diff --git a/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/cmd/zfs/zfs_main.c b/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/cmd/zfs/zfs_main.c
index 80e5163976cc..be4df07abfd1 100644
--- a/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/cmd/zfs/zfs_main.c
+++ b/cddl/contrib/opensolaris/cmd/zfs/zfs_main.c
@@ -5636,8 +5636,6 @@ print_holds(boolean_t scripted, boolean_t literal, size_t nwidth,
 			uint64_t val = 0;
 			time_t time;
 			struct tm t;
-			char sep = scripted ? '\t' : ' ';
-			size_t sepnum = scripted ? 1 : 2;
 
 			(void) nvpair_value_uint64(nvp2, &val);
 			if (literal)
@@ -5649,8 +5647,13 @@ print_holds(boolean_t scripted, boolean_t literal, size_t nwidth,
 				    gettext(STRFTIME_FMT_STR), &t);
 			}
 
-			(void) printf("%-*s%*c%-*s%*c%s\n", nwidth, zname,
-			    sepnum, sep, tagwidth, tagname, sepnum, sep, tsbuf);
+			if (scripted) {
+				(void) printf("%s\t%s\t%s\n", zname,
+				    tagname, tsbuf);
+			} else {
+				(void) printf("%-*s  %-*s  %s\n", nwidth,
+				    zname, tagwidth, tagname, tsbuf);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }