diff --git a/cmd/incus/operation.go b/cmd/incus/operation.go
index dd7238830e..736a14fbdb 100644
--- a/cmd/incus/operation.go
+++ b/cmd/incus/operation.go
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ type cmdOperation struct {
 	global *cmdGlobal
 }
 
+type operationColumn struct {
+	Name string
+	Data func(api.Operation) string
+}
+
 func (c *cmdOperation) Command() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{}
 	cmd.Use = usage("operation")
@@ -121,13 +126,13 @@ or (extended) config keys.
 Commas between consecutive shorthand chars are optional.
 
 Pre-defined column shorthand chars:
-  i - iD
-  t - type
-  d - description
-  s - state
-  c - cancelable
+  i - ID
+  t - Type
+  d - Description
+  s - State
+  c - Cancelable
   C - Created
-  l - location`))
+  l - Location`))
 	cmd.Flags().StringVarP(&c.flagFormat, "format", "f", "table", i18n.G("Format (csv|json|table|yaml|compact)")+"``")
 	cmd.Flags().BoolVar(&c.flagAllProjects, "all-projects", false, i18n.G("List operations from all projects")+"``")
 	cmd.Flags().StringVarP(&c.flagColumns, "columns", "c", defaultOperationColumns, i18n.G("Columns")+"``")
@@ -139,6 +144,73 @@ Pre-defined column shorthand chars:
 
 const defaultOperationColumns = "itdscCl"
 
+func (c *cmdOperationList) parseColumns() ([]operationColumn, error) {
+	columnsShorthandMap := map[rune]operationColumn{
+		'i': {i18n.G("ID"), c.operationIDcolumnData},
+		't': {i18n.G("TYPE"), c.typeColumnData},
+		'd': {i18n.G("DESCRIPTION"), c.descriptionColumnData},
+		's': {i18n.G("STATE"), c.stateColumnData},
+		'c': {i18n.G("CANCELABLE"), c.cancelableColumnData},
+		'C': {i18n.G("CREATED"), c.createdColumnData},
+		'l': {i18n.G("LOCATION"), c.locationColumnData},
+	}
+
+	columnList := strings.Split(c.flagColumns, ",")
+
+	columns := []operationColumn{}
+
+	for _, columnEntry := range columnList {
+		if columnEntry == "" {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf(i18n.G("Empty column entry (redundant, leading or trailing command) in '%s'"), c.flagColumns)
+		}
+
+		for _, columnRune := range columnEntry {
+			column, ok := columnsShorthandMap[columnRune]
+			if !ok {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf(i18n.G("Unknown column shorthand char '%c' in '%s'"), columnRune, columnEntry)
+			}
+
+			columns = append(columns, column)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return columns, nil
+}
+
+func (c *cmdOperationList) operationIDcolumnData(op api.Operation) string {
+	return op.ID
+}
+
+func (c *cmdOperationList) typeColumnData(op api.Operation) string {
+	return strings.ToUpper(op.Class)
+}
+
+func (c *cmdOperationList) descriptionColumnData(op api.Operation) string {
+	return op.Description
+}
+
+func (c *cmdOperationList) stateColumnData(op api.Operation) string {
+	return strings.ToUpper(op.Status)
+}
+
+func (c *cmdOperationList) cancelableColumnData(op api.Operation) string {
+	strCancelable := i18n.G("NO")
+
+	if op.MayCancel {
+		strCancelable = i18n.G("YES")
+	}
+
+	return strCancelable
+}
+
+func (c *cmdOperationList) createdColumnData(op api.Operation) string {
+	return op.CreatedAt.Local().Format(dateLayout)
+}
+
+func (c *cmdOperationList) locationColumnData(op api.Operation) string {
+	return op.Location
+}
+
 func (c *cmdOperationList) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	// Quick checks.
 	exit, err := c.global.CheckArgs(cmd, args, 0, 1)
@@ -174,33 +246,29 @@ func (c *cmdOperationList) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// Parse column flags.
+	columns, err := c.parseColumns()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	// Render the table
 	data := [][]string{}
 	for _, op := range operations {
-		cancelable := i18n.G("NO")
-		if op.MayCancel {
-			cancelable = i18n.G("YES")
-		}
+		line := []string{}
+		for _, column := range columns {
+			line = append(line, column.Data(op))
 
-		entry := []string{op.ID, strings.ToUpper(op.Class), op.Description, strings.ToUpper(op.Status), cancelable, op.CreatedAt.Local().Format(dateLayout)}
-		if resource.server.IsClustered() {
-			entry = append(entry, op.Location)
 		}
 
-		data = append(data, entry)
+		data = append(data, line)
 	}
 
 	sort.Sort(cli.SortColumnsNaturally(data))
 
-	header := []string{
-		i18n.G("ID"),
-		i18n.G("TYPE"),
-		i18n.G("DESCRIPTION"),
-		i18n.G("STATE"),
-		i18n.G("CANCELABLE"),
-		i18n.G("CREATED")}
-	if resource.server.IsClustered() {
-		header = append(header, i18n.G("LOCATION"))
+	header := []string{}
+	for _, column := range columns {
+		header = append(header, column.Name)
 	}
 
 	return cli.RenderTable(c.flagFormat, header, data, operations)