diff --git a/fftools/cmdutils.c b/fftools/cmdutils.c
index b6dd73902b..f918d83854 100644
--- a/fftools/cmdutils.c
+++ b/fftools/cmdutils.c
@@ -137,6 +137,21 @@ int64_t parse_time_or_die(const char *context, const char *timestr,
     return us;
 }
 
+static AVDictionary *parse_dict_or_die(const char *context,
+                                       const char *dict_str)
+{
+    AVDictionary *dict = NULL;
+    int ret = av_dict_parse_string(&dict, dict_str, "=", ":", 0);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_FATAL,
+               "Failed to create a dictionary from '%s': %s!\n",
+               dict_str, av_err2str(ret));
+        exit_program(1);
+    }
+
+    return dict;
+}
+
 void show_help_options(const OptionDef *options, const char *msg, int req_flags,
                        int rej_flags, int alt_flags)
 {
@@ -299,6 +314,8 @@ static int write_option(void *optctx, const OptionDef *po, const char *opt,
         *(float *)dst = parse_number_or_die(opt, arg, OPT_FLOAT, -INFINITY, INFINITY);
     } else if (po->flags & OPT_DOUBLE) {
         *(double *)dst = parse_number_or_die(opt, arg, OPT_DOUBLE, -INFINITY, INFINITY);
+    } else if (po->flags & OPT_DICT) {
+        *(AVDictionary **)dst = parse_dict_or_die(opt, arg);
     } else if (po->u.func_arg) {
         int ret = po->u.func_arg(optctx, opt, arg);
         if (ret < 0) {
diff --git a/fftools/cmdutils.h b/fftools/cmdutils.h
index 2f469f8c25..c7a4628191 100644
--- a/fftools/cmdutils.h
+++ b/fftools/cmdutils.h
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ typedef struct SpecifierOpt {
         uint64_t ui64;
         float      f;
         double   dbl;
+        AVDictionary *dict;
     } u;
 } SpecifierOpt;
 
@@ -168,6 +169,7 @@ typedef struct OptionDef {
 #define OPT_DOUBLE 0x20000
 #define OPT_INPUT  0x40000
 #define OPT_OUTPUT 0x80000
+#define OPT_DICT  0x100000
      union {
         void *dst_ptr;
         int (*func_arg)(void *, const char *, const char *);
diff --git a/fftools/ffmpeg_opt.c b/fftools/ffmpeg_opt.c
index 5febe319e4..be1cd673f6 100644
--- a/fftools/ffmpeg_opt.c
+++ b/fftools/ffmpeg_opt.c
@@ -62,6 +62,21 @@
 #define SPECIFIER_OPT_FMT_ui64 "%"PRIu64
 #define SPECIFIER_OPT_FMT_f    "%f"
 #define SPECIFIER_OPT_FMT_dbl  "%lf"
+#define SPECIFIER_OPT_FMT_dict "%s"
+
+static char* specifier_opt_func_dict(char **valstr, AVDictionary *val) {
+    int ret;
+    ret = av_dict_get_string(val, valstr, '=', ':');
+    return (ret < 0) ? NULL : *valstr;
+}
+
+#define SPECIFIER_OPT_FUNC_str(val)  val
+#define SPECIFIER_OPT_FUNC_i(val)    val
+#define SPECIFIER_OPT_FUNC_i64(val)  val
+#define SPECIFIER_OPT_FUNC_ui64(val) val
+#define SPECIFIER_OPT_FUNC_f(val)    val
+#define SPECIFIER_OPT_FUNC_dbl(val)  val
+#define SPECIFIER_OPT_FUNC_dict(val) specifier_opt_func_dict(&valstr, val)
 
 static const char *const opt_name_codec_names[]               = {"c", "codec", "acodec", "vcodec", "scodec", "dcodec", NULL};
 static const char *const opt_name_audio_channels[]            = {"ac", NULL};
@@ -114,11 +129,13 @@ static const char *const opt_name_bits_per_raw_sample[]       = {"bits_per_raw_s
 #define WARN_MULTIPLE_OPT_USAGE(name, type, so, st)\
 {\
     char namestr[128] = "";\
+    char *valstr = NULL;\
     const char *spec = so->specifier && so->specifier[0] ? so->specifier : "";\
     for (i = 0; opt_name_##name[i]; i++)\
         av_strlcatf(namestr, sizeof(namestr), "-%s%s", opt_name_##name[i], opt_name_##name[i+1] ? (opt_name_##name[i+2] ? ", " : " or ") : "");\
     av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_WARNING, "Multiple %s options specified for stream %d, only the last option '-%s%s%s "SPECIFIER_OPT_FMT_##type"' will be used.\n",\
-           namestr, st->index, opt_name_##name[0], spec[0] ? ":" : "", spec, so->u.type);\
+           namestr, st->index, opt_name_##name[0], spec[0] ? ":" : "", spec, SPECIFIER_OPT_FUNC_##type(so->u.type));\
+    av_freep(&valstr);\
 }
 
 #define MATCH_PER_STREAM_OPT(name, type, outvar, fmtctx, st)\
@@ -208,11 +225,17 @@ static void uninit_options(OptionsContext *o)
                 av_freep(&(*so)[i].specifier);
                 if (po->flags & OPT_STRING)
                     av_freep(&(*so)[i].u.str);
+                else if (po->flags & OPT_DICT)
+                    av_dict_free(&(*so)[i].u.dict);
             }
             av_freep(so);
             *count = 0;
-        } else if (po->flags & OPT_OFFSET && po->flags & OPT_STRING)
-            av_freep(dst);
+        } else if (po->flags & OPT_OFFSET) {
+            if (po->flags & OPT_STRING)
+                av_freep(dst);
+            else if (po->flags & OPT_DICT)
+                av_dict_free((AVDictionary **)dst);
+        }
         po++;
     }
 
