diff --git a/src/libutil/include/nix/util/meson.build b/src/libutil/include/nix/util/meson.build
index b6677140e..45b52ff5e 100644
--- a/src/libutil/include/nix/util/meson.build
+++ b/src/libutil/include/nix/util/meson.build
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ headers = files(
   'strings.hh',
   'suggestions.hh',
   'sync.hh',
+  'table.hh',
   'tarfile.hh',
   'terminal.hh',
   'thread-pool.hh',
diff --git a/src/libutil/include/nix/util/table.hh b/src/libutil/include/nix/util/table.hh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..13e4506d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libutil/include/nix/util/table.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include "nix/util/types.hh"
+
+namespace nix {
+
+typedef std::vector<std::vector<std::string>> Table;
+
+void printTable(std::ostream & out, Table & table);
+
+} // namespace nix
diff --git a/src/libutil/meson.build b/src/libutil/meson.build
index 53a346afb..0b4a0841f 100644
--- a/src/libutil/meson.build
+++ b/src/libutil/meson.build
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ sources = [ config_priv_h ] + files(
   'source-path.cc',
   'strings.cc',
   'suggestions.cc',
+  'table.cc',
   'tarfile.cc',
   'tee-logger.cc',
   'terminal.cc',
diff --git a/src/libutil/table.cc b/src/libutil/table.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fa1bf110d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libutil/table.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#include "nix/util/table.hh"
+
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <cassert>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <vector>
+
+namespace nix {
+
+void printTable(std::ostream & out, Table & table)
+{
+    auto nrColumns = table.size() > 0 ? table.front().size() : 0;
+
+    std::vector<size_t> widths;
+    widths.resize(nrColumns);
+
+    for (auto & i : table) {
+        assert(i.size() == nrColumns);
+        size_t column = 0;
+        for (auto j = i.begin(); j != i.end(); ++j, ++column)
+            if (j->size() > widths[column])
+                widths[column] = j->size();
+    }
+
+    for (auto & i : table) {
+        size_t column = 0;
+        for (auto j = i.begin(); j != i.end(); ++j, ++column) {
+            std::string s = *j;
+            replace(s.begin(), s.end(), '\n', ' ');
+            out << s;
+            if (column < nrColumns - 1)
+                out << std::string(widths[column] - s.size() + 2, ' ');
+        }
+        out << std::endl;
+    }
+}
+
+} // namespace nix
diff --git a/src/nix/nix-env/nix-env.cc b/src/nix/nix-env/nix-env.cc
index edfccffa6..1c09c1e45 100644
--- a/src/nix/nix-env/nix-env.cc
+++ b/src/nix/nix-env/nix-env.cc
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include "nix/util/xml-writer.hh"
 #include "nix/cmd/legacy.hh"
 #include "nix/expr/eval-settings.hh" // for defexpr
+#include "nix/util/table.hh"
 #include "nix/util/terminal.hh"
 #include "man-pages.hh"
 
@@ -822,38 +823,6 @@ static bool cmpElemByName(const PackageInfo & a, const PackageInfo & b)
     return lexicographical_compare(a_name.begin(), a_name.end(), b_name.begin(), b_name.end(), cmpChars);
 }
 
-typedef std::list<Strings> Table;
-
-void printTable(Table & table)
-{
-    auto nrColumns = table.size() > 0 ? table.front().size() : 0;
-
-    std::vector<size_t> widths;
-    widths.resize(nrColumns);
-
-    for (auto & i : table) {
-        assert(i.size() == nrColumns);
-        Strings::iterator j;
-        size_t column;
-        for (j = i.begin(), column = 0; j != i.end(); ++j, ++column)
-            if (j->size() > widths[column])
-                widths[column] = j->size();
-    }
-
-    for (auto & i : table) {
-        Strings::iterator j;
-        size_t column;
-        for (j = i.begin(), column = 0; j != i.end(); ++j, ++column) {
-            std::string s = *j;
-            replace(s.begin(), s.end(), '\n', ' ');
-            cout << s;
-            if (column < nrColumns - 1)
-                cout << std::string(widths[column] - s.size() + 2, ' ');
-        }
-        cout << std::endl;
-    }
-}
-
 /* This function compares the version of an element against the
    versions in the given set of elements.  `cvLess' means that only
    lower versions are in the set, `cvEqual' means that at most an
@@ -1093,7 +1062,7 @@ static void opQuery(Globals & globals, Strings opFlags, Strings opArgs)
                 continue;
 
             /* For table output. */
-            Strings columns;
+            std::vector<std::string> columns;
 
             /* For XML output. */
             XMLAttrs attrs;
@@ -1281,7 +1250,7 @@ static void opQuery(Globals & globals, Strings opFlags, Strings opArgs)
     }
 
     if (!xmlOutput)
-        printTable(table);
+        printTable(std::cout, table);
 }
 
 static void opSwitchProfile(Globals & globals, Strings opFlags, Strings opArgs)