Bpod initialization fails on first try with utf-8 decode error (State Machine v2.2)

[makinbacon21]

On initializing new Bpod() instance, the program fails with a utf-8 decode error. The light on the State Machine turns green to match program "ready" specification, but the program exits. Running it a second time bypasses this issue, but it happens again on the next run post-completion.
Log for reference:

__UUID4__;f74189c7-53b5-4821-a434-0c9dbe3670eb
__CREATED-ON__;2022-06-14 11:20:25.225212
__DEF-URL__;http://pybpod-api.readthedocs.org
__DEF-TEXT__;This file contains data recorded during a session from the PyBpod system
__SOFTWARE__;PyBpod API v1.8.2
__HAS-HEADER__
TYPE;PC-TIME;BPOD-INITIAL-TIME;BPOD-FINAL-TIME;MSG;+INFO
INFO;2022-06-14 11:20:25.225565;;;SERIAL-PORT;/dev/ttyACM0
INFO;2022-06-14 11:20:25.225889;;;PROTOCOL-NAME;STIM-REWARD
INFO;2022-06-14 11:20:25.226035;;;CREATOR-NAME;|THOMAS MAKIN; KATHLEEN KISKER|
INFO;2022-06-14 11:20:25.226150;;;PROJECT-NAME;STIM-REWARD
INFO;2022-06-14 11:20:25.226261;;;EXPERIMENT-NAME;STIM/NO-STIM
INFO;2022-06-14 11:20:25.226381;;;BOARD-NAME;STATE MACHINE V2.2
INFO;2022-06-14 11:20:25.226492;;;SETUP-NAME;STIM-REWARD
INFO;2022-06-14 11:20:25.226621;;;BPOD-GUI-VERSION;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.228834;;|Traceback (most recent call last):
|;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.229076;;|  File "/home/pi/stim-reward/./stim-reward.py", line 311, in <module>
|;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.229940;;    ;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.230132;;my_bpod = Bpod();;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.230311;;|
|;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.230419;;|  File "/home/pi/.local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pybpodapi/bpod/bpod_io.py", line 27, in __init__
|;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.230920;;    ;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.231089;;super(BpodIO, self).__init__(serial_port, sync_channel, sync_mode);;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.231208;;|
|;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.231318;;|  File "/home/pi/.local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pybpodapi/bpod/bpod_com_protocol.py", line 43, in __init__
|;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.231819;;    ;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.231996;;self.open();;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.232104;;|
|;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.232211;;|  File "/home/pi/.local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pybpodapi/bpod/bpod_com_protocol.py", line 46, in open
|;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.232726;;    ;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.232894;;super(BpodCOMProtocol, self).open();;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.233004;;|
|;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.233111;;|  File "/home/pi/.local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pybpodapi/bpod/bpod_base.py", line 136, in open
|;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.233679;;    ;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.233853;;if not self._bpodcom_handshake():;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.233977;;|
|;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.234086;;|  File "/home/pi/.local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pybpodapi/bpod/bpod_com_protocol.py", line 127, in _bpodcom_handshake
|;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.234672;;    ;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.234852;;response = self._arcom.read_char()  # Receive response;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.234965;;|
|;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.235074;;|  File "/home/pi/.local/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pybpodapi/com/arcom.py", line 137, in read_char
|;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.235644;;    ;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.235820;;return message_bytes.decode("utf-8");;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.235938;;|
|;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.236062;;UnicodeDecodeError;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.236177;;: ;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.236276;;'utf-8' codec can't decode byte 0xde in position 0: unexpected end of data;;
stderr;2022-06-14 11:20:25.236380;;|
|;;