diff --git a/ceilometerclient/common/utils.py b/ceilometerclient/common/utils.py
index 4f532e5..d466a19 100644
--- a/ceilometerclient/common/utils.py
+++ b/ceilometerclient/common/utils.py
@@ -66,18 +66,20 @@ def print_list(objs, fields, field_labels, formatters={}, sortby=0):
                         sortby_index=sortby)
 
 
-def nested_dict_formatter(field):
+def nested_list_of_dict_formatter(field, column_names):
     # (TMaddox) Because the formatting scheme actually drops the whole object
     # into the formatter, rather than just the specified field, we have to
     # extract it and then pass the value.
-    return lambda o: format_nested_dict(getattr(o, field))
+    return lambda o: format_nested_list_of_dict(getattr(o, field),
+                                                column_names)
 
 
-def format_nested_dict(d):
+def format_nested_list_of_dict(l, column_names):
     pt = prettytable.PrettyTable(caching=False, print_empty=False,
-                                 header=False, hrules=prettytable.FRAME)
-    for k, v in six.iteritems(d):
-        pt.add_row([k, format_nested_dict(v) if isinstance(v, dict) else v])
+                                 header=True, hrules=prettytable.FRAME,
+                                 field_names=column_names)
+    for d in l:
+        pt.add_row(map(lambda k: d[k], column_names))
     return pt.get_string()
 
 
diff --git a/ceilometerclient/tests/test_utils.py b/ceilometerclient/tests/test_utils.py
index 5166343..1f3074b 100644
--- a/ceilometerclient/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/ceilometerclient/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #    under the License.
 
 
+import mock
 import six
 import sys
 
@@ -182,3 +183,27 @@ class UtilsTest(test_utils.BaseTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(dest, {'key': 'modified',
                                 'nested': {'key3': 'modified3',
                                            'nested2': {'key5': 'value5'}}})
+
+    @mock.patch('prettytable.PrettyTable')
+    def test_format_nested_list_of_dict(self, pt_mock):
+        actual_rows = []
+
+        def mock_add_row(row):
+            actual_rows.append(row)
+
+        table = mock.Mock()
+        table.add_row = mock_add_row
+        table.get_string.return_value = "the table"
+
+        test_data = [
+            {'column_1': 'value_11', 'column_2': 'value_21'},
+            {'column_1': 'value_12', 'column_2': 'value_22'}
+
+        ]
+        columns = ['column_1', 'column_2']
+        pt_mock.return_value = table
+
+        rval = utils.format_nested_list_of_dict(test_data, columns)
+        self.assertEqual("the table", rval)
+        self.assertEqual([['value_11', 'value_21'], ['value_12', 'value_22']],
+                         actual_rows)
diff --git a/ceilometerclient/v2/shell.py b/ceilometerclient/v2/shell.py
index 6b63873..4402fbe 100644
--- a/ceilometerclient/v2/shell.py
+++ b/ceilometerclient/v2/shell.py
@@ -570,7 +570,10 @@ def do_event_list(cc, args={}):
     fields = ['message_id', 'event_type', 'generated', 'traits']
     utils.print_list(events, fields, field_labels,
                      formatters={
-                     'traits': utils.nested_dict_formatter('traits')})
+                     'traits': utils.nested_list_of_dict_formatter('traits',
+                                                                   ['name',
+                                                                    'type',
+                                                                    'value'])})
 
 
 @utils.arg('-m', '--message_id', metavar='<message_id>',