diff --git a/src/CLI2.cpp b/src/CLI2.cpp
index 15e178f83..756f86300 100644
--- a/src/CLI2.cpp
+++ b/src/CLI2.cpp
@@ -159,23 +159,22 @@ void A2::decompose ()
 
   else if (_lextype == Lexer::Type::substitution)
   {
-    std::string raw = _attributes["raw"];
-
     //if (Directory (raw).exists ())
     //  return;
 
-    auto slash1 = raw.find ("/");
-    auto slash2 = raw.find ("/", slash1 + 1);
-    auto slash3 = raw.find ("/", slash2 + 1);
-
-    attribute ("from",   raw.substr (slash1 + 1, slash2 - slash1  - 1));
-    attribute ("to",     raw.substr (slash2 + 1, slash3 - slash2  - 1));
-    attribute ("global", raw.substr (slash3 + 1) == "g" ? 1 : 0);
+    std::string from;
+    std::string to;
+    std::string flags;
+    if (Lexer::decomposeSubstitution (_attributes["raw"], from, to, flags))
+    {
+      attribute ("from",  from);
+      attribute ("to",    to);
+      attribute ("flags", flags);
+    }
   }
 
   else if (_lextype == Lexer::Type::pair)
   {
-    std::string raw = _attributes["raw"];
     std::string name;
     std::string mod;
     std::string sep;
diff --git a/src/Task.cpp b/src/Task.cpp
index 1fc58c0d5..2c9959772 100644
--- a/src/Task.cpp
+++ b/src/Task.cpp
@@ -1208,8 +1208,10 @@ void Task::getUDAOrphans (std::vector <std::string>& names) const
 void Task::substitute (
   const std::string& from,
   const std::string& to,
-  bool global)
+  const std::string& flags)
 {
+  bool global = (flags.find ('g') != std::string::npos ? true : false);
+
   // Get the data to modify.
   std::string description = get ("description");
   std::map <std::string, std::string> annotations;
@@ -2076,13 +2078,13 @@ void Task::modify (modType type, bool text_required /* = false */)
         }
       }
 
-      // arg7 from='from' global='1' raw='/from/to/g' to='to' ORIGINAL SUBSTITUTION MODIFICATION
+      // Perform description/annotation substitution.
       else if (a._lextype == Lexer::Type::substitution)
       {
         context.debug (label + "substitute " + a.attribute ("raw"));
         substitute (a.attribute ("from"),
                     a.attribute ("to"),
-                    (a.attribute ("global") == "1"));
+                    a.attribute ("flags"));
         ++modCount;
       }
 
diff --git a/src/Task.h b/src/Task.h
index b0166b6a8..6b07cd0fc 100644
--- a/src/Task.h
+++ b/src/Task.h
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ public:
   void getUDAs (std::vector <std::string>&) const;
   void getUDAOrphans (std::vector <std::string>&) const;
 
-  void substitute (const std::string&, const std::string&, bool);
+  void substitute (const std::string&, const std::string&, const std::string&);
 #endif
 
   void validate (bool applyDefault = true);