diff --git a/senlinclient/common/utils.py b/senlinclient/common/utils.py
index 43b59eb2..e813d51e 100644
--- a/senlinclient/common/utils.py
+++ b/senlinclient/common/utils.py
@@ -107,13 +107,16 @@ def print_dict(d, formatters=None):
     print(pt.get_string(sortby='Property'))
 
 
-def format_parameters(params):
+def format_parameters(params, parse_semicolon=True):
     '''Reformat parameters into dict of format expected by the API.'''
     if not params:
         return {}
 
-    if len(params) == 1:
-        params = params[0].split(';')
+    if parse_semicolon:
+        # expect multiple invocations of --parameters but fall back to ';'
+        # delimited if only one --parameters is specified
+        if len(params) == 1:
+            params = params[0].split(';')
 
     parameters = {}
     for p in params: