diff --git a/cmd/incus/operation.go b/cmd/incus/operation.go
index b646546b30..83906332f1 100644
--- a/cmd/incus/operation.go
+++ b/cmd/incus/operation.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func (c *cmdOperationList) Command() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.Short = i18n.G("List background operations")
 	cmd.Long = cli.FormatSection(i18n.G("Description"), i18n.G(
 		`List background operations
-		
+
 Default column layout: itdscCl
 
 == Columns ==
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ Pre-defined column shorthand chars:
   s - State
   c - Cancelable
   C - Created
-  l - Location(clustered only)`))
+  L - Location of the operation (e.g. its cluster member)`))
 	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")+"``")
@@ -142,9 +142,9 @@ Pre-defined column shorthand chars:
 	return cmd
 }
 
-const defaultOperationColumns = "itdscCl"
+const defaultOperationColumns = "itdscC"
 
-func (c *cmdOperationList) parseColumns() ([]operationColumn, error) {
+func (c *cmdOperationList) parseColumns(clustered bool) ([]operationColumn, error) {
 	columnsShorthandMap := map[rune]operationColumn{
 		'i': {i18n.G("ID"), c.operationIDcolumnData},
 		't': {i18n.G("TYPE"), c.typeColumnData},
@@ -152,12 +152,14 @@ func (c *cmdOperationList) parseColumns() ([]operationColumn, error) {
 		's': {i18n.G("STATE"), c.stateColumnData},
 		'c': {i18n.G("CANCELABLE"), c.cancelableColumnData},
 		'C': {i18n.G("CREATED"), c.createdColumnData},
-		'l': {i18n.G("LOCATION"), c.locationColumnData},
+		'L': {i18n.G("LOCATION"), c.locationColumnData},
 	}
 
 	columnList := strings.Split(c.flagColumns, ",")
-
 	columns := []operationColumn{}
+	if c.flagColumns == defaultOperationColumns && clustered {
+		columnList = append(columnList, "L")
+	}
 
 	for _, columnEntry := range columnList {
 		if columnEntry == "" {
@@ -247,7 +249,7 @@ func (c *cmdOperationList) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	// Parse column flags.
-	columns, err := c.parseColumns()
+	columns, err := c.parseColumns(resource.server.IsClustered())
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -257,14 +259,7 @@ func (c *cmdOperationList) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	for _, op := range operations {
 		line := []string{}
 		for _, column := range columns {
-			if column.Name == i18n.G("LOCATION") {
-				if resource.server.IsClustered() {
-					line = append(line, column.Data(op))
-				}
-
-			} else {
-				line = append(line, column.Data(op))
-			}
+			line = append(line, column.Data(op))
 		}
 
 		data = append(data, line)
@@ -274,15 +269,7 @@ func (c *cmdOperationList) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	header := []string{}
 	for _, column := range columns {
-		if column.Name == "LOCATION" {
-			if resource.server.IsClustered() {
-				header = append(header, column.Name)
-			}
-
-		} else {
-			header = append(header, column.Name)
-		}
-
+		header = append(header, column.Name)
 	}
 
 	return cli.RenderTable(c.flagFormat, header, data, operations)