diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 flask
 kombu
 psycopg2
+pyyaml
 vcversioner
 
 # test dependencies
diff --git a/swh/scheduler/cli.py b/swh/scheduler/cli.py
--- a/swh/scheduler/cli.py
+++ b/swh/scheduler/cli.py
@@ -51,14 +51,14 @@
 
 def pretty_print_list(list, indent=0):
     """Pretty-print a list"""
-    return ''.join('%s%s\n' % (' ' * indent, item) for item in list)
+    return ''.join('%s%r\n' % (' ' * indent, item) for item in list)
 
 
 def pretty_print_dict(dict, indent=0):
     """Pretty-print a list"""
-    return ''.join('%s%s: %s\n' %
+    return ''.join('%s%s: %r\n' %
                    (' ' * indent, click.style(key, bold=True), value)
-                   for key, value in dict.items())
+                   for key, value in sorted(dict.items()))
 
 
 def pretty_print_run(run, indent=4):
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@
     >>> task = {
     ...     'id': 1234,
     ...     'arguments': {
-    ...         'args': ['foo', 'bar'],
-    ...         'kwargs': {'key': 'value'},
+    ...         'args': ['foo', 'bar', True],
+    ...         'kwargs': {'key': 'value', 'key2': 42},
     ...     },
     ...     'current_interval': datetime.timedelta(hours=1),
     ...     'next_run': datetime.datetime(2019, 2, 21, 13, 52, 35, 407818),
@@ -92,10 +92,12 @@
       Type: test_task
       Policy: oneshot
       Args:
-        foo
-        bar
+        'foo'
+        'bar'
+        True
       Keyword args:
-        key: value
+        key: 'value'
+        key2: 42
     <BLANKLINE>
     >>> print(click.unstyle(pretty_print_task(task, full=True)))
     Task 1234
@@ -106,10 +108,12 @@
       Status: next_run_not_scheduled
       Priority:\x20
       Args:
-        foo
-        bar
+        'foo'
+        'bar'
+        True
       Keyword args:
-        key: value
+        key: 'value'
+        key2: 42
     <BLANKLINE>
     """
     next_run = arrow.get(task['next_run'])
diff --git a/swh/scheduler/cli_utils.py b/swh/scheduler/cli_utils.py
--- a/swh/scheduler/cli_utils.py
+++ b/swh/scheduler/cli_utils.py
@@ -3,19 +3,43 @@
 # License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
 
+import click
+import yaml
+
+
+def parse_argument(option):
+    try:
+        return yaml.load(option)
+    except Exception:
+        raise click.ClickException('Invalid argument: {}'.format(option))
+
 
 def parse_options(options):
-    """Parses options from a CLI and turns it into Python args and kwargs.
+    """Parses options from a CLI as YAML and turns it into Python
+    args and kwargs.
 
     >>> parse_options([])
     ([], {})
     >>> parse_options(['foo', 'bar'])
     (['foo', 'bar'], {})
-    >>> parse_options(['foo=bar'])
+    >>> parse_options(['[foo, bar]'])
+    ([['foo', 'bar']], {})
+    >>> parse_options(['"foo"', '"bar"'])
+    (['foo', 'bar'], {})
+    >>> parse_options(['foo="bar"'])
     ([], {'foo': 'bar'})
-    >>> parse_options(['foo', 'bar=baz'])
+    >>> parse_options(['"foo"', 'bar="baz"'])
     (['foo'], {'bar': 'baz'})
+    >>> parse_options(['42', 'bar=False'])
+    ([42], {'bar': False})
+    >>> parse_options(['42', 'bar=false'])
+    ([42], {'bar': False})
+    >>> parse_options(['42', '"foo'])
+    Traceback (most recent call last):
+      ...
+    click.exceptions.ClickException: Invalid argument: "foo
     """
-    args = [x for x in options if '=' not in x]
-    kw = dict(x.split('=', 1) for x in options if '=' in x)
+    kw_pairs = [x.split('=', 1) for x in options if '=' in x]
+    args = [parse_argument(x) for x in options if '=' not in x]
+    kw = {k: parse_argument(v) for (k, v) in kw_pairs}
     return (args, kw)
diff --git a/swh/scheduler/tests/test_cli.py b/swh/scheduler/tests/test_cli.py
--- a/swh/scheduler/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/swh/scheduler/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
   Args:
     \['arg1', 'arg2'\]
   Keyword args:
-    key: value
+    key: 'value'
 
 Task 2
   Next run: just now \(.*\)
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
   Args:
     \['arg3', 'arg4'\]
   Keyword args:
-    key: value
+    key: 'value'
 
 '''.lstrip()
     assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
@@ -99,10 +99,10 @@
   Type: swh-test-ping
   Policy: oneshot
   Args:
-    arg1
-    arg2
+    'arg1'
+    'arg2'
   Keyword args:
-    key: value
+    key: 'value'
 
 '''.lstrip()
     assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
@@ -124,10 +124,10 @@
   Type: swh-test-ping
   Policy: recurring
   Args:
-    arg1
-    arg2
+    'arg1'
+    'arg2'
   Keyword args:
-    key: value
+    key: 'value'
 
 '''.lstrip()
     assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@
   Policy: oneshot
   Args:
   Keyword args:
-    key: value
+    key: 'value'
 
 '''.lstrip()
     assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output