strip() and line[-3:] == (byte * 3):
                 print_immediately = True
 
             if print_immediately: