diff --git a/src/element.c b/src/element.c
index a10971878..ae1f50edc 100644
--- a/src/element.c
+++ b/src/element.c
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ stumpless_element_to_string( const struct stumpless_element *element ) {
 
     if( param_count != 0 ) {
       // extra param list chars and commas
-      format_len += 6 + param_count - 1;
+      format_len += 4 + param_count ;
     } else {
       // no params, just name
       format_len += 3;
@@ -229,10 +229,10 @@ stumpless_element_to_string( const struct stumpless_element *element ) {
       goto fail;
     }
 
-    memcpy( format + 1, name, name_len );
+    memcpy( format, name, name_len );
 
     // build params list "param_1_to_string,param_2_to_string, ..."
-    size_t pos_offset = name_len + 4;
+    size_t pos_offset = name_len + 2;
     for( size_t i = 0; i < param_count; i++) {
       // replace '\0' with ',' at the end of each string
       memcpy( format + pos_offset, params_format[i], strlen(params_format[i]));
@@ -246,17 +246,14 @@ stumpless_element_to_string( const struct stumpless_element *element ) {
 
     unlock_element( element );
 
-    format[0] = '<';
-    format[name_len + 1] = '>';
-
     if (param_count != 0 ) {
-      // <name>:[param_1_to_string,param_2_to_string,etc.] (with params)
-      format[name_len + 2] = ':';
-      format[name_len + 3] = '[';
+      // name=[param_1_to_string,param_2_to_string,etc.] (with params)
+      format[name_len ] = '=';
+      format[name_len + 1] = '[';
       format[pos_offset] = ']';
     } else {
-      // <name> (no params)
-      // pos_offset is name_len + 4 here
+      // name (no params)
+      // pos_offset is name_len + 2 here
       pos_offset -= 3;
     }
 
diff --git a/test/function/element.cpp b/test/function/element.cpp
index 9d81caa87..b8b44df68 100644
--- a/test/function/element.cpp
+++ b/test/function/element.cpp
@@ -808,7 +808,7 @@ namespace {
     format = stumpless_element_to_string( element_with_params );
     ASSERT_NOT_NULL( format );
 
-    EXPECT_STREQ( format, "<element-with-params>:[param-1=\"value-1\",param-2=\"value-2\"]" );
+    EXPECT_STREQ( format, "element-with-params=[param-1=\"value-1\",param-2=\"value-2\"]" );
     EXPECT_NO_ERROR;
 
     free( ( void * ) format );
@@ -820,7 +820,7 @@ namespace {
     format = stumpless_element_to_string( basic_element );
     ASSERT_NOT_NULL( format );
 
-    EXPECT_STREQ( format, "<basic-element>" );
+    EXPECT_STREQ( format, "basic-element" );
     EXPECT_NO_ERROR;
 
     free( ( void * ) format );