diff --git a/docs/src/content/overview-features.md b/docs/src/content/overview-features.md
index 68271919e..a49716ed1 100644
--- a/docs/src/content/overview-features.md
+++ b/docs/src/content/overview-features.md
@@ -49,13 +49,15 @@ The `map_remote` option lets you specify an arbitrary number of patterns that
 define replacements within HTTP request URLs before they are sent to a server.
 The substituted URL is fetched instead of the original resource
 and the corresponding HTTP response is returned transparently to the client.
+Note that if the original destination uses HTTP2, the substituted destination
+needs to support HTTP2 as well, otherwise the substituted request may fail.
 `map_remote` patterns looks like this:
 
 ```
-:flow-filter:regex:replacement
-:flow-filter:regex:@file-path
-:regex:replacement
-:regex:@file-path
+|flow-filter|regex|replacement
+|flow-filter|regex|@file-path
+|regex|replacement
+|regex|@file-path
 ```
 
 * **flow-filter** is an optional mitmproxy [filter expression]({{< relref "concepts-filters">}})
@@ -70,10 +72,12 @@ The _separator_ is arbitrary, and is defined by the first character.
 
 ### Examples
 
-Map all requests ending with `.jpg` to `https://placedog.net/640/480?random`:
+Map all requests ending with `.jpg` to `https://placedog.net/640/480?random`.
+Note that this might fail if the original HTTP request destination uses HTTP2 but the replaced
+destination does not support HTTP2.
 
 ```
-:.*\.jpg$:https://placedog.net/640/480?random
+|.*\.jpg$|https://placedog.net/640/480?random
 ```
 
 Re-route all GET requests from `example.org` to `mitmproxy.org` (using `|` as the separator):
diff --git a/mitmproxy/addons/mapremote.py b/mitmproxy/addons/mapremote.py
index 5b6f2b202..1c1a7b900 100644
--- a/mitmproxy/addons/mapremote.py
+++ b/mitmproxy/addons/mapremote.py
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import typing
 
 from mitmproxy import exceptions
 from mitmproxy import ctx
-from mitmproxy.utils import strutils
 from mitmproxy.addons.modifyheaders import parse_modify_spec, ModifySpec
 
 
@@ -62,5 +61,5 @@ class MapRemote:
                 return
 
         replacements = 0
-        obj.url, replacements = re.subn(search, repl, strutils.escaped_str_to_bytes(obj.pretty_url), flags=re.DOTALL)
+        obj.url, replacements = re.subn(search, repl, obj.pretty_url.encode("utf8", "surrogateescape"), flags=re.DOTALL)
         return replacements