diff --git a/synapse/handlers/register.py b/synapse/handlers/register.py
index c391c1bdf5..557aec4e6c 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/register.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/register.py
@@ -278,12 +278,12 @@ class RegistrationHandler(BaseHandler):
             location = self.hs.config.server_name,
             identifier = "key",
             key = self.hs.config.macaroon_secret_key)
-        macaroon.add_first_party_caveat("gen = 1")
-        macaroon.add_first_party_caveat("user_id = %s" % (user_id,))
-        macaroon.add_first_party_caveat("type = access")
+        macaroon.add_first_party_caveat("gen=1")
+        macaroon.add_first_party_caveat("user_id=%s" % (user_id,))
+        macaroon.add_first_party_caveat("type=access")
         now = self.hs.get_clock().time_msec()
         expiry = now + (60 * 60 * 1000)
-        macaroon.add_first_party_caveat("time < %d" % (expiry,))
+        macaroon.add_first_party_caveat("time<%d" % (expiry,))
 
         return macaroon.serialize()
 
diff --git a/tests/handlers/test_register.py b/tests/handlers/test_register.py
index 91cc90242f..18507c547d 100644
--- a/tests/handlers/test_register.py
+++ b/tests/handlers/test_register.py
@@ -51,16 +51,16 @@ class RegisterTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         macaroon = pymacaroons.Macaroon.deserialize(token)
 
         def verify_gen(caveat):
-            return caveat == "gen = 1"
+            return caveat == "gen=1"
 
         def verify_user(caveat):
-            return caveat == "user_id = a_user"
+            return caveat == "user_id=a_user"
 
         def verify_type(caveat):
-            return caveat == "type = access"
+            return caveat == "type=access"
 
         def verify_expiry(caveat):
-            return caveat == "time < 8600000"
+            return caveat == "time<8600000"
 
         v = pymacaroons.Verifier()
         v.satisfy_general(verify_gen)