diff --git a/lib/protocol/Protocol.js b/lib/protocol/Protocol.js
index 85e1249a..ecda8468 100644
--- a/lib/protocol/Protocol.js
+++ b/lib/protocol/Protocol.js
@@ -1909,7 +1909,7 @@ class Protocol {
 }
 
 // SSH-protoversion-softwareversion (SP comments) CR LF
-const RE_IDENT = /^SSH-(2\.0|1\.99)-([^ ]+)(?: (.*))?$/;
+const RE_IDENT = /^SSH-(2\.0|1\.99)-([^ ]*)(?: (.*))?$/;
 
 // TODO: optimize this by starting n bytes from the end of this._buffer instead
 // of the beginning