diff --git a/tests/cli-test-xml/compare/virtxml-edit-simple-security.xml b/tests/cli-test-xml/compare/virtxml-edit-simple-security.xml
index bfb10aae6..9de0c392f 100644
--- a/tests/cli-test-xml/compare/virtxml-edit-simple-security.xml
+++ b/tests/cli-test-xml/compare/virtxml-edit-simple-security.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
      </rng>
    </devices>
 +  <seclabel relabel="yes">
-+    <label>foo,bar,baz</label>
++    <label>foo,bar,baz,UNKNOWN=val</label>
 +  </seclabel>
  </domain>
 
diff --git a/tests/clitest.py b/tests/clitest.py
index 06b1cb78a..02e5b6259 100644
--- a/tests/clitest.py
+++ b/tests/clitest.py
@@ -763,7 +763,7 @@ c.add_compare("--vcpus 10,maxvcpus=20,cores=5,sockets=4,threads=1", "virtxml-edi
 c.add_compare("--cpu model=pentium2,+x2apic,forbid=pbe", "virtxml-edit-simple-cpu")
 c.add_compare("--numatune 1-5,7,mode=strict", "virtxml-edit-simple-numatune")
 c.add_compare("--boot loader=foo.bar,network,useserial=on,init=/bin/bash", "virtxml-edit-simple-boot")
-c.add_compare("--security label=foo,bar,baz,relabel=on", "virtxml-edit-simple-security")
+c.add_compare("--security label=foo,bar,baz,UNKNOWN=val,relabel=on", "virtxml-edit-simple-security")
 c.add_compare("--features eoi=on,hyperv_relaxed=off,acpi=", "virtxml-edit-simple-features")
 c.add_compare("--clock offset=localtime,hpet_present=yes,kvmclock_present=no,rtc_tickpolicy=merge", "virtxml-edit-simple-clock")
 c.add_compare("--disk /dev/zero,perms=ro,startup_policy=optional", "virtxml-edit-simple-disk")
diff --git a/virtinst/cli.py b/virtinst/cli.py
index bdcf6a24a..2e92385c1 100644
--- a/virtinst/cli.py
+++ b/virtinst/cli.py
@@ -959,7 +959,7 @@ class _VirtCLIArgument(object):
             After the parser sees this option, it will iterate over the
             option string until it finds another known argument name:
             everything prior to that argument name is considered part of
-            the value of this option. Should be used sparingly.
+            the value of this option, '=' included. Should be used sparingly.
         @is_list: This value should be stored as a list, so multiple instances
             are appended.
         @is_onoff: The value expected on the cli is on/off or yes/no, convert
@@ -1086,7 +1086,9 @@ class VirtOptionString(object):
                     optlist.append(tuple(commaopt))
                     commaopt = None
                 else:
-                    commaopt[1] += "," + (val or cliname)
+                    commaopt[1] += "," + cliname
+                    if val:
+                        commaopt[1] += "=" + val
                     continue
 
             if (cliname in virtargmap and virtargmap[cliname].can_comma):