diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/components/utils.js.coffee b/app/assets/javascripts/components/utils.js.coffee
index 445d239e..b53ea9dd 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/components/utils.js.coffee
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/components/utils.js.coffee
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class @Utils
               json = $(e.target).find('.payload-editor').val()
               json = '{}' if json == ''
               try
-                payload = JSON.parse(json)
+                payload = JSON.parse(json.replace(/\\\\([n|r|t])/g, "\\$1"))
                 throw true unless payload.constructor is Object
                 if Object.keys(payload).length == 0
                   json = ''
diff --git a/spec/features/dry_running_spec.rb b/spec/features/dry_running_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a4612a16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/features/dry_running_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+require 'rails_helper'
+
+describe "Dry running an Agent", js: true do
+  let(:formatting_agent) { agents(:bob_formatting_agent) }
+  let(:user)    { users(:bob) }
+  let(:emitter) { agents(:bob_weather_agent) }
+
+  before(:each) do
+    login_as(user)
+  end
+
+  def open_dry_run_modal(agent)
+    visit edit_agent_path(agent)
+    click_on("Dry Run")
+    expect(page).to have_text('Event to send')
+  end
+
+  context 'successful dry runs' do
+    it 'sends escape characters correctly to the backend' do
+      emitter.events << Event.new(payload: {data: "Line 1\nLine 2\nLine 3"})
+      formatting_agent.sources << emitter
+      formatting_agent.options.merge!('instructions' => {'data' => "{{data | newline_to_br | strip_newlines | split: '<br />' | join: ','}}"})
+      formatting_agent.save!
+
+      open_dry_run_modal(formatting_agent)
+      find('.dry-run-event-sample').click
+      within(:css, '.modal .builder') do
+        expect(page).to have_text('Line 1\nLine 2\nLine 3')
+      end
+      click_on("Dry Run")
+      expect(page).to have_text('Line 1,Line 2,Line 3')
+      expect(page).to have_selector(:css, 'li[role="presentation"].active a[href="#tabEvents"]')
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/agents.yml b/spec/fixtures/agents.yml
index 2e8859be..4e2b27ca 100644
--- a/spec/fixtures/agents.yml
+++ b/spec/fixtures/agents.yml
@@ -60,6 +60,14 @@ bob_weather_agent:
   keep_events_for: <%= 45.days %>
   options: <%= { :location => 94102, :lat => 37.779329, :lng => -122.41915, :api_key => 'test' }.to_json.inspect %>
 
+bob_formatting_agent:
+  type: Agents::EventFormattingAgent
+  user: bob
+  name: "Formatting Agent"
+  guid: <%= SecureRandom.hex %>
+  keep_events_for: <%= 45.days %>
+  options: <%= { instructions: {}, mode: 'clean' }.to_json.inspect %>
+
 jane_weather_agent:
   type: Agents::WeatherAgent
   user: jane
diff --git a/spec/rails_helper.rb b/spec/rails_helper.rb
index 0233915b..de095391 100644
--- a/spec/rails_helper.rb
+++ b/spec/rails_helper.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ require 'rspec/rails'
 require 'rr'
 require 'webmock/rspec'
 
-WebMock.disable_net_connect!
+WebMock.disable_net_connect!(allow_localhost: true)
 
 # Requires supporting ruby files with custom matchers and macros, etc,
 # in spec/support/ and its subdirectories.