diff --git a/git-filter-repo b/git-filter-repo
index 77fe024..ae71fad 100755
--- a/git-filter-repo
+++ b/git-filter-repo
@@ -941,7 +941,7 @@ class FastExportParser(object):
     # Compile some regexes and cache those
     self._mark_re = re.compile(br'mark :(\d+)\n$')
     self._parent_regexes = {}
-    parent_regex_rules = (b' :(\d+)\n$', b' ([0-9a-f]{40})\n')
+    parent_regex_rules = (br' :(\d+)\n$', br' ([0-9a-f]{40})\n')
     for parent_refname in (b'from', b'merge'):
       ans = [re.compile(parent_refname+x) for x in parent_regex_rules]
       self._parent_regexes[parent_refname] = ans