diff --git a/src/node_device/node_device_driver.c b/src/node_device/node_device_driver.c
index b4465162cb..107e48c925 100644
--- a/src/node_device/node_device_driver.c
+++ b/src/node_device/node_device_driver.c
@@ -735,10 +735,9 @@ nodeDeviceGetMdevctlDefineCreateCommand(virNodeDeviceDef *def,
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    cmd = virCommandNewArgList(MDEVCTL, subcommand,
-                               "-p", parent_addr,
-                               "--jsonfile", "/dev/stdin",
-                               NULL);
+    cmd = virCommandNewArgList(MDEVCTL, subcommand, NULL);
+    virCommandAddArgPair(cmd, "--parent", parent_addr);
+    virCommandAddArgPair(cmd, "--jsonfile", "/dev/stdin");
 
     virCommandSetInputBuffer(cmd, json);
 
@@ -902,11 +901,8 @@ nodeDeviceCreateXML(virConnectPtr conn,
 virCommand *
 nodeDeviceGetMdevctlStopCommand(const char *uuid, char **errmsg)
 {
-    virCommand *cmd = virCommandNewArgList(MDEVCTL,
-                                           "stop",
-                                           "-u",
-                                           uuid,
-                                           NULL);
+    virCommand *cmd = virCommandNewArgList(MDEVCTL, "stop", NULL);
+    virCommandAddArgPair(cmd, "--uuid", uuid);
     virCommandSetErrorBuffer(cmd, errmsg);
     return cmd;
 
@@ -915,11 +911,8 @@ nodeDeviceGetMdevctlStopCommand(const char *uuid, char **errmsg)
 virCommand *
 nodeDeviceGetMdevctlUndefineCommand(const char *uuid, char **errmsg)
 {
-    virCommand *cmd = virCommandNewArgList(MDEVCTL,
-                                           "undefine",
-                                           "-u",
-                                           uuid,
-                                           NULL);
+    virCommand *cmd = virCommandNewArgList(MDEVCTL, "undefine", NULL);
+    virCommandAddArgPair(cmd, "--uuid", uuid);
     virCommandSetErrorBuffer(cmd, errmsg);
     return cmd;
 }
@@ -927,11 +920,8 @@ nodeDeviceGetMdevctlUndefineCommand(const char *uuid, char **errmsg)
 virCommand *
 nodeDeviceGetMdevctlStartCommand(const char *uuid, char **errmsg)
 {
-    virCommand *cmd = virCommandNewArgList(MDEVCTL,
-                                           "start",
-                                           "-u",
-                                           uuid,
-                                           NULL);
+    virCommand *cmd = virCommandNewArgList(MDEVCTL, "start", NULL);
+    virCommandAddArgPair(cmd, "--uuid", uuid);
     virCommandSetErrorBuffer(cmd, errmsg);
     return cmd;
 }
diff --git a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_d069d019_36ea_4111_8f0a_8c9a70e21366-create.argv b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_d069d019_36ea_4111_8f0a_8c9a70e21366-create.argv
index 73a8046d84..3cf66f8a91 100644
--- a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_d069d019_36ea_4111_8f0a_8c9a70e21366-create.argv
+++ b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_d069d019_36ea_4111_8f0a_8c9a70e21366-create.argv
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 mdevctl \
 start \
--p 0000:00:02.0 \
---jsonfile /dev/stdin \
+--parent=0000:00:02.0 \
+--jsonfile=/dev/stdin \
 --uuid=d069d019-36ea-4111-8f0a-8c9a70e21366
diff --git a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_d069d019_36ea_4111_8f0a_8c9a70e21366-define.argv b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_d069d019_36ea_4111_8f0a_8c9a70e21366-define.argv
index b8bb276f9f..a8c2feaed4 100644
--- a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_d069d019_36ea_4111_8f0a_8c9a70e21366-define.argv
+++ b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_d069d019_36ea_4111_8f0a_8c9a70e21366-define.argv
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 mdevctl \
 define \
--p 0000:00:02.0 \
---jsonfile /dev/stdin \
+--parent=0000:00:02.0 \
+--jsonfile=/dev/stdin \
 --uuid=d069d019-36ea-4111-8f0a-8c9a70e21366
diff --git a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_d2441d39_495e_4243_ad9f_beb3f14c23d9-create.argv b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_d2441d39_495e_4243_ad9f_beb3f14c23d9-create.argv
index eae63f7a7f..010e562026 100644
--- a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_d2441d39_495e_4243_ad9f_beb3f14c23d9-create.argv
+++ b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_d2441d39_495e_4243_ad9f_beb3f14c23d9-create.argv
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 mdevctl \
 start \
--p 0000:00:02.0 \
---jsonfile /dev/stdin
+--parent=0000:00:02.0 \
+--jsonfile=/dev/stdin
diff --git a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_d2441d39_495e_4243_ad9f_beb3f14c23d9-define.argv b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_d2441d39_495e_4243_ad9f_beb3f14c23d9-define.argv
index bf8637ed57..46d1e95f15 100644
--- a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_d2441d39_495e_4243_ad9f_beb3f14c23d9-define.argv
+++ b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_d2441d39_495e_4243_ad9f_beb3f14c23d9-define.argv
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 mdevctl \
 define \
--p 0000:00:02.0 \
---jsonfile /dev/stdin
+--parent=0000:00:02.0 \
+--jsonfile=/dev/stdin
diff --git a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_fedc4916_1ca8_49ac_b176_871d16c13076-create.argv b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_fedc4916_1ca8_49ac_b176_871d16c13076-create.argv
index eae63f7a7f..010e562026 100644
--- a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_fedc4916_1ca8_49ac_b176_871d16c13076-create.argv
+++ b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_fedc4916_1ca8_49ac_b176_871d16c13076-create.argv
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 mdevctl \
 start \
--p 0000:00:02.0 \
---jsonfile /dev/stdin
+--parent=0000:00:02.0 \
+--jsonfile=/dev/stdin
diff --git a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_fedc4916_1ca8_49ac_b176_871d16c13076-define.argv b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_fedc4916_1ca8_49ac_b176_871d16c13076-define.argv
index bf8637ed57..46d1e95f15 100644
--- a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_fedc4916_1ca8_49ac_b176_871d16c13076-define.argv
+++ b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdev_fedc4916_1ca8_49ac_b176_871d16c13076-define.argv
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 mdevctl \
 define \
--p 0000:00:02.0 \
---jsonfile /dev/stdin
+--parent=0000:00:02.0 \
+--jsonfile=/dev/stdin
diff --git a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdevctl-start.argv b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdevctl-start.argv
index ccb8e2992c..e876d08ad3 100644
--- a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdevctl-start.argv
+++ b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdevctl-start.argv
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 mdevctl \
 start \
--u d069d019-36ea-4111-8f0a-8c9a70e21366
+--uuid=d069d019-36ea-4111-8f0a-8c9a70e21366
diff --git a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdevctl-stop.argv b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdevctl-stop.argv
index a07d339e47..e422b2c3ea 100644
--- a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdevctl-stop.argv
+++ b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdevctl-stop.argv
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 mdevctl \
 stop \
--u d069d019-36ea-4111-8f0a-8c9a70e21366
+--uuid=d069d019-36ea-4111-8f0a-8c9a70e21366
diff --git a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdevctl-undefine.argv b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdevctl-undefine.argv
index dbde32e2a8..fa35a646be 100644
--- a/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdevctl-undefine.argv
+++ b/tests/nodedevmdevctldata/mdevctl-undefine.argv
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 mdevctl \
 undefine \
--u d069d019-36ea-4111-8f0a-8c9a70e21366
+--uuid=d069d019-36ea-4111-8f0a-8c9a70e21366