diff --git a/functions b/functions
index effdc53afb..d3de1427ba 100644
--- a/functions
+++ b/functions
@@ -1362,15 +1362,19 @@ function upload_image() {
 
         # Before we can upload vmdk type images to glance, we need to know it's
         # disk type, storage adapter, and networking adapter. These values are
-        # passed to glance as custom properties. 
+        # passed to glance as custom properties.
         # We take these values from the vmdk file if populated. Otherwise, we use
         # vmdk filename, which is expected in the following format:
         #
-        #     <name>-<disk type>:<storage adapter>:<network adapter>
+        #     <name>-<disk type>;<storage adapter>;<network adapter>
         #
         # If the filename does not follow the above format then the vsphere
         # driver will supply default values.
 
+        vmdk_adapter_type=""
+        vmdk_disktype=""
+        vmdk_net_adapter=""
+
         # vmdk adapter type
         vmdk_adapter_type="$(head -25 $IMAGE | grep -a -F -m 1 'ddb.adapterType =' $IMAGE)"
         vmdk_adapter_type="${vmdk_adapter_type#*\"}"
@@ -1389,17 +1393,15 @@ function upload_image() {
             #TODO(alegendre): handle streamOptimized once supported by VMware driver.
             vmdk_disktype="preallocated"
         fi
-        property_string=`echo "$IMAGE_NAME" | grep -oP '(?<=-)(?!.*-).+:.+:.+$'`
-        if [[ ! -z "$property_string" ]]; then
-            IFS=':' read -a props <<< "$property_string"
-            if [[ ! -z "${props[0]}" ]]; then
-                vmdk_disktype="${props[0]}"
-            fi
-            if [[ ! -z "${props[1]}" ]]; then
-                vmdk_adapter_type="${props[1]}"
-            fi
-            vmdk_net_adapter="${props[2]}"
-        fi
+
+        # NOTE: For backwards compatibility reasons, colons may be used in place
+        # of semi-colons for property delimiters but they are not permitted
+        # characters in NTFS filesystems.
+        property_string=`echo "$IMAGE_NAME" | grep -oP '(?<=-)(?!.*-).+[:;].+[:;].+$'`
+        IFS=':;' read -a props <<< "$property_string"
+        vmdk_disktype="${props[0]:-$vmdk_disktype}"
+        vmdk_adapter_type="${props[1]:-$vmdk_adapter_type}"
+        vmdk_net_adapter="${props[2]:-$vmdk_net_adapter}"
 
         glance --os-auth-token $token --os-image-url http://$GLANCE_HOSTPORT image-create --name "$IMAGE_NAME" --is-public=True --container-format bare --disk-format vmdk --property vmware_disktype="$vmdk_disktype" --property vmware_adaptertype="$vmdk_adapter_type" --property hw_vif_model="$vmdk_net_adapter" < "${IMAGE}"
         return