diff --git a/rc/git-tools.kak b/rc/git-tools.kak
index ddb1d490..602b73c4 100644
--- a/rc/git-tools.kak
+++ b/rc/git-tools.kak
@@ -63,9 +63,10 @@ def -shell-params \
                       if (line == "") { return; }
                       text=substr(sha,1,8) " " dates[sha] " " authors[sha]
                       gsub(":", "\\:", text)
-                      flag=line "|black|" text
+                      gsub(",", "\\,", text)
+                      flag=line ",black," text
                       for ( i=1; i < count; i++ ) {
-                          flag=flag ":" line+i "|black|" text
+                          flag=flag ":" line+i ",black," text
                       }
                       cmd = "kak -p " ENVIRON["kak_session"]
                       print "set -add buffer=" ENVIRON["kak_bufname"] " git_blame_flags %{" flag "}" | cmd
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ def -shell-params \
         git diff -U0 $kak_buffile | awk -e '
             BEGIN {
                 line=0
-                flags="0|red|."
+                flags="0,red,."
             }
             /^---.*/ {}
             /^@@ -[0-9]+(,[0-9]+)? \+[0-9]+(,[0-9]+)? @@.*/ {
@@ -101,10 +102,10 @@ def -shell-params \
                  }
             }
             /^\+/ {
-                 flags=flags ":" line "|green|+"
+                 flags=flags ":" line ",green,+"
                  line++
             }
-            /^\-/ { flags=flags ":" line "|red|-" }
+            /^\-/ { flags=flags ":" line ",red,-" }
             END { print "set buffer git_diff_flags ", flags }
         '
     }
diff --git a/src/option_types.hh b/src/option_types.hh
index e68ddc30..7b0ebbf1 100644
--- a/src/option_types.hh
+++ b/src/option_types.hh
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ bool option_add(std::unordered_set<T>& opt, const std::unordered_set<T>& set)
     return not set.empty();
 }
 
-constexpr Codepoint tuple_separator = '|';
+constexpr Codepoint tuple_separator = ',';
 
 template<size_t I, typename... Types>
 struct TupleOptionDetail
@@ -175,9 +175,9 @@ bool option_add(T&, const T&)
 template<typename EffectiveType, typename LineType, typename ColumnType>
 inline void option_from_string(const String& str, LineAndColumn<EffectiveType, LineType, ColumnType>& opt)
 {
-    auto vals = split(str, '|');
+    auto vals = split(str, tuple_separator);
     if (vals.size() != 2)
-        throw runtime_error("expected <line>|<column>");
+        throw runtime_error("expected <line>"_str + tuple_separator + "<column>");
     opt.line = str_to_int(vals[0]);
     opt.column = str_to_int(vals[1]);
 }
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ inline void option_from_string(const String& str, LineAndColumn<EffectiveType, L
 template<typename EffectiveType, typename LineType, typename ColumnType>
 inline String option_to_string(const LineAndColumn<EffectiveType, LineType, ColumnType>& opt)
 {
-    return to_string(opt.line) + '|' + to_string(opt.column);
+    return to_string(opt.line) + tuple_separator + to_string(opt.column);
 }
 
 enum YesNoAsk