diff --git a/libsmartcols/docs/libsmartcols-sections.txt b/libsmartcols/docs/libsmartcols-sections.txt
index 071df3fff..30fb30225 100644
--- a/libsmartcols/docs/libsmartcols-sections.txt
+++ b/libsmartcols/docs/libsmartcols-sections.txt
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ scols_column_get_color
 scols_column_get_flags
 scols_column_get_header
 scols_column_get_whint
+scols_column_is_hidden
 scols_column_is_noextremes
 scols_column_is_right
 scols_column_is_strict_width
diff --git a/libsmartcols/src/column.c b/libsmartcols/src/column.c
index c7af6347c..269ceea0c 100644
--- a/libsmartcols/src/column.c
+++ b/libsmartcols/src/column.c
@@ -258,6 +258,21 @@ int scols_column_set_cmpfunc(struct libscols_column *cl,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/**
+ * scols_column_is_hidden:
+ * @cl: a pointer to a struct libscols_column instance
+ *
+ * Gets the value of @cl's flag hidden.
+ *
+ * Returns: hidden flag value, negative value in case of an error.
+ */
+int scols_column_is_hidden(struct libscols_column *cl)
+{
+	if (!cl)
+		return -EINVAL;
+	return cl->flags & SCOLS_FL_HIDDEN;
+}
+
 /**
  * scols_column_is_trunc:
  * @cl: a pointer to a struct libscols_column instance
diff --git a/libsmartcols/src/libsmartcols.h.in b/libsmartcols/src/libsmartcols.h.in
index 2ac166b32..381a8eb9b 100644
--- a/libsmartcols/src/libsmartcols.h.in
+++ b/libsmartcols/src/libsmartcols.h.in
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ enum {
 	SCOLS_FL_RIGHT	     = (1 << 2),   /* align to the right */
 	SCOLS_FL_STRICTWIDTH = (1 << 3),   /* don't reduce width if column is empty */
 	SCOLS_FL_NOEXTREMES  = (1 << 4),   /* ignore extreme fields when count column width*/
+	SCOLS_FL_HIDDEN	     = (1 << 5),   /* maintain data, but don't print */
 };
 
 extern struct libscols_iter *scols_new_iter(int direction);
@@ -126,6 +127,7 @@ extern int scols_column_is_tree(struct libscols_column *cl);
 extern int scols_column_is_trunc(struct libscols_column *cl);
 extern int scols_column_is_right(struct libscols_column *cl);
 extern int scols_column_is_strict_width(struct libscols_column *cl);
+extern int scols_column_is_hidden(struct libscols_column *cl);
 extern int scols_column_is_noextremes(struct libscols_column *cl);
 
 extern int scols_column_set_flags(struct libscols_column *cl, int flags);
diff --git a/libsmartcols/src/smartcolsP.h b/libsmartcols/src/smartcolsP.h
index 8f371a7d5..163417707 100644
--- a/libsmartcols/src/smartcolsP.h
+++ b/libsmartcols/src/smartcolsP.h
@@ -89,8 +89,6 @@ struct libscols_column {
 
 	struct libscols_cell	header;
 	struct list_head	cl_columns;
-
-	unsigned int ignore : 1;
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/libsmartcols/src/table_print.c b/libsmartcols/src/table_print.c
index d275ad640..caae98c14 100644
--- a/libsmartcols/src/table_print.c
+++ b/libsmartcols/src/table_print.c
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ static int is_last_column(struct libscols_table *tb, struct libscols_column *cl)
 		return 1;
 
 	next = list_entry(cl->cl_columns.next, struct libscols_column, cl_columns);
-	if (next && next->ignore)
+	if (next && scols_column_is_hidden(next))
 		return 1;
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ static int print_line(struct libscols_table *tb,
 
 	scols_reset_iter(&itr, SCOLS_ITER_FORWARD);
 	while (rc == 0 && scols_table_next_column(tb, &itr, &cl) == 0) {
-		if (cl->ignore)
+		if (scols_column_is_hidden(cl))
 			continue;
 		rc = cell_to_buffer(tb, ln, cl, buf);
 		if (!rc)
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ static int print_header(struct libscols_table *tb, struct libscols_buffer *buf)
 	/* set the width according to the size of the data */
 	scols_reset_iter(&itr, SCOLS_ITER_FORWARD);
 	while (rc == 0 && scols_table_next_column(tb, &itr, &cl) == 0) {
-		if (cl->ignore)
+		if (scols_column_is_hidden(cl))
 			continue;
 		rc = buffer_set_data(buf, scols_cell_get_data(&cl->header));
 		if (!rc)
@@ -660,7 +660,7 @@ static int print_tree(struct libscols_table *tb, struct libscols_buffer *buf)
 
 static void dbg_column(struct libscols_table *tb, struct libscols_column *cl)
 {
-	if (cl->ignore) {
+	if (scols_column_is_hidden(cl)) {
 		DBG(COL, ul_debugobj(cl, "%s ignored", cl->header.data));
 		return;
 	}
@@ -949,7 +949,7 @@ static int recount_widths(struct libscols_table *tb, struct libscols_buffer *buf
 				cl->width -= r;
 				width -= r;
 			} else {
-				cl->ignore = 1;
+				cl->flags |= SCOLS_FL_HIDDEN;
 				width -= cl->width + 1;		/* +1 means separator between columns */
 			}
 		}