diff --git a/cmd/neofs-cli/modules/container.go b/cmd/neofs-cli/modules/container.go
index ca28679dc..404acdb50 100644
--- a/cmd/neofs-cli/modules/container.go
+++ b/cmd/neofs-cli/modules/container.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	attributeDelimiter = ":"
+	attributeDelimiter = "="
 
 	awaitTimeout = 120 // in seconds
 )
@@ -333,8 +333,8 @@ func init() {
 		"hex encoded basic ACL value or keywords 'public', 'private', 'readonly'")
 	createContainerCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&containerPolicy, "policy", "p", "",
 		"QL-encoded or JSON-encoded placement policy or path to file with it")
-	createContainerCmd.Flags().StringArrayVarP(&containerAttributes, "attribute", "a", nil,
-		"colon separated pair of container attribute key and value, e.g. `target:cats`")
+	createContainerCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&containerAttributes, "attributes", "a", nil,
+		"comma separated pairs of container attributes in form of Key1=Value1,Key2=Value2")
 	createContainerCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&containerNonce, "nonce", "n", "", "UUIDv4 nonce value for container")
 	createContainerCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&containerAwait, "await", false, "block execution until container is persisted")
 
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ func prettyPrintContainer(cnr *container.Container) {
 	}
 
 	for _, attribute := range cnr.GetAttributes() {
-		fmt.Printf("attribute: `%s:%s`\n", attribute.GetKey(), attribute.GetValue())
+		fmt.Printf("attribute: %s=%s\n", attribute.GetKey(), attribute.GetValue())
 	}
 
 	nonce, err := uuid.FromBytes(cnr.GetNonce())
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 43f070ff7..e66ff4032 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -270,8 +270,6 @@ github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go v0.73.1-pre.0.20200303142215-f5a1b928ce09/go.mod h1:
 github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go v0.91.0/go.mod h1:G6HdOWvzQ6tlvFdvFSN/PgCzLPN/X/X4d5hTjFRUDcc=
 github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go v0.91.1-pre.0.20200827184617-7560aa345a78 h1:stIa+nBXK8uDY/JZaxIZzAUfkzfaotVw2FbnHxO4aZI=
 github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go v0.91.1-pre.0.20200827184617-7560aa345a78/go.mod h1:G6HdOWvzQ6tlvFdvFSN/PgCzLPN/X/X4d5hTjFRUDcc=
-github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go v1.3.1-0.20201014180956-7b3736567c0b h1:P/riND6RkFU6xv895sdTBYqjtRh7jDSvKC1+tzP3LcQ=
-github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go v1.3.1-0.20201014180956-7b3736567c0b/go.mod h1:FsFd1z4YzoEgPlltsUgnqna9qhcF87RHYjot0pby2L4=
 github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go v1.3.1-0.20201015080537-4e6350f6d438 h1:Rw3h9BnYzGiDtZX7YPb/7NCFtykE+PqTX7mRL9pqNv0=
 github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-api-go v1.3.1-0.20201015080537-4e6350f6d438/go.mod h1:FsFd1z4YzoEgPlltsUgnqna9qhcF87RHYjot0pby2L4=
 github.com/nspcc-dev/neofs-crypto v0.2.0/go.mod h1:F/96fUzPM3wR+UGsPi3faVNmFlA9KAEAUQR7dMxZmNA=