diff --git a/docs/overview.txt b/docs/overview.txt
index 9bed02d7..527d8541 100644
--- a/docs/overview.txt
+++ b/docs/overview.txt
@@ -277,9 +277,9 @@ Alternatively, you can call make with the name of a step to just do that step:
 is equivalent to:
   ct-ng RESTART=libs_headers STOP=libc_headers
 
-The shortcuts -step_name and step_name- allow to respectively stop or restart
+The shortcuts +step_name and step_name+ allow to respectively stop or restart
 at that step. Thus:
-  ct-ng -libc_headers        and:    ct-ng libc_headers-
+  ct-ng +libc_headers        and:    ct-ng libc_headers+
 are equivalent to:
   ct-ng STOP=libc_headers    and:    ct-ng RESTART=libc_headers
 
diff --git a/steps.mk b/steps.mk
index a89a7574..6cb28db6 100644
--- a/steps.mk
+++ b/steps.mk
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ CT_STEPS := libc_check_config       \
 $(CT_STEPS):
 	@$(CT_NG) RESTART=$@ STOP=$@ build
 
-$(patsubst %,-%,$(CT_STEPS)):
-	@$(CT_NG) STOP=$(patsubst -%,%,$@) build
+$(patsubst %,+%,$(CT_STEPS)):
+	@$(CT_NG) STOP=$(patsubst +%,%,$@) build
 
-$(patsubst %,%-,$(CT_STEPS)):
-	@$(CT_NG) RESTART=$(patsubst %-,%,$@) build
+$(patsubst %,%+,$(CT_STEPS)):
+	@$(CT_NG) RESTART=$(patsubst %+,%,$@) build
 
 help-build::
 	@echo  '  liststeps      - List all build steps'