diff --git a/DOCS/man/en/mplayer.1 b/DOCS/man/en/mplayer.1
index dac7a10495..a23ee11c39 100644
--- a/DOCS/man/en/mplayer.1
+++ b/DOCS/man/en/mplayer.1
@@ -1572,7 +1572,7 @@ See \-ao help for a list of compiled-in drivers.
 .RSs
 .IPs "\-ao alsa,oss,"
 Try the ALSA driver, then the OSS driver, then others.
-.IPs "\-ao alsa:mmap:noblock:device=hw#0.3"
+.IPs "\-ao alsa:mmap:noblock:device=hw=0.3"
 Sets noblock-mode, mmap-mode and the device-name as first card, fourth device.
 .RE
 .PD 1
@@ -1594,7 +1594,7 @@ Sets experimental mmap-mode (does not work for more than 2 channels).
 Sets noblock-mode.
 .IPs device=<device>
 Sets the device name.
-Replace any ',' with '.' and any ':' with '#' in the ALSA device name.
+Replace any ',' with '.' and any ':' with '=' in the ALSA device name.
 .RE
 .PD 1
 .TP
diff --git a/libao2/ao_alsa.c b/libao2/ao_alsa.c
index 108c3d255f..8729dac257 100644
--- a/libao2/ao_alsa.c
+++ b/libao2/ao_alsa.c
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ static void parse_device (char *dest, char *src, int len)
   strncpy (dest, src, len);
   while ((tmp = strrchr(dest, '.')))
     tmp[0] = ',';
-  while ((tmp = strrchr(dest, '#')))
+  while ((tmp = strrchr(dest, '=')))
     tmp[0] = ':';
 }
 
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ static void print_help ()
 {
   mp_msg (MSGT_AO, MSGL_FATAL,
            "\n-ao alsa commandline help:\n"
-           "Example: mplayer -ao alsa:mmap:device=hw#0.3\n"
+           "Example: mplayer -ao alsa:mmap:device=hw=0.3\n"
            "  sets mmap-mode and first card fourth device\n"
            "\nOptions:\n"
            "  mmap\n"
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ static void print_help ()
            "  noblock\n"
            "    Sets non-blocking mode\n"
            "  device=<device-name>\n"
-           "    Sets device (change , to . and : to #)\n");
+           "    Sets device (change , to . and : to =)\n");
 }
 
 /*