diff --git a/lib/src/revset.pest b/lib/src/revset.pest
index c0703c4f9..601fe8dc3 100644
--- a/lib/src/revset.pest
+++ b/lib/src/revset.pest
@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@ literal_string = { "\"" ~ (!"\"" ~ ANY)+ ~ "\"" }
 whitespace = _{ " " }
 
 parents_op = { ":" }
-ancestors_op = { "*:" }
+ancestors_op = { ",," }
 prefix_op = _{ parents_op | ancestors_op }
 
 children_op = { ":" }
-descendants_op = { ":*" }
-postfix_op = _{ descendants_op | children_op }
+descendants_op = { ",," }
+postfix_op = _{ children_op | descendants_op }
 
 union_op = { "|" }
 intersection_op = { "&" }
diff --git a/lib/src/revset.rs b/lib/src/revset.rs
index 0136c8584..7cb5a260c 100644
--- a/lib/src/revset.rs
+++ b/lib/src/revset.rs
@@ -835,14 +835,14 @@ mod tests {
         );
         // Parse the "ancestors" operator
         assert_eq!(
-            parse("*:@"),
+            parse(",,@"),
             Ok(RevsetExpression::Ancestors(Box::new(
                 RevsetExpression::Symbol("@".to_string())
             )))
         );
         // Parse the "descendants" operator
         assert_eq!(
-            parse("@:*"),
+            parse("@,,"),
             Ok(RevsetExpression::Descendants {
                 base_expression: Box::new(RevsetExpression::Symbol("@".to_string())),
                 candidates: RevsetExpression::non_obsolete_commits(),
@@ -881,13 +881,13 @@ mod tests {
         );
         // Space is allowed around expressions
         assert_eq!(
-            parse(" *:@ "),
+            parse(" ,,@ "),
             Ok(RevsetExpression::Ancestors(Box::new(
                 RevsetExpression::Symbol("@".to_string())
             )))
         );
         // Space is not allowed around prefix operators
-        assert_matches!(parse(" *: @ "), Err(RevsetParseError::SyntaxError(_)));
+        assert_matches!(parse(" ,, @ "), Err(RevsetParseError::SyntaxError(_)));
         // Incomplete parse
         assert_matches!(parse("foo | :"), Err(RevsetParseError::IncompleteParse(_)));
         // Space is allowed around infix operators and function arguments
@@ -934,7 +934,7 @@ mod tests {
             })
         );
         // Parse combinations of prefix and postfix operators. They all currently have
-        // the same precedence, so "*:foo:" means "(*:foo):" and not "*:(foo:)".
+        // the same precedence, so ",,foo:" means "(,,foo):" and not ",,(foo:)".
         assert_eq!(
             parse(":foo:"),
             Ok(RevsetExpression::Children {
@@ -945,7 +945,7 @@ mod tests {
             })
         );
         assert_eq!(
-            parse("*:foo:*"),
+            parse(",,foo,,"),
             Ok(RevsetExpression::Descendants {
                 base_expression: Box::new(RevsetExpression::Ancestors(Box::new(
                     RevsetExpression::Symbol("foo".to_string())
@@ -954,7 +954,7 @@ mod tests {
             })
         );
         assert_eq!(
-            parse(":foo:*"),
+            parse(":foo,,"),
             Ok(RevsetExpression::Descendants {
                 base_expression: Box::new(RevsetExpression::Parents(Box::new(
                     RevsetExpression::Symbol("foo".to_string())
@@ -963,7 +963,7 @@ mod tests {
             })
         );
         assert_eq!(
-            parse("*:foo:"),
+            parse(",,foo:"),
             Ok(RevsetExpression::Children {
                 base_expression: Box::new(RevsetExpression::Ancestors(Box::new(
                     RevsetExpression::Symbol("foo".to_string())
diff --git a/lib/tests/test_revset.rs b/lib/tests/test_revset.rs
index f6c6490d8..cacb3a0d1 100644
--- a/lib/tests/test_revset.rs
+++ b/lib/tests/test_revset.rs
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ fn test_evaluate_expression_parents(use_git: bool) {
     assert_eq!(
         resolve_commit_ids(
             mut_repo.as_repo_ref(),
-            &format!(":*:{}", commit2.id().hex())
+            &format!(":,,{}", commit2.id().hex())
         ),
         vec![commit1.id().clone(), root_commit.id().clone()]
     );
@@ -419,14 +419,14 @@ fn test_evaluate_expression_ancestors(use_git: bool) {
 
     // The ancestors of the root commit is just the root commit itself
     assert_eq!(
-        resolve_commit_ids(mut_repo.as_repo_ref(), "*:root"),
+        resolve_commit_ids(mut_repo.as_repo_ref(), ",,root"),
         vec![root_commit.id().clone()]
     );
 
     // Can find ancestors of a specific commit. Commits reachable via multiple paths
     // are not repeated.
     assert_eq!(
-        resolve_commit_ids(mut_repo.as_repo_ref(), &format!("*:{}", commit4.id().hex())),
+        resolve_commit_ids(mut_repo.as_repo_ref(), &format!(",,{}", commit4.id().hex())),
         vec![
             commit4.id().clone(),
             commit3.id().clone(),
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ fn test_evaluate_expression_descendants(use_git: bool) {
     // The descendants of the root commit is all the non-hidden commits in the repo
     // (commit2 is excluded)
     assert_eq!(
-        resolve_commit_ids(mut_repo.as_repo_ref(), "root:*"),
+        resolve_commit_ids(mut_repo.as_repo_ref(), "root,,"),
         vec![
             commit6.id().clone(),
             commit5.id().clone(),
@@ -486,7 +486,14 @@ fn test_evaluate_expression_descendants(use_git: bool) {
 
     // Can find ancestors of a specific commit
     assert_eq!(
-        resolve_commit_ids(mut_repo.as_repo_ref(), &format!("{}:*", commit3.id().hex())),
+        resolve_commit_ids(
+            mut_repo.as_repo_ref(),
+            &format!(
+                "{},,\
+        ",
+                commit3.id().hex()
+            )
+        ),
         vec![
             commit6.id().clone(),
             commit4.id().clone(),
@@ -676,7 +683,7 @@ fn test_evaluate_expression_union(use_git: bool) {
     assert_eq!(
         resolve_commit_ids(
             mut_repo.as_repo_ref(),
-            &format!("*:{} | *:{}", commit4.id().hex(), commit5.id().hex())
+            &format!(",,{} | ,,{}", commit4.id().hex(), commit5.id().hex())
         ),
         vec![
             commit5.id().clone(),
@@ -693,7 +700,7 @@ fn test_evaluate_expression_union(use_git: bool) {
         resolve_commit_ids(
             mut_repo.as_repo_ref(),
             &format!(
-                "(*:{} - *:{}) | *:{}",
+                "(,,{} - ,,{}) | ,,{}",
                 commit4.id().hex(),
                 commit2.id().hex(),
                 commit5.id().hex()
@@ -714,7 +721,7 @@ fn test_evaluate_expression_union(use_git: bool) {
         resolve_commit_ids(
             mut_repo.as_repo_ref(),
             &format!(
-                "(*:{} - *:{}) | {}",
+                "(,,{} - ,,{}) | {}",
                 commit4.id().hex(),
                 commit2.id().hex(),
                 commit5.id().hex(),
@@ -758,7 +765,7 @@ fn test_evaluate_expression_intersection(use_git: bool) {
     assert_eq!(
         resolve_commit_ids(
             mut_repo.as_repo_ref(),
-            &format!("*:{} & *:{}", commit4.id().hex(), commit5.id().hex())
+            &format!(",,{} & ,,{}", commit4.id().hex(), commit5.id().hex())
         ),
         vec![
             commit2.id().clone(),
@@ -807,21 +814,21 @@ fn test_evaluate_expression_difference(use_git: bool) {
     assert_eq!(
         resolve_commit_ids(
             mut_repo.as_repo_ref(),
-            &format!("*:{} - *:{}", commit4.id().hex(), commit5.id().hex())
+            &format!(",,{} - ,,{}", commit4.id().hex(), commit5.id().hex())
         ),
         vec![commit4.id().clone(), commit3.id().clone()]
     );
     assert_eq!(
         resolve_commit_ids(
             mut_repo.as_repo_ref(),
-            &format!("*:{} - *:{}", commit5.id().hex(), commit4.id().hex())
+            &format!(",,{} - ,,{}", commit5.id().hex(), commit4.id().hex())
         ),
         vec![commit5.id().clone()]
     );
     assert_eq!(
         resolve_commit_ids(
             mut_repo.as_repo_ref(),
-            &format!("*:{} - *:{}", commit4.id().hex(), commit2.id().hex())
+            &format!(",,{} - ,,{}", commit4.id().hex(), commit2.id().hex())
         ),
         vec![commit4.id().clone(), commit3.id().clone()]
     );
@@ -831,7 +838,7 @@ fn test_evaluate_expression_difference(use_git: bool) {
         resolve_commit_ids(
             mut_repo.as_repo_ref(),
             &format!(
-                "*:{} - {} - {}",
+                ",,{} - {} - {}",
                 commit4.id().hex(),
                 commit2.id().hex(),
                 commit3.id().hex()
@@ -849,7 +856,7 @@ fn test_evaluate_expression_difference(use_git: bool) {
         resolve_commit_ids(
             mut_repo.as_repo_ref(),
             &format!(
-                "(*:{} - *:{}) - (*:{} - *:{})",
+                "(,,{} - ,,{}) - (,,{} - ,,{})",
                 commit4.id().hex(),
                 commit1.id().hex(),
                 commit3.id().hex(),
diff --git a/src/commands.rs b/src/commands.rs
index d6f1cc3e5..ab685de4e 100644
--- a/src/commands.rs
+++ b/src/commands.rs
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ fn get_app<'a, 'b>() -> App<'a, 'b> {
                 .long("revisions")
                 .short("r")
                 .takes_value(true)
-                .default_value("*:non_obsolete_heads()"),
+                .default_value(",,non_obsolete_heads()"),
         )
         .arg(Arg::with_name("no-graph").long("no-graph"));
     let obslog_command = SubCommand::with_name("obslog")