diff --git a/librz/core/cmd/cmd_analysis.c b/librz/core/cmd/cmd_analysis.c
index 005db6de7b2..f981d11030e 100644
--- a/librz/core/cmd/cmd_analysis.c
+++ b/librz/core/cmd/cmd_analysis.c
@@ -4676,15 +4676,39 @@ RZ_IPI RzCmdStatus rz_il_vm_step_until_addr_handler(RzCore *core, int argc, cons
 }
 
 RZ_IPI RzCmdStatus rz_il_vm_status_handler(RzCore *core, int argc, const char **argv, RzOutputMode mode) {
-	if (argc == 3) {
-		ut64 value = rz_num_math(core->num, argv[2]);
-		if (rz_core_analysis_il_vm_set(core, argv[1], value)) {
-			rz_cons_printf("%s = 0x%" PFMT64x "\n", argv[1], value);
+	if (argc > 1) {
+		RzList *l = rz_str_split_duplist_n(argv[1], "=", 1, true);
+		if (!l) {
+			return RZ_CMD_STATUS_ERROR;
 		}
-	} else {
-		// print variable or all variables
-		rz_core_analysis_il_vm_status(core, argc == 2 ? argv[1] : NULL, mode);
+		size_t llen = rz_list_length(l);
+		if (!llen) {
+			rz_list_free(l);
+			return RZ_CMD_STATUS_ERROR;
+		}
+		const char *varname = rz_list_get_n(l, 0);
+		if (RZ_STR_ISEMPTY(varname)) {
+			RZ_LOG_ERROR("core: No string specified before `=`. Make sure to use the format <var_name>=<value>.\n");
+			rz_list_free(l);
+			return RZ_CMD_STATUS_ERROR;
+		}
+
+		if (llen == 2) {
+			// assign variable
+			const char *valstr = rz_list_get_n(l, 1);
+			ut64 value = rz_num_math(core->num, valstr);
+			if (rz_core_analysis_il_vm_set(core, varname, value)) {
+				rz_cons_printf("%s = 0x%" PFMT64x "\n", varname, value);
+			}
+		} else {
+			// print variable
+			rz_core_analysis_il_vm_status(core, varname, mode);
+		}
+		rz_list_free(l);
+		return RZ_CMD_STATUS_OK;
 	}
+	// print all variables
+	rz_core_analysis_il_vm_status(core, NULL, mode);
 	return RZ_CMD_STATUS_OK;
 }
 
diff --git a/librz/core/cmd_descs/cmd_analysis.yaml b/librz/core/cmd_descs/cmd_analysis.yaml
index 6c8b903f11d..a213518ccd0 100644
--- a/librz/core/cmd_descs/cmd_analysis.yaml
+++ b/librz/core/cmd_descs/cmd_analysis.yaml
@@ -992,6 +992,7 @@ commands:
             type: RZ_CMD_ARG_TYPE_RZNUM
       - name: aezv
         summary: Print or modify the current status of the RzIL Virtual Machine
+        args_str: " [<var_name> [= <val>]]"
         cname: il_vm_status
         type: RZ_CMD_DESC_TYPE_ARGV_MODES
         modes:
@@ -1000,11 +1001,9 @@ commands:
           - RZ_OUTPUT_MODE_JSON
           - RZ_OUTPUT_MODE_QUIET
         args:
-          - name: var_name
-            type: RZ_CMD_ARG_TYPE_STRING
-            optional: true
-          - name: number
-            type: RZ_CMD_ARG_TYPE_RZNUM
+          - name: var_name=value
+            type: RZ_CMD_ARG_TYPE_EVAL_FULL
+            flags: RZ_CMD_ARG_FLAG_LAST
             optional: true
   - name: ag
     summary: Analysis graph commands
diff --git a/librz/core/cmd_descs/cmd_descs.c b/librz/core/cmd_descs/cmd_descs.c
index 6cfbcf9603a..039bbc9dbc8 100644
--- a/librz/core/cmd_descs/cmd_descs.c
+++ b/librz/core/cmd_descs/cmd_descs.c
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ static const RzCmdDescArg il_step_until_opt_args[2];
 static const RzCmdDescArg il_vm_step_args[2];
 static const RzCmdDescArg il_vm_step_with_events_args[2];
 static const RzCmdDescArg il_vm_step_until_addr_args[2];
-static const RzCmdDescArg il_vm_status_args[3];
+static const RzCmdDescArg il_vm_status_args[2];
 static const RzCmdDescArg analysis_graph_dataref_args[2];
 static const RzCmdDescArg analysis_graph_dataref_global_args[2];
 static const RzCmdDescArg analysis_graph_callgraph_function_args[2];
@@ -4048,14 +4048,8 @@ static const RzCmdDescHelp il_vm_step_until_addr_help = {
 
 static const RzCmdDescArg il_vm_status_args[] = {
 	{
-		.name = "var_name",
+		.name = "var_name=value",
 		.type = RZ_CMD_ARG_TYPE_STRING,
-		.optional = true,
-
-	},
-	{
-		.name = "number",
-		.type = RZ_CMD_ARG_TYPE_RZNUM,
 		.flags = RZ_CMD_ARG_FLAG_LAST,
 		.optional = true,
 
@@ -4064,6 +4058,7 @@ static const RzCmdDescArg il_vm_status_args[] = {
 };
 static const RzCmdDescHelp il_vm_status_help = {
 	.summary = "Print or modify the current status of the RzIL Virtual Machine",
+	.args_str = " [<var_name> [= <val>]]",
 	.args = il_vm_status_args,
 };
 
diff --git a/test/db/cmd/cmd_aez b/test/db/cmd/cmd_aez
index 9627ada5fac..68c93fc4413 100644
--- a/test/db/cmd/cmd_aez
+++ b/test/db/cmd/cmd_aez
@@ -93,10 +93,10 @@ s 0
 aezi
 aezv
 echo --
-aezv PC 0x42
+aezv PC=0x42
 aezv
 echo --
-aezv ptr 0xc0ffee
+aezv ptr=0xc0ffee
 aezv
 EOF
 EXPECT=<<EOF
diff --git a/test/db/rzil/tricore b/test/db/rzil/tricore
index a87f7d50842..10a69d70e3e 100644
--- a/test/db/rzil/tricore
+++ b/test/db/rzil/tricore
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ e io.cache=1
 aaa
 s main
 aezi
-aezv FCX 0x1
+aezv FCX=0x1
 aezsu 0x8000052e
 ps @ obj.seckrit
 EOF