diff --git a/app/flatpak-builtins-list.c b/app/flatpak-builtins-list.c
index bfd3879d..fb7abfc9 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-builtins-list.c
+++ b/app/flatpak-builtins-list.c
@@ -169,16 +169,16 @@ print_table_for_refs (gboolean print_apps,
     flatpak_table_printer_set_column_expand (printer, i, TRUE);
   flatpak_table_printer_set_column_ellipsize (printer,
                                               find_column (columns, "description", NULL),
-                                              TRUE);
-  flatpak_table_printer_set_column_ellipsize_middle (printer,
+                                              FLATPAK_ELLIPSIZE_MODE_END);
+  flatpak_table_printer_set_column_ellipsize (printer,
                                               find_column (columns, "application", NULL),
-                                              TRUE, TRUE);
+                                              FLATPAK_ELLIPSIZE_MODE_START);
 
   if (app_runtime)
     {
       if (!flatpak_split_partial_ref_arg (app_runtime, FLATPAK_KINDS_RUNTIME, NULL, NULL,
                                           &match_kinds, &match_id, &match_arch, &match_branch, error))
-        return FALSE;                                
+        return FALSE;
     }
 
   for (i = 0; i < refs_array->len; i++)
diff --git a/app/flatpak-builtins-remote-ls.c b/app/flatpak-builtins-remote-ls.c
index 628ddc32..27392a00 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-builtins-remote-ls.c
+++ b/app/flatpak-builtins-remote-ls.c
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ ls_remote (GHashTable *refs_hash, const char **arches, const char *app_runtime,
     flatpak_table_printer_set_column_expand (printer, i, TRUE);
   flatpak_table_printer_set_column_ellipsize (printer,
                                               find_column (columns, "description", NULL),
-                                              TRUE);
+                                              FLATPAK_ELLIPSIZE_MODE_END);
 
   if (app_runtime)
     {
diff --git a/app/flatpak-builtins-search.c b/app/flatpak-builtins-search.c
index e1f6441a..ed4cd751 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-builtins-search.c
+++ b/app/flatpak-builtins-search.c
@@ -260,9 +260,9 @@ print_matches (Column *columns, GSList *matches)
 
   flatpak_get_window_size (&rows, &cols);
   ellip = find_column (columns, "description", NULL);
-  flatpak_table_printer_set_column_ellipsize (printer, ellip, TRUE);
+  flatpak_table_printer_set_column_ellipsize (printer, ellip, FLATPAK_ELLIPSIZE_MODE_END);
   ellip = find_column (columns, "application", NULL);
-  flatpak_table_printer_set_column_ellipsize_middle (printer, ellip, TRUE, TRUE);
+  flatpak_table_printer_set_column_ellipsize (printer, ellip, FLATPAK_ELLIPSIZE_MODE_START);
   flatpak_table_printer_print_full (printer, 0, cols, NULL, NULL);
   g_print ("\n");
 
diff --git a/app/flatpak-builtins-utils.c b/app/flatpak-builtins-utils.c
index c9492153..c4dbf3d5 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-builtins-utils.c
+++ b/app/flatpak-builtins-utils.c
@@ -973,22 +973,24 @@ format_timestamp (guint64 timestamp)
 char *
 ellipsize_string (const char *text, int len)
 {
-  return ellipsize_string_pos (text, len, FALSE);
+  return ellipsize_string_full (text, len, FLATPAK_ELLIPSIZE_MODE_END);
 }
 
 char *
-ellipsize_string_pos (const char *text, int len, gboolean middle)
+ellipsize_string_full (const char *text, int len, FlatpakEllipsizeMode mode)
 {
   g_autofree char *ret = g_strdup (text);
 
-  if (g_utf8_strlen (ret, -1) > len)
+  if (mode != FLATPAK_ELLIPSIZE_MODE_NONE && g_utf8_strlen (ret, -1) > len)
     {
       char *p;
       char *q;
       int i;
       int l1, l2;
 
-      if (middle)
+      if (mode == FLATPAK_ELLIPSIZE_MODE_START)
+        l1 = 0;
+      else if (mode == FLATPAK_ELLIPSIZE_MODE_MIDDLE)
         l1 = len / 2;
       else
         l1 = len - 1;
diff --git a/app/flatpak-builtins-utils.h b/app/flatpak-builtins-utils.h
index 0789affa..9e3035e7 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-builtins-utils.h
+++ b/app/flatpak-builtins-utils.h
@@ -129,8 +129,17 @@ Column *handle_column_args (Column *all_columns,
                             GError **error);
 
 char *  format_timestamp (guint64 timestamp);
+
+
+typedef enum {
+              FLATPAK_ELLIPSIZE_MODE_NONE,
+              FLATPAK_ELLIPSIZE_MODE_START,
+              FLATPAK_ELLIPSIZE_MODE_MIDDLE,
+              FLATPAK_ELLIPSIZE_MODE_END,
+} FlatpakEllipsizeMode;
+
 char *  ellipsize_string (const char *text, int len);
-char *  ellipsize_string_pos (const char *text, int len, gboolean middle);
+char *  ellipsize_string_full (const char *text, int len, FlatpakEllipsizeMode mode);
 
 AsApp *as_store_find_app (AsStore *store,
                           const char *ref);
diff --git a/app/flatpak-table-printer.c b/app/flatpak-table-printer.c
index 6a5a8dbd..b620bcb4 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-table-printer.c
+++ b/app/flatpak-table-printer.c
@@ -67,8 +67,7 @@ typedef struct
 {
   char *title;
   gboolean expand;
-  gboolean ellipsize;
-  gboolean ellipsize_middle;
+  FlatpakEllipsizeMode ellipsize;
 } TableColumn;
 
 static void
@@ -564,7 +563,7 @@ flatpak_table_printer_print_full (FlatpakTablePrinter *printer,
           if (shrinks[j] > 0 && ellipsize)
             {
               len -= shrinks[j];
-              freeme = text = ellipsize_string_pos (text, len, col->ellipsize_middle);
+              freeme = text = ellipsize_string_full (text, len, col->ellipsize);
             }
 
           if (flatpak_fancy_output ())
@@ -660,22 +659,9 @@ flatpak_table_printer_set_column_expand (FlatpakTablePrinter *printer,
 void
 flatpak_table_printer_set_column_ellipsize (FlatpakTablePrinter *printer,
                                             int column,
-                                            gboolean ellipsize)
+                                            FlatpakEllipsizeMode mode)
 {
   TableColumn *col = get_table_column (printer, column);
 
-  col->ellipsize = ellipsize;
-  col->ellipsize_middle = FALSE;
-}
-
-void
-flatpak_table_printer_set_column_ellipsize_middle (FlatpakTablePrinter *printer,
-                                                   int column,
-                                                   gboolean ellipsize,
-                                                   gboolean middle)
-{
-  TableColumn *col = get_table_column (printer, column);
-
-  col->ellipsize = ellipsize;
-  col->ellipsize_middle = middle;
+  col->ellipsize = mode;
 }
diff --git a/app/flatpak-table-printer.h b/app/flatpak-table-printer.h
index bb7637b8..f15099e5 100644
--- a/app/flatpak-table-printer.h
+++ b/app/flatpak-table-printer.h
@@ -74,10 +74,6 @@ void               flatpak_table_printer_set_column_expand (FlatpakTablePrinter
                                                             gboolean expand);
 void               flatpak_table_printer_set_column_ellipsize (FlatpakTablePrinter *printer,
                                                                int col,
-                                                               gboolean ellipsize);
-void               flatpak_table_printer_set_column_ellipsize_middle (FlatpakTablePrinter *printer,
-                                                                      int col,
-                                                                      gboolean ellipsize,
-                                                                      gboolean middle);
+                                                               FlatpakEllipsizeMode mode);
 
 #endif /* __FLATPAK_TABLE_PRINTER_H__ */