diff --git a/hugolib/shortcode.go b/hugolib/shortcode.go
index 6dfc4ef02..f90093e7a 100644
--- a/hugolib/shortcode.go
+++ b/hugolib/shortcode.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"html/template"
 	"reflect"
 	"regexp"
+	"sort"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 )
@@ -90,7 +91,28 @@ type shortcode struct {
 
 func (sc shortcode) String() string {
 	// for testing (mostly), so any change here will break tests!
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s(%q, %t){%s}", sc.name, sc.params, sc.doMarkup, sc.inner)
+	var params interface{}
+	switch v := sc.params.(type) {
+	case map[string]string:
+		// sort the keys so test assertions won't fail
+		var keys []string
+		for k := range v {
+			keys = append(keys, k)
+		}
+		sort.Strings(keys)
+		var tmp = make([]string, len(keys))
+
+		for i, k := range keys {
+			tmp[i] = k + ":" + v[k]
+		}
+		params = tmp
+
+	default:
+		// use it as is
+		params = sc.params
+	}
+
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s(%q, %t){%s}", sc.name, params, sc.doMarkup, sc.inner)
 }
 
 // all in  one go: extract, render and replace
diff --git a/hugolib/shortcode_test.go b/hugolib/shortcode_test.go
index 91e297805..91b3dad17 100644
--- a/hugolib/shortcode_test.go
+++ b/hugolib/shortcode_test.go
@@ -167,8 +167,8 @@ func TestExtractShortcodes(t *testing.T) {
 		{"one shortcode, markup", "{{% tag %}}", "", testScPlaceholderRegexp, ""},
 		{"one pos param", "{{% tag param1 %}}", `tag([\"param1\"], true){[]}"]`, testScPlaceholderRegexp, ""},
 		{"two pos params", "{{< tag param1 param2>}}", `tag([\"param1\" \"param2\"], false){[]}"]`, testScPlaceholderRegexp, ""},
-		{"one named param", `{{% tag param1="value" %}}`, `tag(map[\"param1\":\"value\"], true){[]}`, testScPlaceholderRegexp, ""},
-		{"two named params", `{{< tag param1="value1" param2="value2" >}}`, `tag(map[\"param1\":\"value1\" \"param2\":\"value2\"], false){[]}"]`,
+		{"one named param", `{{% tag param1="value" %}}`, `tag([\"param1:value\"], true){[]}`, testScPlaceholderRegexp, ""},
+		{"two named params", `{{< tag param1="value1" param2="value2" >}}`, `tag([\"param1:value1\" \"param2:value2\"], false){[]}"]`,
 			testScPlaceholderRegexp, ""},
 		{"inner", `Some text. {{< inner >}}Inner Content{{< / inner >}}. Some more text.`, `inner([], false){[Inner Content]}`,
 			fmt.Sprintf("Some text. %s. Some more text.", testScPlaceholderRegexp), ""},
@@ -188,10 +188,10 @@ func TestExtractShortcodes(t *testing.T) {
 			`map["<div>HUGOSHORTCODE-1</div>:sc1([], false){[]}" "<div>HUGOSHORTCODE-2</div>:sc2([], false){[]}"]`,
 			testScPlaceholderRegexp + testScPlaceholderRegexp, ""},
 		{"mix of shortcodes", `Hello {{< sc1 >}}world{{% sc2 p2="2"%}}. And that's it.`,
-			`map["<div>HUGOSHORTCODE-1</div>:sc1([], false){[]}" "<div>HUGOSHORTCODE-2</div>:sc2(map[\"p2\":\"2\"]`,
+			`map["<div>HUGOSHORTCODE-1</div>:sc1([], false){[]}" "<div>HUGOSHORTCODE-2</div>:sc2([\"p2:2\"]`,
 			fmt.Sprintf("Hello %sworld%s. And that's it.", testScPlaceholderRegexp, testScPlaceholderRegexp), ""},
 		{"mix with inner", `Hello {{< sc1 >}}world{{% inner p2="2"%}}Inner{{%/ inner %}}. And that's it.`,
-			`map["<div>HUGOSHORTCODE-1</div>:sc1([], false){[]}" "<div>HUGOSHORTCODE-2</div>:inner(map[\"p2\":\"2\"], true){[Inner]}"]`,
+			`map["<div>HUGOSHORTCODE-1</div>:sc1([], false){[]}" "<div>HUGOSHORTCODE-2</div>:inner([\"p2:2\"], true){[Inner]}"]`,
 			fmt.Sprintf("Hello %sworld%s. And that's it.", testScPlaceholderRegexp, testScPlaceholderRegexp), ""},
 	} {