diff --git a/metadata/metadata.go b/metadata/metadata.go
index 167af58..f345ac0 100644
--- a/metadata/metadata.go
+++ b/metadata/metadata.go
@@ -254,11 +254,11 @@
 // the flag through the go toolchain.  An example of using the result to install
 // a Go binary with metadata x:
 //
-//   LDFlagExternal("main", "myvar", x) == "-X main.myvar eJwBAAD//wAAAAE="
+//   LDFlagExternal("main", "myvar", x) == "-X main.myvar=eJwBAAD//wAAAAE="
 //
-//   $ go install -ldflags="-X main.myvar eJwBAAD//wAAAAE=" mypackage
+//   $ go install -ldflags="-X main.myvar=eJwBAAD//wAAAAE=" mypackage
 func LDFlagExternal(pkgpath, variable string, x *T) string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("-X %s.%s %s", pkgpath, variable, x.ToBase64())
+	return fmt.Sprintf("-X %s.%s=%s", pkgpath, variable, x.ToBase64())
 }
 
 // Insert sets the built-in metadata entry for id to value, and returns the
diff --git a/metadata/metadata_test.go b/metadata/metadata_test.go
index ce778e8..4919157 100644
--- a/metadata/metadata_test.go
+++ b/metadata/metadata_test.go
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@
 
 func TestLDFlag(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, test := range allTests {
-		got, want := LDFlag(test.MD), "-X "+thisPkgPath+".initBuiltIn "+test.B64
+		got, want := LDFlag(test.MD), "-X "+thisPkgPath+".initBuiltIn="+test.B64
 		if got != want {
 			t.Errorf("got %q, want %q", got, want)
 		}