diff --git a/docs/dev-tools/backends/cargo.md b/docs/dev-tools/backends/cargo.md
index fc73aa5729..d61f1030fd 100644
--- a/docs/dev-tools/backends/cargo.md
+++ b/docs/dev-tools/backends/cargo.md
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ This will execute a `cargo install` command with the corresponding Git options.
 
 ## Settings
 
-Set these with `mise settings set [VARIABLE] [VALUE]` or by setting the environment variable listed.
+Set these with `mise settings set [VARIABLE]=[VALUE]` or by setting the environment variable listed.
 
 Some Cargo settings are only meaningful when mise runs `cargo install`. If `cargo-binstall`
 installs a prebuilt binary, Cargo build settings and `cargo install` behavior do not affect that
diff --git a/docs/dev-tools/backends/conda.md b/docs/dev-tools/backends/conda.md
index 4cbbb2b6f7..e96e5ae1e6 100644
--- a/docs/dev-tools/backends/conda.md
+++ b/docs/dev-tools/backends/conda.md
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ If a platform-specific package is not available, the backend will fall back to `
 
 ## Settings
 
-Set these with `mise settings set [VARIABLE] [VALUE]` or by setting the environment variable listed.
+Set these with `mise settings set [VARIABLE]=[VALUE]` or by setting the environment variable listed.
 
 <script setup>
 import Settings from '/components/settings.vue';
diff --git a/docs/dev-tools/backends/dotnet.md b/docs/dev-tools/backends/dotnet.md
index 64e39b0272..efaa0cd900 100644
--- a/docs/dev-tools/backends/dotnet.md
+++ b/docs/dev-tools/backends/dotnet.md
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ The version will be set in `~/.config/mise/config.toml` with the following forma
 
 ## Settings
 
-Set these with `mise settings set [VARIABLE] [VALUE]` or by setting the environment variable listed.
+Set these with `mise settings set [VARIABLE]=[VALUE]` or by setting the environment variable listed.
 
 <script setup>
 import Settings from '/components/settings.vue';
diff --git a/docs/dev-tools/backends/gem.md b/docs/dev-tools/backends/gem.md
index 279741bfe4..20559a09c9 100644
--- a/docs/dev-tools/backends/gem.md
+++ b/docs/dev-tools/backends/gem.md
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ mise install -f "gem:*"
 
 ## Settings
 
-Set these with `mise settings set [VARIABLE] [VALUE]` or by setting the environment variable listed.
+Set these with `mise settings set [VARIABLE]=[VALUE]` or by setting the environment variable listed.
 
 <script setup>
 import Settings from '/components/settings.vue';
diff --git a/docs/dev-tools/backends/npm.md b/docs/dev-tools/backends/npm.md
index 874b83527d..f395acec1b 100644
--- a/docs/dev-tools/backends/npm.md
+++ b/docs/dev-tools/backends/npm.md
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ The version will be set in `~/.config/mise/config.toml` with the following forma
 
 ## Settings
 
-Set these with `mise settings set [VARIABLE] [VALUE]` or by setting the environment variable listed.
+Set these with `mise settings set [VARIABLE]=[VALUE]` or by setting the environment variable listed.
 
 <script setup>
 import Settings from '/components/settings.vue';
diff --git a/docs/dev-tools/backends/pipx.md b/docs/dev-tools/backends/pipx.md
index 8dd5cd86a1..e00d5d606c 100644
--- a/docs/dev-tools/backends/pipx.md
+++ b/docs/dev-tools/backends/pipx.md
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ Other syntax may work but is unsupported and untested.
 
 ## Settings
 
-Set these with `mise settings set [VARIABLE] [VALUE]` or by setting the environment variable listed.
+Set these with `mise settings set [VARIABLE]=[VALUE]` or by setting the environment variable listed.
 
 <script setup>
 import Settings from '/components/settings.vue';
diff --git a/docs/dev-tools/github-tokens.md b/docs/dev-tools/github-tokens.md
index e79442bbf4..53f2112c44 100644
--- a/docs/dev-tools/github-tokens.md
+++ b/docs/dev-tools/github-tokens.md
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ Run `ghtkn get` once manually before relying on it from mise so any browser-base
 The credential command runs with mise shims removed from `PATH` to avoid recursive mise invocations. If you install `ghtkn` with mise, use `mise which` to find the real executable path and store that in `credential_command` instead of relying on the shim:
 
 ```sh
-mise settings set github.credential_command "$(mise which ghtkn) get -m 1h"
+mise settings set github.credential_command="$(mise which ghtkn) get -m 1h"
 ```
 
 Do not make the credential command run `mise x`, `mise exec`, or another command that may need GitHub access to resolve or install `ghtkn`, since that can loop while mise is trying to obtain the GitHub token.
@@ -157,8 +157,8 @@ This feature is experimental. Enable it with `mise settings experimental=true` (
 Create a GitHub App with device flow enabled, then configure its client ID:
 
 ```sh
-mise settings set experimental true
-mise settings set github.oauth_client_id Iv1.yourgithubappclientid
+mise settings set experimental=true
+mise settings set github.oauth_client_id=Iv1.yourgithubappclientid
 ```
 
 Authorize once:
diff --git a/docs/environments/secrets/age.md b/docs/environments/secrets/age.md
index 2592a942f5..331db42c5c 100644
--- a/docs/environments/secrets/age.md
+++ b/docs/environments/secrets/age.md
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ This is a simple method of storing encrypted environment variables directly in `
 1. Enable experimental features:
 
 ```bash
-mise settings set experimental true
+mise settings set experimental=true
 ```
 
 2. [optional] Generate an age key (if you want to create a new age key and don't want to use your ssh key):
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ Age decryption is strict by default. If no identities are found, no available id
 To allow commands and tasks to continue when an age value cannot be decrypted, disable strict mode:
 
 ```bash
-mise settings set age.strict false
+mise settings set age.strict=false
 ```
 
 In non-strict mode, mise skips values that cannot be decrypted and continues resolving the rest of the environment.
diff --git a/docs/lang/dotnet.md b/docs/lang/dotnet.md
index f8a439257b..fa23697b0d 100644
--- a/docs/lang/dotnet.md
+++ b/docs/lang/dotnet.md
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ with an SDK version, mise will automatically use it:
 Enable idiomatic version file support:
 
 ```sh
-mise settings set idiomatic_version_file_enable_tools dotnet
+mise settings set idiomatic_version_file_enable_tools=dotnet
 ```
 
 ## Isolated Mode
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ If you prefer the traditional mise approach where each version gets its own dire
 isolated mode:
 
 ```sh
-mise settings set dotnet.isolated true
+mise settings set dotnet.isolated=true
 ```
 
 In isolated mode each SDK version is installed under `~/.local/share/mise/installs/dotnet/<version>/`,
diff --git a/docs/lang/python.md b/docs/lang/python.md
index 6c974e6c08..c1fb4a8348 100644
--- a/docs/lang/python.md
+++ b/docs/lang/python.md
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ brew link pkg-config
 a [handful of settings](https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv/tree/master/plugins/python-build), in
 additional to that python in mise has a few extra configuration variables.
 
-Set these with `mise settings set [VARIABLE] [VALUE]` or by setting the environment variable.
+Set these with `mise settings set [VARIABLE]=[VALUE]` or by setting the environment variable.
 
 <script setup>
 import Settings from '/components/settings.vue';
diff --git a/e2e/cli/test_settings_add b/e2e/cli/test_settings_add
index 501a43b9fd..11d5b59e80 100644
--- a/e2e/cli/test_settings_add
+++ b/e2e/cli/test_settings_add
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@ assert "mise settings get disable_hints" '["a", "b"]'
 assert "mise settings add disable_hints a" ""
 assert "grep disable_hints ~/.config/mise/config.toml" 'disable_hints = ["a", "b"]'
 
-assert "mise settings add idiomatic_version_file_enable_tools python" ""
+assert "mise settings add idiomatic_version_file_enable_tools=python" ""
 assert "mise settings add idiomatic_version_file_enable_tools rust" ""
 assert "mise settings get idiomatic_version_file_enable_tools" '["python", "rust"]'
-assert "mise settings add idiomatic_version_file_enable_tools python,rust,zig" ""
+assert "mise settings add idiomatic_version_file_enable_tools=python,rust,zig" ""
 assert "grep idiomatic_version_file_enable_tools ~/.config/mise/config.toml" 'idiomatic_version_file_enable_tools = ["python", "rust", "zig"]'
 
 # test "settings add key=value" format
diff --git a/src/plugins/core/node.rs b/src/plugins/core/node.rs
index 9d2132bdf5..627e0d1982 100644
--- a/src/plugins/core/node.rs
+++ b/src/plugins/core/node.rs
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ impl NodePlugin {
                     }
                 }
                 msg.push_str("\nYou can try setting the flavor using:\n");
-                msg.push_str("  mise settings set node.flavor <flavor>\n");
+                msg.push_str("  mise settings set node.flavor=<flavor>\n");
                 return Ok(Some(msg));
             } else {
                 // Fallback: list all files for that version if no arch match
diff --git a/src/plugins/core/python.rs b/src/plugins/core/python.rs
index c9cf979933..f675d46cc6 100644
--- a/src/plugins/core/python.rs
+++ b/src/plugins/core/python.rs
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ impl PythonPlugin {
                         debug!("no precompiled python found for {}", tv.version);
                     } else {
                         warn!(
-                            "no precompiled python found for {}, force mise to use a precompiled version with `mise settings set python.compile false`",
+                            "no precompiled python found for {}, force mise to use a precompiled version with `mise settings set python.compile=false`",
                             tv.version
                         );
                     }