4 files changed, 25 insertions, 22 deletions

diff --git a/cmd/kpod/formats/formats.go b/cmd/kpod/formats/formats.go
index 6e5dd2425..4b6527b30 100644
--- a/cmd/kpod/formats/formats.go
+++ b/cmd/kpod/formats/formats.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package formats
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
@@ -8,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"text/tabwriter"
 	"text/template"
 
-	"bytes"
 	"github.com/ghodss/yaml"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
diff --git a/cmd/kpod/history.go b/cmd/kpod/history.go
index 211a843d0..20422b7c3 100644
--- a/cmd/kpod/history.go
+++ b/cmd/kpod/history.go
@@ -92,10 +92,7 @@ func historyCmd(c *cli.Context) error {
 	}
 	defer runtime.Shutdown(false)
 
-	format := genHistoryFormat(c.Bool("quiet"))
-	if c.IsSet("format") {
-		format = c.String("format")
-	}
+	format := genHistoryFormat(c.String("format"), c.Bool("quiet"))
 
 	args := c.Args()
 	if len(args) == 0 {
@@ -121,7 +118,12 @@ func historyCmd(c *cli.Context) error {
 	return generateHistoryOutput(history, layers, imageID, opts)
 }
 
-func genHistoryFormat(quiet bool) (format string) {
+func genHistoryFormat(format string, quiet bool) string {
+	if format != "" {
+		// "\t" from the command line is not being recognized as a tab
+		// replacing the string "\t" to a tab character if the user passes in "\t"
+		return strings.Replace(format, `\t`, "\t", -1)
+	}
 	if quiet {
 		return formats.IDString
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/kpod/images.go b/cmd/kpod/images.go
index 1cf69c96d..2b1003ebd 100644
--- a/cmd/kpod/images.go
+++ b/cmd/kpod/images.go
@@ -92,12 +92,7 @@ func imagesCmd(c *cli.Context) error {
 	}
 	defer runtime.Shutdown(false)
 
-	var format string
-	if c.IsSet("format") {
-		format = c.String("format")
-	} else {
-		format = genImagesFormat(c.Bool("quiet"), c.Bool("noheading"), c.Bool("digests"))
-	}
+	format := genImagesFormat(c.String("format"), c.Bool("quiet"), c.Bool("noheading"), c.Bool("digests"))
 
 	opts := imagesOptions{
 		quiet:     c.Bool("quiet"),
@@ -136,7 +131,12 @@ func imagesCmd(c *cli.Context) error {
 	return generateImagesOutput(runtime, images, opts)
 }
 
-func genImagesFormat(quiet, noHeading, digests bool) (format string) {
+func genImagesFormat(format string, quiet, noHeading, digests bool) string {
+	if format != "" {
+		// "\t" from the command line is not being recognized as a tab
+		// replacing the string "\t" to a tab character if the user passes in "\t"
+		return strings.Replace(format, `\t`, "\t", -1)
+	}
 	if quiet {
 		return formats.IDString
 	}
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ func genImagesFormat(quiet, noHeading, digests bool) (format string) {
 		format += "{{.Digest}}\t"
 	}
 	format += "{{.ID}}\t{{.Created}}\t{{.Size}}\t"
-	return
+	return format
 }
 
 // imagesToGeneric creates an empty array of interfaces for output
diff --git a/cmd/kpod/ps.go b/cmd/kpod/ps.go
index d3b38cbd6..36ce18515 100644
--- a/cmd/kpod/ps.go
+++ b/cmd/kpod/ps.go
@@ -160,10 +160,7 @@ func psCmd(c *cli.Context) error {
 		return errors.Errorf("too many arguments, ps takes no arguments")
 	}
 
-	format := genPsFormat(c.Bool("quiet"), c.Bool("size"), c.Bool("namespace"))
-	if c.IsSet("format") {
-		format = c.String("format")
-	}
+	format := genPsFormat(c.String("format"), c.Bool("quiet"), c.Bool("size"), c.Bool("namespace"))
 
 	opts := psOptions{
 		all:       c.Bool("all"),
@@ -302,19 +299,23 @@ func generateContainerFilterFuncs(filter, filterValue string, runtime *libpod.Ru
 }
 
 // generate the template based on conditions given
-func genPsFormat(quiet, size, namespace bool) (format string) {
+func genPsFormat(format string, quiet, size, namespace bool) string {
+	if format != "" {
+		// "\t" from the command line is not being recognized as a tab
+		// replacing the string "\t" to a tab character if the user passes in "\t"
+		return strings.Replace(format, `\t`, "\t", -1)
+	}
 	if quiet {
 		return formats.IDString
 	}
 	if namespace {
-		format = "table {{.ID}}\t{{.Names}}\t{{.PID}}\t{{.Cgroup}}\t{{.IPC}}\t{{.MNT}}\t{{.NET}}\t{{.PIDNS}}\t{{.User}}\t{{.UTS}}\t"
-		return
+		return "table {{.ID}}\t{{.Names}}\t{{.PID}}\t{{.Cgroup}}\t{{.IPC}}\t{{.MNT}}\t{{.NET}}\t{{.PIDNS}}\t{{.User}}\t{{.UTS}}\t"
 	}
 	format = "table {{.ID}}\t{{.Image}}\t{{.Command}}\t{{.CreatedAt}}\t{{.Status}}\t{{.Ports}}\t{{.Names}}\t"
 	if size {
 		format += "{{.Size}}\t"
 	}
-	return
+	return format
 }
 
 func psToGeneric(templParams []psTemplateParams, JSONParams []psJSONParams) (genericParams []interface{}) {