diff --git a/doc/muxers.texi b/doc/muxers.texi
index 05bf483ba5..ef5c4b10bc 100644
--- a/doc/muxers.texi
+++ b/doc/muxers.texi
@@ -345,7 +345,8 @@ prft boxes in the underlying muxer. Applicable only when the @var{utc_url} optio
 Set one or more manifest profiles.
 
 @item -http_opts @var{http_opts}
-List of options to pass to the underlying HTTP protocol. Applicable only for HTTP output.
+A :-separated list of key=value options to pass to the underlying HTTP
+protocol. Applicable only for HTTP output.
 
 @item -target_latency @var{target_latency}
 Set an intended target latency in seconds (fractional value can be set) for serving. Applicable only when @var{streaming} and @var{write_prft} options are enabled.
diff --git a/libavformat/dashenc.c b/libavformat/dashenc.c
index 3b651b9514..9a8dde98e9 100644
--- a/libavformat/dashenc.c
+++ b/libavformat/dashenc.c
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ typedef struct DASHContext {
     const char *utc_timing_url;
     const char *method;
     const char *user_agent;
-    char *http_opts;
+    AVDictionary *http_opts;
     int hls_playlist;
     int http_persistent;
     int master_playlist_created;
@@ -479,8 +479,7 @@ static void set_http_options(AVDictionary **options, DASHContext *c)
 {
     if (c->method)
         av_dict_set(options, "method", c->method, 0);
-    if (c->http_opts)
-        av_dict_parse_string(options, c->http_opts, "=", ",", 0);
+    av_dict_copy(options, c->http_opts, 0);
     if (c->user_agent)
         av_dict_set(options, "user_agent", c->user_agent, 0);
     if (c->http_persistent)
@@ -2273,7 +2272,7 @@ static const AVOption options[] = {
     { "mpd_profile", "Set profiles. Elements and values used in the manifest may be constrained by them", OFFSET(profile), AV_OPT_TYPE_FLAGS, {.i64 = MPD_PROFILE_DASH }, 0, UINT_MAX, E, "mpd_profile"},
     { "dash", "MPEG-DASH ISO Base media file format live profile", 0, AV_OPT_TYPE_CONST, {.i64 = MPD_PROFILE_DASH }, 0, UINT_MAX, E, "mpd_profile"},
     { "dvb_dash", "DVB-DASH profile", 0, AV_OPT_TYPE_CONST, {.i64 = MPD_PROFILE_DVB }, 0, UINT_MAX, E, "mpd_profile"},
-    { "http_opts", "HTTP protocol options", OFFSET(http_opts), AV_OPT_TYPE_STRING, { .str = NULL }, 0, 0, E },
+    { "http_opts", "HTTP protocol options", OFFSET(http_opts), AV_OPT_TYPE_DICT, { .str = NULL }, 0, 0, E },
     { "target_latency", "Set desired target latency for Low-latency dash", OFFSET(target_latency), AV_OPT_TYPE_DURATION, { .i64 = 0 }, 0, INT_MAX, E },
     { NULL },
 };