diff --git a/cmd/zed/zed.d/data-email.sh b/cmd/zed/zed.d/data-email.sh
index 9f83161494c2..f056ac803290 100755
--- a/cmd/zed/zed.d/data-email.sh
+++ b/cmd/zed/zed.d/data-email.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 #   4: unsupported event class
 #   5: internal error
 # State File Format:
-#   POOL:TIME_OF_LAST_EMAIL
+#   POOL;TIME_OF_LAST_EMAIL
 #
 test -f "${ZED_SCRIPT_DIR}/zed.rc" && . "${ZED_SCRIPT_DIR}/zed.rc"
 
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ flock -x 8
 
 # Query state for last time email was sent for this pool.
 TIME_NOW=`date +%s`
-TIME_LAST=`egrep "^${ZEVENT_POOL}:" "${STATEFILE}" 2>/dev/null | cut -d: -f2`
+TIME_LAST=`egrep "^${ZEVENT_POOL};" "${STATEFILE}" 2>/dev/null | cut -d ";" -f2`
 if test -n "${TIME_LAST}"; then
   TIME_DELTA=`expr "${TIME_NOW}" - "${TIME_LAST}"`
   if test "${TIME_DELTA}" -lt "${ZED_EMAIL_INTERVAL_SECS:=3600}"; then
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ EOF
 MAIL_STATUS=$?
 
 # Update state.
-egrep -v "^${ZEVENT_POOL}:" "${STATEFILE}" 2>/dev/null > "${STATEFILE}.$$"
-echo "${ZEVENT_POOL}:${TIME_NOW}" >> "${STATEFILE}.$$"
+egrep -v "^${ZEVENT_POOL};" "${STATEFILE}" 2>/dev/null > "${STATEFILE}.$$"
+echo "${ZEVENT_POOL};${TIME_NOW}" >> "${STATEFILE}.$$"
 mv -f "${STATEFILE}.$$" "${STATEFILE}"
 
 if test "${MAIL_STATUS}" -ne 0; then
diff --git a/cmd/zed/zed.d/io-email.sh b/cmd/zed/zed.d/io-email.sh
index 6cfe3c7f7fa9..f9759117512c 100755
--- a/cmd/zed/zed.d/io-email.sh
+++ b/cmd/zed/zed.d/io-email.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 #   4: unsupported event class
 #   5: internal error
 # State File Format:
-#   POOL:VDEV_PATH:TIME_OF_LAST_EMAIL
+#   POOL;VDEV_PATH;TIME_OF_LAST_EMAIL
 #
 test -f "${ZED_SCRIPT_DIR}/zed.rc" && . "${ZED_SCRIPT_DIR}/zed.rc"
 
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ flock -x 8
 
 # Query state for last time email was sent for this pool/vdev.
 TIME_NOW=`date +%s`
-TIME_LAST=`egrep "^${ZEVENT_POOL}:${ZEVENT_VDEV_PATH}:" "${STATEFILE}" \
-  2>/dev/null | cut -d: -f3`
+TIME_LAST=`egrep "^${ZEVENT_POOL};${ZEVENT_VDEV_PATH};" "${STATEFILE}" \
+  2>/dev/null | cut -d ";" -f3`
 if test -n "${TIME_LAST}"; then
   TIME_DELTA=`expr "${TIME_NOW}" - "${TIME_LAST}"`
   if test "${TIME_DELTA}" -lt "${ZED_EMAIL_INTERVAL_SECS:=3600}"; then
@@ -71,9 +71,9 @@ EOF
 MAIL_STATUS=$?
 
 # Update state.
-egrep -v "^${ZEVENT_POOL}:${ZEVENT_VDEV_PATH}:" "${STATEFILE}" \
+egrep -v "^${ZEVENT_POOL};${ZEVENT_VDEV_PATH};" "${STATEFILE}" \
   2>/dev/null > "${STATEFILE}.$$"
-echo "${ZEVENT_POOL}:${ZEVENT_VDEV_PATH}:${TIME_NOW}" >> "${STATEFILE}.$$"
+echo "${ZEVENT_POOL};${ZEVENT_VDEV_PATH};${TIME_NOW}" >> "${STATEFILE}.$$"
 mv -f "${STATEFILE}.$$" "${STATEFILE}"
 
 if test "${MAIL_STATUS}" -ne 0; then