diff --git a/qubesadmin/events/__init__.py b/qubesadmin/events/__init__.py
index e08d46c..e44e6f3 100644
--- a/qubesadmin/events/__init__.py
+++ b/qubesadmin/events/__init__.py
@@ -147,25 +147,32 @@ class EventsDispatcher(object):
             some_event_received = False
             while not reader.at_eof():
                 try:
-                    event_data = yield from reader.readuntil(b'\0\0')
-                    if event_data == b'1\0\0':
-                        # event with non-VM subject contains \0\0 inside of
-                        # event, need to receive rest of the data
-                        event_data += yield from reader.readuntil(b'\0\0')
+                    event_header = yield from reader.readuntil(b'\0')
+                    if event_header != b'1\0':
+                        raise qubesadmin.exc.QubesDaemonCommunicationError(
+                            'Non-event received on events connection: '
+                            + repr(event_header))
+                    subject = (yield from reader.readuntil(b'\0'))[:-1].decode(
+                        'utf-8')
+                    event = (yield from reader.readuntil(b'\0'))[:-1].decode(
+                        'utf-8')
+                    kwargs = {}
+                    while True:
+                        key = (yield from reader.readuntil(b'\0'))[:-1].decode(
+                            'utf-8')
+                        if not key:
+                            break
+                        value = (yield from reader.readuntil(b'\0'))[:-1].\
+                            decode('utf-8')
+                        kwargs[key] = value
                 except asyncio.IncompleteReadError as err:
                     if err.partial == b'':
                         break
                     else:
                         raise
 
-                if not event_data.startswith(b'1\0'):
-                    raise qubesadmin.exc.QubesDaemonCommunicationError(
-                        'Non-event received on events connection: '
-                        + repr(event_data))
-                event_data = event_data.decode('utf-8')
-                _, subject, event, *kwargs = event_data.split('\0')
-                # convert list to dict, remove last empty entry
-                kwargs = dict(zip(kwargs[:-2:2], kwargs[1:-2:2]))
+                if not subject:
+                    subject = None
                 self.handle(subject, event, **kwargs)
 
                 some_event_received = True
diff --git a/qubesadmin/tests/events.py b/qubesadmin/tests/events.py
index a14f79b..b72c45b 100644
--- a/qubesadmin/tests/events.py
+++ b/qubesadmin/tests/events.py
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ class TC_00_Events(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
         events = [
             b'1\0\0some-event\0arg1\0value1\0\0',
             b'1\0some-vm\0some-event\0arg1\0value1\0\0',
-            b'1\0some-vm\0some-event\0\0',
+            b'1\0some-vm\0some-event\0arg_without_value\0\0arg2\0value\0\0',
             b'1\0some-vm\0other-event\0\0',
         ]
         asyncio.ensure_future(self.send_events(stream, events))
@@ -117,7 +117,9 @@ class TC_00_Events(qubesadmin.tests.QubesTestCase):
             unittest.mock.call(None, 'some-event', arg1='value1'),
             unittest.mock.call(
                 self.app.domains['some-vm'], 'some-event', arg1='value1'),
-            unittest.mock.call(self.app.domains['some-vm'], 'some-event'),
+            unittest.mock.call(
+                self.app.domains['some-vm'], 'some-event',
+                arg_without_value='', arg2='value'),
         ])
         cleanup_func.assert_called_once_with()
         loop.close()