diff --git a/qdev-monitor.c b/qdev-monitor.c
index 1d87f573e8..9f17c81d9f 100644
--- a/qdev-monitor.c
+++ b/qdev-monitor.c
@@ -822,15 +822,19 @@ int qemu_global_option(const char *str)
     QemuOpts *opts;
     int rc, offset;
 
-    rc = sscanf(str, "%63[^.].%63[^=]%n", driver, property, &offset);
-    if (rc < 2 || str[offset] != '=') {
-        error_report("can't parse: \"%s\"", str);
+    rc = sscanf(str, "%63[^.=].%63[^=]%n", driver, property, &offset);
+    if (rc == 2 && str[offset] == '=') {
+        opts = qemu_opts_create(&qemu_global_opts, NULL, 0, &error_abort);
+        qemu_opt_set(opts, "driver", driver, &error_abort);
+        qemu_opt_set(opts, "property", property, &error_abort);
+        qemu_opt_set(opts, "value", str + offset + 1, &error_abort);
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    opts = qemu_opts_parse(&qemu_global_opts, str, false);
+    if (!opts) {
         return -1;
     }
 
-    opts = qemu_opts_create(&qemu_global_opts, NULL, 0, &error_abort);
-    qemu_opt_set(opts, "driver", driver, &error_abort);
-    qemu_opt_set(opts, "property", property, &error_abort);
-    qemu_opt_set(opts, "value", str + offset + 1, &error_abort);
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index 85883f165a..3085c1f83e 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -171,11 +171,13 @@ Set parameter @var{arg} for item @var{id} of type @var{group}\n"
 ETEXI
 
 DEF("global", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_global,
-    "-global driver.prop=value\n"
+    "-global driver.property=value\n"
+    "-global driver=driver,property=property,value=value\n"
     "                set a global default for a driver property\n",
     QEMU_ARCH_ALL)
 STEXI
 @item -global @var{driver}.@var{prop}=@var{value}
+@itemx -global driver=@var{driver},property=@var{property},value=@var{value}
 @findex -global
 Set default value of @var{driver}'s property @var{prop} to @var{value}, e.g.:
 
@@ -186,6 +188,9 @@ qemu-system-i386 -global ide-drive.physical_block_size=4096 -drive file=file,if=
 In particular, you can use this to set driver properties for devices which are 
 created automatically by the machine model. To create a device which is not 
 created automatically and set properties on it, use -@option{device}.
+
+The two syntaxes are equivalent.  The longer one works for drivers whose name
+contains a dot.
 ETEXI
 
 DEF("boot", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_boot,