Ecma-48 defines: 8.3.130 SPD - SELECT PRESENTATION DIRECTIONS Representation: CSI Ps1;Ps2 02/00 05/03 Parameter default value: Ps1 = 0; Ps2 = 0 8.3.147 SU - SCROLL UP Representation: CSI Pn 05/03 Parameter default value: Pn = 1 Recently Konsole changed its behavior so that the command echo -ne '\e[3 S' scrolls up by 3 lines. That is, the space inside the escape sequence is ignored, the SPD sequence is incorrectly interpreted as a SU instead.
Fixed in git, by a commit adding support for DECRQCRA (which also has an Intermediate byte).