diff --git a/list.go b/list.go
index 5b1d464e..627310d6 100644
--- a/list.go
+++ b/list.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/opencontainers/runc/libcontainer/utils"
 )
 
-const formatOptions = `table or json`
+const formatOptions = `table(default) or json`
 
 // containerState represents the platform agnostic pieces relating to a
 // running container's status and state
@@ -40,12 +40,7 @@ var listCommand = cli.Command{
 		cli.StringFlag{
 			Name:  "format, f",
 			Value: "",
-			Usage: `select one of: ` + formatOptions + `.
-
-The default format is table.  The following will output the list of containers
-in json format:
-
-    # runc list -f json`,
+			Usage: `select one of: ` + formatOptions,
 		},
 		cli.BoolFlag{
 			Name:  "quiet, q",
diff --git a/man/runc-list.8.md b/man/runc-list.8.md
index a41a6526..61696238 100644
--- a/man/runc-list.8.md
+++ b/man/runc-list.8.md
@@ -4,12 +4,6 @@
 # SYNOPSIS
    runc list [command options] [arguments...]
 
-# DESCRIPTION
-   The default format is table.  The following will output the list of containers
-in json format:
-
-    # runc list -f json
-
 # OPTIONS
-   --format, -f         select one of: table or json.
+   --format, -f         select one of: table(default) or json.
    --quiet, -q          display only container IDs