diff --git a/src/avrdude.1 b/src/avrdude.1
index 238bbb71..7c458e78 100644
--- a/src/avrdude.1
+++ b/src/avrdude.1
@@ -613,7 +613,7 @@ they are automatically identified via their vendor and product IDs from
 avrdude.conf or .avrduderc. Only when there are multiple programmers of
 the same type plugged into the host computer is the -P option needed, see
 below. Some -c programmers, however, ignore the -P option altogether, eg,
-pickit2, teensy, ch341a or avrftdi; these cannot distinguish multiple plugged-in
+pickit2, teensy or ch341a; these cannot distinguish multiple plugged-in
 programmers.
 .Pp
 Most USB programmers, however, support the command-line syntax  -P
@@ -623,8 +623,8 @@ request a match of the desired device's serial number with <serialno>. The
 match is done after stripping any existing colons from the given serial
 number on the command line, and right-to-left, so only the least
 significant bytes from the serial number need to be given. The JTAG ICE
-mkII, JTAGICE3, SNAP, and PICKit5 programmers are examples for this -P
-port syntax.
+mkII, JTAGICE3, SNAP, PICKit5 and avrftdi programmers are examples for
+this -P port syntax.
 .Pp
 If
 .Nm
diff --git a/src/avrftdi.c b/src/avrftdi.c
index 1765579e..d2ade11e 100644
--- a/src/avrftdi.c
+++ b/src/avrftdi.c
@@ -637,31 +637,30 @@ static int avrftdi_pin_setup(const PROGRAMMER *pgm) {
 }
 
 static int avrftdi_open(PROGRAMMER *pgm, const char *port) {
-  int vid, pid, interface, err;
+  int vid, pid, interface, err, numids;
+  char serno[64] = {0};
+  unsigned short new_vid = 0, new_pid = 0;
 
   Avrftdi_data *pdata = to_pdata(pgm);
 
   pmsg_debug("%s(\"%s\")\n", __func__, port);
-  if(!str_caseeq(port, "usb"))
-    pmsg_warning("option -P %s ignored\n", port);
+
+  // Override/set pid, vid and/or serno from -P usb[:<vid>:<pid>][:<serno>]
+  if((numids = str_set_vid_pid_serno(port, &new_vid, &new_pid, serno, sizeof serno)) < 0) {
+    pmsg_error("invalid -P %s; drop -P option or use -P usb[:<vid>:<pid>][:<serno>]\n", port);
+    return LIBAVRDUDE_EXIT_FAIL;
+  }
 
   // Parameter validation
 
-  // Use vid/pid in following priority: config, defaults cmd-line is currently not supported
-
-  if(pgm->usbvid)
-    vid = pgm->usbvid;
-  else
-    vid = USB_VENDOR_FTDI;
-
+  // Set vid/pid in following priority: command-line, config, default
+  vid = numids >= 2? new_vid: pgm->usbvid? pgm->usbvid: USB_VENDOR_FTDI;
   LNODEID usbpid = lfirst(pgm->usbpid);
+  pid = numids >= 2? new_pid: usbpid? *(int *) ldata(usbpid): USB_DEVICE_FT2232;
+  if(numids < 2 && usbpid && lnext(usbpid))
+    pmsg_warning("using PID 0x%04x, ignoring remaining PIDs in list\n", pid);
 
-  if(usbpid) {
-    pid = *(int *) ldata(usbpid);
-    if(lnext(usbpid))
-      pmsg_warning("using PID 0x%04x, ignoring remaining PIDs in list\n", pid);
-  } else
-    pid = USB_DEVICE_FT2232;
+  const char *serial = *serno? serno: *pgm->usbsn? pgm->usbsn: NULL; // No SN means use first available
 
   if(pgm->usbdev[0] == 'a' || pgm->usbdev[0] == 'A')
     interface = INTERFACE_A;
@@ -676,8 +675,6 @@ static int avrftdi_open(PROGRAMMER *pgm, const char *port) {
 
   E(ftdi_set_interface(pdata->ftdic, interface) < 0, pdata->ftdic);
 
-  const char *serial = *pgm->usbsn? pgm->usbsn: NULL; // No SN means use first available
-
   // Todo: use desc and index argument, currently set to NULL and 0
   err = ftdi_usb_open_desc_index(pdata->ftdic, vid, pid, NULL, serial, 0);
   if(err) {
diff --git a/src/doc/avrdude.texi b/src/doc/avrdude.texi
index bb4ac273..946d60ff 100644
--- a/src/doc/avrdude.texi
+++ b/src/doc/avrdude.texi
@@ -840,18 +840,18 @@ they are automatically identified via their vendor and product IDs from
 @code{avrdude.conf} or @code{.avrduderc}. Only when there are multiple
 programmers of the same type plugged into the host computer is the
 @code{-P} option needed, see below. Some @code{-c} programmers, however,
-ignore the @code{-P} option altogether, eg, pickit5, teensy, ch341a or avrftdi;
+ignore the @code{-P} option altogether, eg, pickit5, teensy or ch341a;
 these cannot distinguish multiple plugged-in programmers.
 
 Most USB programmers, however, support the command-line syntax  @code{-P
 usb[:@var{vid}:@var{pid}][:@var{serialno}]} which allows the user to
 override the vendor and product IDs with hexadecimal numbers @var{vid} and
-@var{pid} and/or request a match of the desired device's serial number with
-@var{serialno}. The match is done after stripping any existing colons from the
-given serial number on the command line, and right-to-left, so only the
-least significant bytes from the serial number need to be given. The JTAG
-ICE mkII, JTAGICE3, SNAP, and PICKit5 programmers are examples for this
-@code{-P} port syntax.
+@var{pid} and/or request a match of the desired device's serial number
+with @var{serialno}. The match is done after stripping any existing colons
+from the given serial number on the command line, and right-to-left, so
+only the least significant bytes from the serial number need to be given.
+The JTAG ICE mkII, JTAGICE3, SNAP, PICKit5 and avrftdi programmers are
+examples for this @code{-P} port syntax.
 
 If avrdude has been configured with libserialport support, a serial port
 can be specified using a predefined serial adapter type in