diff --git a/src/librustc/session/config.rs b/src/librustc/session/config.rs
index f6f46017f37..f299ea939ed 100644
--- a/src/librustc/session/config.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/session/config.rs
@@ -744,7 +744,7 @@ pub fn rustc_short_optgroups() -> Vec<RustcOptGroup> {
         opt::multi("l", "",   "Link the generated crate(s) to the specified native
                              library NAME. The optional KIND can be one of,
                              static, dylib, or framework. If omitted, dylib is
-                             assumed.", "NAME[:KIND]"),
+                             assumed.", "[KIND=]NAME"),
         opt::multi("", "crate-type", "Comma separated list of types of crates
                                     for the compiler to emit",
                    "[bin|lib|rlib|dylib|staticlib]"),
@@ -1017,6 +1017,24 @@ pub fn build_session_options(matches: &getopts::Matches) -> Options {
     }
 
     let libs = matches.opt_strs("l").into_iter().map(|s| {
+        let mut parts = s.splitn(1, '=');
+        let kind = parts.next().unwrap();
+        if let Some(name) = parts.next() {
+            let kind = match kind {
+                "dylib" => cstore::NativeUnknown,
+                "framework" => cstore::NativeFramework,
+                "static" => cstore::NativeStatic,
+                s => {
+                    early_error(format!("unknown library kind `{}`, expected \
+                                         one of dylib, framework, or static",
+                                        s)[]);
+                }
+            };
+            return (name.to_string(), kind)
+        }
+
+        // FIXME(acrichto) remove this once crates have stopped using it, this
+        //                 is deprecated behavior now.
         let mut parts = s.rsplitn(1, ':');
         let kind = parts.next().unwrap();
         let (name, kind) = match (parts.next(), kind) {
diff --git a/src/librustc/session/search_paths.rs b/src/librustc/session/search_paths.rs
index 8a6217a49f5..56b4cae2e43 100644
--- a/src/librustc/session/search_paths.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/session/search_paths.rs
@@ -34,15 +34,14 @@ impl SearchPaths {
     }
 
     pub fn add_path(&mut self, path: &str) {
-        let (kind, path) = if path.ends_with(":native") {
-            (PathKind::Native, path.slice_to(path.len() - ":native".len()))
-        } else if path.ends_with(":crate") {
-            (PathKind::Crate, path.slice_to(path.len() - ":crate".len()))
-        } else if path.ends_with(":dependency") {
-            (PathKind::Dependency,
-             path.slice_to(path.len() - ":dependency".len()))
-        } else if path.ends_with(":all") {
-            (PathKind::All, path.slice_to(path.len() - ":all".len()))
+        let (kind, path) = if path.starts_with("native=") {
+            (PathKind::Native, path.slice_from("native=".len()))
+        } else if path.starts_with("crate=") {
+            (PathKind::Crate, path.slice_from("crate=".len()))
+        } else if path.starts_with("dependency=") {
+            (PathKind::Dependency, path.slice_from("dependency=".len()))
+        } else if path.starts_with("all=") {
+            (PathKind::All, path.slice_from("all=".len()))
         } else {
             (PathKind::All, path)
         };
diff --git a/src/test/run-make/compiler-lookup-paths/Makefile b/src/test/run-make/compiler-lookup-paths/Makefile
index 032e0882ff8..154e46c0edc 100644
--- a/src/test/run-make/compiler-lookup-paths/Makefile
+++ b/src/test/run-make/compiler-lookup-paths/Makefile
@@ -6,25 +6,25 @@ all: $(TMPDIR)/libnative.a
 	mv $(TMPDIR)/libnative.a $(TMPDIR)/native
 	$(RUSTC) a.rs
 	mv $(TMPDIR)/liba.rlib $(TMPDIR)/crate
-	$(RUSTC) b.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/crate:native && exit 1 || exit 0
-	$(RUSTC) b.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/crate:dependency && exit 1 || exit 0
-	$(RUSTC) b.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/crate:crate
-	$(RUSTC) b.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/crate
-	$(RUSTC) c.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/crate:native && exit 1 || exit 0
-	$(RUSTC) c.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/crate:crate && exit 1 || exit 0
-	$(RUSTC) c.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/crate:dependency
-	$(RUSTC) c.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/crate
-	$(RUSTC) d.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/native:dependency && exit 1 || exit 0
-	$(RUSTC) d.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/native:crate && exit 1 || exit 0
-	$(RUSTC) d.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/native:native
-	$(RUSTC) d.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/native
+	$(RUSTC) b.rs -L native=$(TMPDIR)/crate && exit 1 || exit 0
+	$(RUSTC) b.rs -L dependency=$(TMPDIR)/crate && exit 1 || exit 0
+	$(RUSTC) b.rs -L crate=$(TMPDIR)/crate
+	$(RUSTC) b.rs -L all=$(TMPDIR)/crate
+	$(RUSTC) c.rs -L native=$(TMPDIR)/crate && exit 1 || exit 0
+	$(RUSTC) c.rs -L crate=$(TMPDIR)/crate && exit 1 || exit 0
+	$(RUSTC) c.rs -L dependency=$(TMPDIR)/crate
+	$(RUSTC) c.rs -L all=$(TMPDIR)/crate
+	$(RUSTC) d.rs -L dependency=$(TMPDIR)/native && exit 1 || exit 0
+	$(RUSTC) d.rs -L crate=$(TMPDIR)/native && exit 1 || exit 0
+	$(RUSTC) d.rs -L native=$(TMPDIR)/native
+	$(RUSTC) d.rs -L all=$(TMPDIR)/native
 	mkdir -p $(TMPDIR)/e1
 	mkdir -p $(TMPDIR)/e2
 	$(RUSTC) e.rs -o $(TMPDIR)/e1/libe.rlib
 	$(RUSTC) e.rs -o $(TMPDIR)/e2/libe.rlib
 	$(RUSTC) f.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/e1 -L $(TMPDIR)/e2 && exit 1 || exit 0
-	$(RUSTC) f.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/e1:crate -L $(TMPDIR)/e2 && exit 1 || exit 0
-	$(RUSTC) f.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/e1:crate -L $(TMPDIR)/e2:crate && exit 1 || exit 0
-	$(RUSTC) f.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/e1:native -L $(TMPDIR)/e2
-	$(RUSTC) f.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/e1:dependency -L $(TMPDIR)/e2
-	$(RUSTC) f.rs -L $(TMPDIR)/e1:dependency -L $(TMPDIR)/e2:crate
+	$(RUSTC) f.rs -L crate=$(TMPDIR)/e1 -L $(TMPDIR)/e2 && exit 1 || exit 0
+	$(RUSTC) f.rs -L crate=$(TMPDIR)/e1 -L crate=$(TMPDIR)/e2 && exit 1 || exit 0
+	$(RUSTC) f.rs -L native=$(TMPDIR)/e1 -L $(TMPDIR)/e2
+	$(RUSTC) f.rs -L dependency=$(TMPDIR)/e1 -L $(TMPDIR)/e2
+	$(RUSTC) f.rs -L dependency=$(TMPDIR)/e1 -L crate=$(TMPDIR)/e2
diff --git a/src/test/run-make/manual-link/Makefile b/src/test/run-make/manual-link/Makefile
index d2a02adc9d4..d0536956152 100644
--- a/src/test/run-make/manual-link/Makefile
+++ b/src/test/run-make/manual-link/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 -include ../tools.mk
 
 all: $(TMPDIR)/libbar.a
-	$(RUSTC) foo.rs -lbar:static
+	$(RUSTC) foo.rs -lstatic=bar
 	$(RUSTC) main.rs
 	$(call RUN,main)