diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b2a29a6e..3120a84e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -214,13 +214,13 @@ the `/path/to/cmd` should be executed with.  Simply prefix the path with
     run [2345] @joe:users /usr/bin/logger "Hello world"
 
 For multiple instances of the same command, e.g. a DHCP client or
-multiple web servers, add `#ID` somewhere between the `run`, `task`,
+multiple web servers, add `:ID` somewhere between the `run`, `task`,
 `service` keyword and the command, like this:
 
-    service #1 [2345] /sbin/httpd -f -h /http -p 80   -- Web server
-    service #2 [2345] /sbin/httpd -f -h /http -p 8080 -- Old web server
+    service :1 [2345] /sbin/httpd -f -h /http -p 80   -- Web server
+    service :2 [2345] /sbin/httpd -f -h /http -p 8080 -- Old web server
 
-Without the `#ID` to the service the latter will overwrite the former
+Without the `:ID` to the service the latter will overwrite the former
 and only the old web server would be started and supervised.
 
 
diff --git a/finit.conf b/finit.conf
index 5c38e613..472b2e65 100644
--- a/finit.conf
+++ b/finit.conf
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
-# Sample finit.conf to demonstatre the syntax
+# Sample finit.conf to demonstrate the syntax
 #
-# Comments are lines that start with #, comments are only allowed
-# on separate lines.  The # sign is used inside service/run/task
-# stanzas to denote instance ID, see below.
 user admin
 host testbed
 
@@ -46,8 +43,8 @@ inetd time/tcp              nowait [2345] internal          -- UNIX rdate servic
 inetd ssh@eth0:222/tcp      nowait [2345] /usr/sbin/sshd -i -- SSH service
 inetd ssh/tcp               nowait [2345] /usr/sbin/sshd -i -- SSH service
 
-# For multiple instances of the same service, add #ID somewhere between
+# For multiple instances of the same service, add :ID somewhere between
 # the service/run/task keyword and the command.
-service #1 [2345] /sbin/httpd -f -h /http -p 80   -- Web server
-service #2 [2345] /sbin/httpd -f -h /http -p 8080 -- Old web server
+service :1 [2345] /sbin/httpd -f -h /http -p 80   -- Web server
+service :2 [2345] /sbin/httpd -f -h /http -p 8080 -- Old web server
 
diff --git a/service.c b/service.c
index 93045e6e..392679a6 100644
--- a/service.c
+++ b/service.c
@@ -506,13 +506,13 @@ void service_runlevel(int newlevel)
  * when changing runlevel.
  *
  * For multiple instances of the same command, e.g. multiple DHCP
- * clients, the user may enter an optional ID, using the #ID syntax.
+ * clients, the user must enter an ID, using the :ID syntax.
  *
- *     service #1 /sbin/udhcpc -i eth1
- *     service #2 /sbin/udhcpc -i eth2
+ *     service :1 /sbin/udhcpc -i eth1
+ *     service :2 /sbin/udhcpc -i eth2
  *
- * Without the #ID syntax Finit will overwrite the first service line
- * with the contents of the second.  The #ID must be [1,MAXINT].
+ * Without the :ID syntax Finit will overwrite the first service line
+ * with the contents of the second.  The :ID must be [1,MAXINT].
  *
  * Returns:
  * POSIX OK(0) on success, or non-zero errno exit status on failure.
@@ -558,7 +558,7 @@ int service_register(int type, char *line, time_t mtime, char *username)
 			username = &cmd[1];
 		else if (cmd[0] == '[')	/* [runlevels] */
 			runlevels = &cmd[0];
-		else if (cmd[0] == '#')	/* #ID */
+		else if (cmd[0] == ':')	/* :ID */
 			id = atoi(&cmd[1]);
 		else
 			break;