diff --git a/proxy/interactor.c b/proxy/interactor.c
index d2227ae3..958e5a98 100644
--- a/proxy/interactor.c
+++ b/proxy/interactor.c
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ InteractionReadySeat interactor_announce(Interactor *itr)
     if (need_announcement) {
         const char *prefix = "";
         if (itr_top->last_to_talk != NULL)
-            prefix = "\r\n";
+            seat_antispoof_msg(iseat, ""); /* leave a separating blank line */
 
         char *desc = interactor_description(itr);
         char *adjective = (level == 0 ? dupstr("primary") :
diff --git a/utils/antispoof.c b/utils/antispoof.c
index 3a633189..60769af4 100644
--- a/utils/antispoof.c
+++ b/utils/antispoof.c
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ void seat_antispoof_msg(InteractionReadySeat iseat, const char *msg)
          * unmodified as an unspoofable header.
          */
         put_datapl(sb, ptrlen_from_asciz(msg));
-    } else {
+    } else if (*msg) {
         /*
          * Otherwise, add enough padding around it that the server
          * wouldn't be able to mimic it within our line-length