diff --git a/subiquity/cmd/server.py b/subiquity/cmd/server.py
index c5c5f11b..c2f29b20 100644
--- a/subiquity/cmd/server.py
+++ b/subiquity/cmd/server.py
@@ -16,8 +16,11 @@
 import argparse
 import logging
 import os
+import shlex
 import sys
 
+import attr
+
 from subiquitycore.log import setup_logger
 
 from .common import (
@@ -26,6 +29,30 @@ from .common import (
     )
 
 
+@attr.s(auto_attribs=True)
+class CommandLineParams:
+    _raw: str
+    _tokens: set = attr.Factory(set)
+    _values: dict = attr.Factory(dict)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_cmdline(cls, cmdline):
+        r = cls(cmdline)
+        for tok in shlex.split(cmdline):
+            if '=' in tok:
+                k, v = tok.split('=', 1)
+                r._values[k] = v
+            else:
+                r._tokens.add(tok)
+        return r
+
+    def __contains__(self, item):
+        return item in self._tokens
+
+    def get(self, key, default=None):
+        return self._values.get(key, default)
+
+
 def make_server_args_parser():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
         description='SUbiquity - Ubiquity for Servers',
@@ -48,7 +75,9 @@ def make_server_args_parser():
               'or autoinstall data from cloud-init.'))
     with open('/proc/cmdline') as fp:
         cmdline = fp.read()
-    parser.add_argument('--kernel-cmdline', action='store', default=cmdline)
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--kernel-cmdline', action='store', default=cmdline,
+        type=CommandLineParams.from_cmdline)
     parser.add_argument(
         '--snaps-from-examples', action='store_const', const=True,
         dest="snaps_from_examples",
@@ -72,7 +101,7 @@ def make_server_args_parser():
         default='.subiquity',
         help='in dryrun, control basedir of files')
     parser.add_argument(
-        '--storage-version', action='store', type=int, default=1)
+        '--storage-version', action='store', type=int)
     parser.add_argument(
         '--use-os-prober', action='store_true', default=False)
     return parser
@@ -86,6 +115,9 @@ def main():
     from subiquity.server.server import SubiquityServer
     parser = make_server_args_parser()
     opts = parser.parse_args(sys.argv[1:])
+    if opts.storage_version is None:
+        opts.storage_version = int(opts.kernel_cmdline.get(
+            'subiquity-storage-version', 1))
     logdir = LOGDIR
     if opts.dry_run:
         if opts.snaps_from_examples is None:
@@ -115,6 +147,7 @@ def main():
     version = os.environ.get("SNAP_REVISION", "unknown")
     logger.info("Starting Subiquity server revision {}".format(version))
     logger.info("Arguments passed: {}".format(sys.argv))
+    logger.debug("Kernel commandline: {}".format(opts.kernel_cmdline))
 
     server = SubiquityServer(opts, block_log_dir)
 
diff --git a/subiquity/server/controllers/refresh.py b/subiquity/server/controllers/refresh.py
index 4267ed0d..5cbac3ab 100644
--- a/subiquity/server/controllers/refresh.py
+++ b/subiquity/server/controllers/refresh.py
@@ -133,12 +133,11 @@ class RefreshController(SubiquityController):
 
     def get_refresh_channel(self):
         """Return the channel we should refresh subiquity to."""
-        prefix = "subiquity-channel="
-        for arg in self.app.kernel_cmdline:
-            if arg.startswith(prefix):
-                log.debug(
-                    "get_refresh_channel: found %s on kernel cmdline", arg)
-                return arg[len(prefix):]
+        channel = self.app.kernel_cmdline.get('subiquity-channel')
+        if channel is not None:
+            log.debug(
+                "get_refresh_channel: found %s on kernel cmdline", channel)
+            return channel
         if 'channel' in self.ai_data:
             return self.ai_data['channel']
 
diff --git a/subiquity/server/server.py b/subiquity/server/server.py
index 79e122ec..8af28d08 100644
--- a/subiquity/server/server.py
+++ b/subiquity/server/server.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 import asyncio
 import logging
 import os
-import shlex
 import sys
 import time
 from typing import List, Optional
@@ -304,7 +303,7 @@ class SubiquityServer(Application):
             self.prober = None
         else:
             self.prober = Prober(opts.machine_config, self.debug_flags)
-        self.kernel_cmdline = shlex.split(opts.kernel_cmdline)
+        self.kernel_cmdline = opts.kernel_cmdline
         if opts.snaps_from_examples:
             connection = FakeSnapdConnection(
                 os.path.join(
diff --git a/subiquity/server/tests/test_server.py b/subiquity/server/tests/test_server.py
index e4f47180..a5994b73 100644
--- a/subiquity/server/tests/test_server.py
+++ b/subiquity/server/tests/test_server.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class TestAutoinstallLoad(SubiTestCase):
         opts.dry_run = True
         opts.output_base = self.tempdir
         opts.machine_config = 'examples/simple.json'
-        opts.kernel_cmdline = ''
+        opts.kernel_cmdline = {}
         opts.autoinstall = None
         self.server = SubiquityServer(opts, None)
         self.server.base_model = Mock()
diff --git a/system_setup/cmd/schema.py b/system_setup/cmd/schema.py
index a95b216d..26866c9f 100644
--- a/system_setup/cmd/schema.py
+++ b/system_setup/cmd/schema.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ def make_app():
     parser = make_server_args_parser()
     opts, unknown = parser.parse_known_args(['--dry-run'])
     opts.machine_config = NOPROBERARG
-    opts.kernel_cmdline = ""
+    opts.kernel_cmdline = {}
     opts.snaps_from_examples = False
     app = SystemSetupServer(opts, '')
     app.base_model = app.make_model()
diff --git a/system_setup/cmd/server.py b/system_setup/cmd/server.py
index d98d62dd..2a8ae0c6 100644
--- a/system_setup/cmd/server.py
+++ b/system_setup/cmd/server.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ def main():
     opts = parser.parse_args(sys.argv[1:])
     logdir = LOGDIR
     opts.snaps_from_examples = False
-    opts.kernel_cmdline = ""
+    opts.kernel_cmdline = {}
     opts.machine_config = NOPROBERARG
     if opts.dry_run:
         logdir = opts.output_base