diff --git a/build_image b/build_image
index 739bc49b55..c446b7e658 100755
--- a/build_image
+++ b/build_image
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ DEFINE_string base_pkg "coreos-base/coreos" \
   "The base portage package to base the build off of (only applies to prod images)"
 DEFINE_string base_dev_pkg "coreos-base/coreos-dev" \
   "The base portage package to base the build off of (only applies to dev containers)"
-DEFINE_string base_sysexts "containerd-flatcar:app-containers/containerd,docker-flatcar:app-containers/docker&app-containers/docker-cli&app-containers/docker-buildx" \
+DEFINE_string base_sysexts "containerd-flatcar|app-containers/containerd,docker-flatcar|app-containers/docker&app-containers/docker-cli&app-containers/docker-buildx" \
   "Comma-separated list of name:package[&package[&package]] - build 'package' (a single package or a list of packages separated by '&') into sysext 'name', and include with OS image and update payload. Must be in order of dependencies, base sysexts come first."
 DEFINE_string output_root "${DEFAULT_BUILD_ROOT}/images" \
   "Directory in which to place image result directories (named by version)"
diff --git a/build_library/extra_sysexts.sh b/build_library/extra_sysexts.sh
index 0c9c2e48c6..e6f987b539 100644
--- a/build_library/extra_sysexts.sh
+++ b/build_library/extra_sysexts.sh
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
 EXTRA_SYSEXTS=(
-  zfs:sys-fs/zfs
-  podman:app-containers/podman,net-misc/passt
-  python:dev-lang/python,dev-python/pip
-  nvidia-drivers-535:=x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-535.230.02:-kernel-open
-  nvidia-drivers-535-open:=x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-535.230.02:kernel-open
-  nvidia-drivers-550:=x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-550.144.03:-kernel-open
-  nvidia-drivers-550-open:=x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-550.144.03:kernel-open
+  "zfs|sys-fs/zfs"
+  "podman|app-containers/podman,net-misc/passt"
+  "python|dev-lang/python,dev-python/pip"
+  "nvidia-drivers-535|=x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-535.230.02|-kernel-open"
+  "nvidia-drivers-535-open|=x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-535.230.02|kernel-open"
+  "nvidia-drivers-550|=x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-550.144.03|-kernel-open"
+  "nvidia-drivers-550-open|=x11-drivers/nvidia-drivers-550.144.03|kernel-open"
 )
 
 _get_unversioned_sysext_packages_unsorted() {
   for sysext in "${EXTRA_SYSEXTS[@]}"; do
-    IFS=":" read -r _ PACKAGE_ATOMS _ <<< "$sysext"
+    IFS="|" read -r _ PACKAGE_ATOMS _ <<< "$sysext"
 
     IFS=,
     for atom in $PACKAGE_ATOMS; do
diff --git a/build_library/prod_image_util.sh b/build_library/prod_image_util.sh
index c05f736a4d..0245b477b1 100755
--- a/build_library/prod_image_util.sh
+++ b/build_library/prod_image_util.sh
@@ -213,13 +213,13 @@ create_prod_sysexts() {
   local image_name="$1"
   local image_sysext_base="${image_name%.bin}_sysext.squashfs"
   for sysext in "${EXTRA_SYSEXTS[@]}"; do
-    local name="flatcar-${sysext%%:*}"
-    local pkgs_and_useflags="${sysext#*:}"
-    local pkgs="${pkgs_and_useflags%%:*}"
+    local name="flatcar-${sysext%%|*}"
+    local pkgs_and_useflags="${sysext#*|}"
+    local pkgs="${pkgs_and_useflags%%|*}"
     local pkg_array=(${pkgs//,/ })
     local useflags=""
-    if [[ "$pkgs_and_useflags" == *:* ]]; then
-      useflags="${pkgs_and_useflags#*:}"
+    if [[ "$pkgs_and_useflags" == *\|* ]]; then
+      useflags="${pkgs_and_useflags#*|}"
     fi
     local useflags_array=(${useflags//,/ })
 
diff --git a/build_library/sysext_prod_builder b/build_library/sysext_prod_builder
index 315f227465..8b8f3ddbc2 100755
--- a/build_library/sysext_prod_builder
+++ b/build_library/sysext_prod_builder
@@ -113,8 +113,8 @@ prev_pkginfo=""
 sysext_lowerdirs="${sysext_mountdir}/rootfs-lower"
 for sysext in ${sysexts_list//,/ }; do
   # format is "<name>:<group>/<package>"
-  name="${sysext%:*}"
-  grp_pkg="${sysext#*:}"
+  name="${sysext%|*}"
+  grp_pkg="${sysext#*|}"
   create_prod_sysext "${BOARD}" \
                      "${sysext_output_dir}" \
                      "${sysext_workdir}" \
diff --git a/build_packages b/build_packages
index d5d21c0157..3f529c7243 100755
--- a/build_packages
+++ b/build_packages
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ sudo -E "${EMERGE_CMD[@]}" "${EMERGE_FLAGS[@]}" "$@"
 
 info "Merging sysext packages now"
 for sysext in "${EXTRA_SYSEXTS[@]}"; do
-  IFS=":" read SYSEXT_NAME PACKAGE_ATOMS USEFLAGS < <(echo "$sysext");
+  IFS="|" read SYSEXT_NAME PACKAGE_ATOMS USEFLAGS < <(echo "$sysext");
 
   info "Building packages for $SYSEXT_NAME sysext with USE=$USEFLAGS"
   IFS=,
diff --git a/ci-automation/base_sysexts.sh b/ci-automation/base_sysexts.sh
index 8d8c685bbe..568fe2a294 100644
--- a/ci-automation/base_sysexts.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/base_sysexts.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,6 @@ if [[ ${1:-} = 'local' ]]; then
 fi
 
 ciabs_base_sysexts=(
-    'containerd-flatcar:app-containers/containerd'
-    'docker-flatcar:app-containers/docker&app-containers/docker-cli&app-containers/docker-buildx'
+    'containerd-flatcar|app-containers/containerd'
+    'docker-flatcar|app-containers/docker&app-containers/docker-cli&app-containers/docker-buildx'
 )
diff --git a/ci-automation/image_changes.sh b/ci-automation/image_changes.sh
index c6a2c34882..20f9ecd70b 100644
--- a/ci-automation/image_changes.sh
+++ b/ci-automation/image_changes.sh
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ function get_base_sysext_list() {
 
     source "${scripts_repo}/ci-automation/base_sysexts.sh" 'local'
 
-    list_var_ref=( "${ciabs_base_sysexts[@]%%:*}" )
+    list_var_ref=( "${ciabs_base_sysexts[@]%%|*}" )
 }
 
 function get_extra_sysext_list() {
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ function get_extra_sysext_list() {
     local -a EXTRA_SYSEXTS
     source "${scripts_repo}/build_library/extra_sysexts.sh"
 
-    list_var_ref=( "${EXTRA_SYSEXTS[@]%%:*}" )
+    list_var_ref=( "${EXTRA_SYSEXTS[@]%%|*}" )
 }
 
 # Generates reports with passed parameters. The report is redirected