diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index 455b8be890..862b6c7661 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ DEF("machine", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_machine, \
     "                dea-key-wrap=on|off controls support for DEA key wrapping (default=on)\n"
     "                suppress-vmdesc=on|off disables self-describing migration (default=off)\n"
     "                nvdimm=on|off controls NVDIMM support (default=off)\n"
-    "                memory-encryption=@var{} memory encryption object to use (default=none)\n"
+    "                memory-encryption=<id> memory encryption object to use (default=none)\n"
     "                hmat=on|off controls ACPI HMAT support (default=off)\n"
     "                spcr=on|off controls ACPI SPCR support (default=on)\n"
 #ifdef CONFIG_POSIX
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ SRST
     ``nvdimm=on|off``
         Enables or disables NVDIMM support. The default is off.
 
-    ``memory-encryption=``
+    ``memory-encryption=<id>``
         Memory encryption object to use. The default is none.
 
     ``hmat=on|off``
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ SRST
 
             -machine cxl-fmw.0.targets.0=cxl.0,cxl-fmw.0.targets.1=cxl.1,cxl-fmw.0.size=128G,cxl-fmw.0.interleave-granularity=512
 
-    ``sgx-epc.0.memdev=@var{memid},sgx-epc.0.node=@var{numaid}``
+    ``sgx-epc.0.memdev=<memid>,sgx-epc.0.node=<numaid>``
         Define an SGX EPC section.
 
     ``smp-cache.0.cache=cachename,smp-cache.0.topology=topologylevel``
@@ -4530,7 +4530,7 @@ DEF("compat", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_compat,
     "                Policy for handling unstable management interfaces\n",
     QEMU_ARCH_ALL)
 SRST
-``-compat [deprecated-input=@var{input-policy}][,deprecated-output=@var{output-policy}]``
+``-compat [deprecated-input=<input-policy>][,deprecated-output=<output-policy>]``
     Set policy for handling deprecated management interfaces (experimental):
 
     ``deprecated-input=accept`` (default)
@@ -4546,7 +4546,7 @@ SRST
 
     Limitation: covers only syntactic aspects of QMP.
 
-``-compat [unstable-input=@var{input-policy}][,unstable-output=@var{output-policy}]``
+``-compat [unstable-input=<input-policy>][,unstable-output=<output-policy>]``
     Set policy for handling unstable management interfaces (experimental):
 
     ``unstable-input=accept`` (default)