diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3de53e886..bab644ba7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 -   **Security** in case of vulnerabilities.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
+-  Fixed error in generating stager for HTTP Hop listener (@Cx01N)
 
 ## [5.8.1] - 2023-11-30
 
diff --git a/empire/server/listeners/http_hop.py b/empire/server/listeners/http_hop.py
index 046ed8d50..446660df4 100755
--- a/empire/server/listeners/http_hop.py
+++ b/empire/server/listeners/http_hop.py
@@ -411,28 +411,26 @@ def generate_stager(
                 )
 
             staging_key = staging_key.encode("UTF-8")
-            unobfuscated_stager = listener_util.remove_lines_comments(stager)
+            stager = listener_util.remove_lines_comments(stager)
 
             if obfuscate:
-                obfuscated_stager = self.mainMenu.obfuscationv2.obfuscate(
-                    unobfuscated_stager, obfuscation_command=obfuscation_command
-                )
-                obfuscated_stager = self.mainMenu.obfuscationv2.obfuscate_keywords(
-                    obfuscated_stager
+                stager = self.mainMenu.obfuscationv2.obfuscate(
+                    stager, obfuscation_command=obfuscation_command
                 )
+                stager = self.mainMenu.obfuscationv2.obfuscate_keywords(stager)
 
             # base64 encode the stager and return it
             # There doesn't seem to be any conditions in which the encrypt flag isn't set so the other
             # if/else statements are irrelevant
             if encode:
-                return helpers.enc_powershell(obfuscated_stager)
+                return helpers.enc_powershell(stager)
             elif encrypt:
                 RC4IV = os.urandom(4)
                 return RC4IV + encryption.rc4(
-                    RC4IV + staging_key, obfuscated_stager.encode("UTF-8")
+                    RC4IV + staging_key, stager.encode("UTF-8")
                 )
             else:
-                return obfuscated_stager
+                return stager
 
         if language in ["python", "ironpython"]:
             template_path = [