diff --git a/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/devtool.py b/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/devtool.py
index 74a7727cc0..05f228f03e 100644
--- a/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/devtool.py
+++ b/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/devtool.py
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ class DevtoolTestCase(OESelftestTestCase):
                         value = invalue
                         invar = None
                 elif '=' in line:
-                    splitline = line.split('=', 1)
+                    splitline = re.split(r"[?+:]*=[+]?", line, 1)
                     var = splitline[0].rstrip()
                     value = splitline[1].strip().strip('"')
                     if value.endswith('\\'):