diff --git a/docs/deviceSpec.md b/docs/deviceSpec.md
index 08e28a4..8151239 100644
--- a/docs/deviceSpec.md
+++ b/docs/deviceSpec.md
@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@ If there's more than one parameter item in a list of `api-params` or
 +edev|audio-implexor|alsa(shmem|param2|param3)|alsa()|cardname
 ```
 
+Each parameter must be in one of these forms:
+* key=value
+* key=
+* key
+
 Some examples follow:
 
 ### To attach a particular window from a window manager:
diff --git a/hcore/deviceManager/deviceSpecl.ll b/hcore/deviceManager/deviceSpecl.ll
index 1c2e326..376b7cc 100644
--- a/hcore/deviceManager/deviceSpecl.ll
+++ b/hcore/deviceManager/deviceSpecl.ll
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@
 "|"             { return PIPE; }
 "("             { return LPAREN; }
 ")"             { return RPAREN; }
-[^\|\(\) \t\r\n]+ { deviceSpecplval.str = strdup(yytext); return STRING; }
+[ \t]*"="[ \t]* { return EQUALS; }  // Allow optional whitespace around equals
+[^=\|\(\) \t\r\n]+ { deviceSpecplval.str = strdup(yytext); return STRING; }  // Exclude = from STRING tokens
 \r?\n           { /* ignore newlines */ }
 [ \t]+          { /* ignore whitespace */ }
 .               { return yytext[0]; }
diff --git a/hcore/deviceManager/deviceSpecp.yy b/hcore/deviceManager/deviceSpecp.yy
index bb8a494..6027abc 100644
--- a/hcore/deviceManager/deviceSpecp.yy
+++ b/hcore/deviceManager/deviceSpecp.yy
@@ -42,15 +42,18 @@ void yyerror(const char *message)
     hk::device::SenseDeviceSpec* sensorSpec;
     hk::device::InteroceptorDeviceSpec* interoceptorSpec;
     hk::device::ExtrospectorDeviceSpec* extrospectorSpec;
-    std::vector<std::string>* stringVector;
+    std::vector<std::pair<std::string,std::string>>* paramVector;
+    std::pair<std::string,std::string>* param;
 }
 
 %token <str> STRING
 %token PIPE DOUBLE_PIPE LPAREN RPAREN
 %token <chr> KEYWORD_SPECTYPE_ACTUATOR
 %token <chr> KEYWORD_SPECTYPE_EXTROSPECTOR KEYWORD_SPECTYPE_INTEROSPECTOR
+%token EQUALS    // Add new token for '='
 
-%type <stringVector> params opt_params
+%type <paramVector> params opt_params
+%type <param> param
 %type <sensorSpec> spec_body
 %type <interoceptorSpec> interoceptor_spec
 %type <extrospectorSpec> extrospector_spec
@@ -114,12 +117,32 @@ spec_body:
 
 opt_params:
     params
-    | /* empty */ { $$ = new std::vector<std::string>(); }
+    | /* empty */ { $$ = new std::vector<std::pair<std::string,std::string>>(); }
+    ;
+
+param:
+    STRING {
+        $$ = new std::pair<std::string,std::string>($1, "");
+    }
+    | STRING EQUALS {
+        $$ = new std::pair<std::string,std::string>($1, "");
+    }
+    | STRING EQUALS STRING {
+        $$ = new std::pair<std::string,std::string>($1, $3);
+    }
     ;
 
 params:
-    STRING { $$ = new std::vector<std::string>{ $1 }; }
-    | params PIPE STRING { $$ = $1; $$->push_back($3); }
+    param {
+        $$ = new std::vector<std::pair<std::string,std::string>>();
+        $$->push_back(*$1);
+        delete $1;
+    }
+    | params PIPE param {
+        $$ = $1;
+        $$->push_back(*$3);
+        delete $3;
+    }
     ;
 
 %%
diff --git a/include/user/senseDeviceSpec.h b/include/user/senseDeviceSpec.h
index 666c990..057edbf 100644
--- a/include/user/senseDeviceSpec.h
+++ b/include/user/senseDeviceSpec.h
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ public:
     char sensorType;
     std::string implexor;
     std::string api;
-    std::vector<std::string> apiParams;
+    std::vector<std::pair<std::string,std::string>> apiParams;
     std::string provider;
-    std::vector<std::string> providerParams;
+    std::vector<std::pair<std::string,std::string>> providerParams;
     std::string deviceSelector;
 
     std::string stringify() const
@@ -42,12 +42,20 @@ public:
            << implexor << ", API: " << api << ", API Params: (";
         for (const auto& param : apiParams)
         {
-            os << param << " ";
+            os << param.first;
+            if (!param.second.empty()) {
+                os << "=" << param.second;
+            }
+            os << " ";
         }
         os << "), Provider: " << provider << ", Provider Params: (";
         for (const auto& param : providerParams)
         {
-            os << param << " ";
+            os << param.first;
+            if (!param.second.empty()) {
+                os << "=" << param.second;
+            }
+            os << " ";
         }
         os << "), Device Selector: " << deviceSelector << std::endl;