diff --git a/electrum/gui/kivy/main_window.py b/electrum/gui/kivy/main_window.py
index 92565fcce..ae08194de 100644
--- a/electrum/gui/kivy/main_window.py
+++ b/electrum/gui/kivy/main_window.py
@@ -397,12 +397,9 @@ class ElectrumWindow(App):
             self.set_ln_invoice(data)
             return
         # try to decode transaction
-        from electrum.transaction import Transaction
-        from electrum.util import bh2u
+        from electrum.transaction import tx_from_any
         try:
-            text = bh2u(base_decode(data, None, base=43))
-            tx = Transaction(text)
-            tx.deserialize()
+            tx = tx_from_any(data)
         except:
             tx = None
         if tx:
diff --git a/electrum/gui/qt/main_window.py b/electrum/gui/qt/main_window.py
index 34aeda932..704be55db 100644
--- a/electrum/gui/qt/main_window.py
+++ b/electrum/gui/qt/main_window.py
@@ -2723,10 +2723,10 @@ class ElectrumWindow(QMainWindow, MessageBoxMixin, Logger):
         d = PasswordDialog(parent, msg)
         return d.run()
 
-    def tx_from_text(self, txt: Union[str, bytes]) -> Union[None, 'PartialTransaction', 'Transaction']:
+    def tx_from_text(self, data: Union[str, bytes]) -> Union[None, 'PartialTransaction', 'Transaction']:
         from electrum.transaction import tx_from_any
         try:
-            return tx_from_any(txt)
+            return tx_from_any(data)
         except BaseException as e:
             self.show_critical(_("Electrum was unable to parse your transaction") + ":\n" + repr(e))
             return
@@ -2745,11 +2745,6 @@ class ElectrumWindow(QMainWindow, MessageBoxMixin, Logger):
             self.pay_to_URI(data)
             return
         # else if the user scanned an offline signed tx
-        try:
-            data = bh2u(bitcoin.base_decode(data, length=None, base=43))
-        except BaseException as e:
-            self.show_error((_('Could not decode QR code')+':\n{}').format(repr(e)))
-            return
         tx = self.tx_from_text(data)
         if not tx:
             return
diff --git a/electrum/transaction.py b/electrum/transaction.py
index 675860c5e..5ca5e0611 100644
--- a/electrum/transaction.py
+++ b/electrum/transaction.py
@@ -914,7 +914,9 @@ def tx_from_any(raw: Union[str, bytes]) -> Union['PartialTransaction', 'Transact
         return PartialTransaction.from_raw_psbt(raw)
     except BadHeaderMagic:
         pass
-    return Transaction(raw)
+    tx = Transaction(raw)
+    tx.deserialize()
+    return tx
 
 
 class PSBTGlobalType(IntEnum):