diff --git a/manifests/pool_target.pp b/manifests/pool_target.pp
index 020ddb4c..c00a7d2d 100644
--- a/manifests/pool_target.pp
+++ b/manifests/pool_target.pp
@@ -6,9 +6,13 @@
 #
 # [*options*]
 #   Options to be passed to the backend DNS server. This should include host and
-#   port. For instance for a bind9
-#   target this could be:
-#     rndc_host: 192.168.27.100, rndc_port: 953, rndc_config_file: /etc/bind/rndc.conf, rndc_key_file: /etc/bind/rndc.key, port: 53, host: 192.168.27.100
+#   port. For instance for a bind9 target this could be:
+#     {'rndc_host'        => '192.168.27.100',
+#      'rndc_port'        => 953,
+#      'rndc_config_file' => '/etc/bind/rndc.conf',
+#      'rndc_key_file'    => '/etc/bind/rndc.key',
+#      'port'             => 53,
+#      'host'             => '192.168.27.100'}
 #
 # [*type*]
 #   Port number of the target DNS server.
@@ -31,8 +35,15 @@ define designate::pool_target (
   validate_re($name, '[0-9a-f]{8}-[0-9a-f]{4}-[0-9a-f]{4}-[0-9a-f]{4}-[0-9a-f]{12}')
   validate_array($masters)
 
+  if is_hash($options) {
+    $options_real = join(join_keys_to_values($options,':'),',')
+  } else {
+    warning('Passing a string to options is now deprecated, use a hash instead.')
+    $options_real = $options
+  }
+
   designate_config {
-    "pool_target:${name}/options": value => $options;
+    "pool_target:${name}/options": value => $options_real;
     "pool_target:${name}/type":    value => $type;
     "pool_target:${name}/masters": value => join($masters,',');
   }
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/pool-target-options-string-deprecated-8de8d2c641c04a7a.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/pool-target-options-string-deprecated-8de8d2c641c04a7a.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f0afdc8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/pool-target-options-string-deprecated-8de8d2c641c04a7a.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+deprecations:
+  - Passing a string to pool_target::options is now deprecated. This parameter
+    should now be given as a hash.
diff --git a/spec/defines/designate_pool_target_spec.rb b/spec/defines/designate_pool_target_spec.rb
index cd23e2d8..6b202a3d 100644
--- a/spec/defines/designate_pool_target_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/defines/designate_pool_target_spec.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ describe 'designate::pool_target' do
 
   let :params do
     {
-      :options => 'rndc_host: 192.168.27.100, rndc_port: 953, rndc_config_file: /etc/bind/rndc.conf, rndc_key_file: /etc/bind/rndc.key, port: 53, host: 192.168.27.100',
+      :options => {'rndc_host' => '192.168.27.100', 'rndc_port' => 953, 'rndc_config_file' => '/etc/bind/rndc.conf',
+                   'rndc_key_file' => '/etc/bind/rndc.key', 'port' => 53, 'host' => '192.168.27.100'},
       :type    => 'bind9',
       :masters => ['127.0.0.1:5354'],
     }
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ describe 'designate::pool_target' do
     it { is_expected.to contain_designate__pool_target('f26e0b32-736f-4f0a-831b-039a415c481e') }
 
     it 'configures designate pool-manager pool with default parameters' do
-      is_expected.to contain_designate_config('pool_target:f26e0b32-736f-4f0a-831b-039a415c481e/options').with_value(params[:options])
+      is_expected.to contain_designate_config('pool_target:f26e0b32-736f-4f0a-831b-039a415c481e/options').with_value(params[:options].map{|k,v|"#{k}:#{v}"}.join(','))
       is_expected.to contain_designate_config('pool_target:f26e0b32-736f-4f0a-831b-039a415c481e/type').with_value(params[:type])
       is_expected.to contain_designate_config('pool_target:f26e0b32-736f-4f0a-831b-039a415c481e/masters').with_value(params[:masters])
     end
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ describe 'designate::pool_target' do
     it { is_expected.to contain_designate__pool_target('f26e0b32-736f-4f0a-831b-039a415c481e') }
 
     it 'configures designate pool-manager pool with default parameters' do
-      is_expected.to contain_designate_config('pool_target:f26e0b32-736f-4f0a-831b-039a415c481e/options').with_value(params[:options])
+      is_expected.to contain_designate_config('pool_target:f26e0b32-736f-4f0a-831b-039a415c481e/options').with_value(params[:options].map{|k,v|"#{k}:#{v}"}.join(','))
       is_expected.to contain_designate_config('pool_target:f26e0b32-736f-4f0a-831b-039a415c481e/type').with_value(params[:type])
       is_expected.to contain_designate_config('pool_target:f26e0b32-736f-4f0a-831b-039a415c481e/masters').with_value(params[:masters])
     end