An error-correcting Baudot communication system which employs error correction which is transparent to systems not employing corresponding error correction. When a transmitter receives Baudot input to be transmitted, it creates a message specifying the format and content of the Baudot message and formats the message as a bad frame packet. The message is then followed by a stream of Baudot characters representing the input. The message, followed by the stream of Baudot characters, is transmitted to a receiver. An error-correcting receiver detects and decodes the message and passes the data represented by the message to a user device. When the message is received at a receiver which does not employ this error correction system, the message will be rejected as a bad frame and the stream of Baudot characters which follows the message will be decoded.