diff --git a/libsmartcols/docs/libsmartcols-sections.txt b/libsmartcols/docs/libsmartcols-sections.txt
index ee696642a..7e31cdda2 100644
--- a/libsmartcols/docs/libsmartcols-sections.txt
+++ b/libsmartcols/docs/libsmartcols-sections.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 <FILE>cell</FILE>
 libscols_cell
 scols_cell_copy_content
+scols_cell_get_alignment
 scols_cell_get_color
 scols_cell_get_data
 scols_cell_get_flags
diff --git a/libsmartcols/src/cell.c b/libsmartcols/src/cell.c
index 4450c576b..04e9bfc20 100644
--- a/libsmartcols/src/cell.c
+++ b/libsmartcols/src/cell.c
@@ -214,6 +214,22 @@ int scols_cell_get_flags(const struct libscols_cell *ce)
 	return ce->flags;
 }
 
+/**
+ * scols_cell_get_alignment:
+ * @ce: a pointer to a struct libscols_cell instance
+ *
+ * Returns: SCOLS_CELL_FL_{RIGHT,CELNTER,LEFT}
+ */
+int scols_cell_get_alignment(const struct libscols_cell *ce)
+{
+	if (ce->flags & SCOLS_CELL_FL_RIGHT)
+		return SCOLS_CELL_FL_RIGHT;
+	else if (ce->flags & SCOLS_CELL_FL_CENTER)
+		return SCOLS_CELL_FL_CENTER;
+
+	return SCOLS_CELL_FL_LEFT;	/* default */
+}
+
 /**
  * scols_cell_copy_content:
  * @dest: a pointer to a struct libscols_cell instance
diff --git a/libsmartcols/src/libsmartcols.h.in b/libsmartcols/src/libsmartcols.h.in
index 4a00fed1b..e9df9333c 100644
--- a/libsmartcols/src/libsmartcols.h.in
+++ b/libsmartcols/src/libsmartcols.h.in
@@ -91,9 +91,10 @@ enum {
  * Cell flags, see scols_cell_set_flags() before use
  */
 enum {
-	SCOLS_CELL_FL_LEFT = 0,
-	SCOLS_CELL_FL_CENTER,
-	SCOLS_CELL_FL_RIGHT
+	/* alignment evaluated in order: right,center,left */
+	SCOLS_CELL_FL_LEFT    = 0,
+	SCOLS_CELL_FL_CENTER  = (1 << 0),
+	SCOLS_CELL_FL_RIGHT   = (1 << 1)
 };
 
 extern struct libscols_iter *scols_new_iter(int direction);
@@ -131,6 +132,7 @@ extern const char *scols_cell_get_color(const struct libscols_cell *ce);
 
 extern int scols_cell_set_flags(struct libscols_cell *ce, int flags);
 extern int scols_cell_get_flags(const struct libscols_cell *ce);
+extern int scols_cell_get_alignment(const struct libscols_cell *ce);
 
 extern void *scols_cell_get_userdata(struct libscols_cell *ce);
 extern int scols_cell_set_userdata(struct libscols_cell *ce, void *data);
diff --git a/libsmartcols/src/libsmartcols.sym b/libsmartcols/src/libsmartcols.sym
index 2bf2b4ee4..b8a3a5b4c 100644
--- a/libsmartcols/src/libsmartcols.sym
+++ b/libsmartcols/src/libsmartcols.sym
@@ -157,3 +157,9 @@ global:
 	scols_wrapnl_chunksize;
 	scols_wrapnl_nextchunk;
 } SMARTCOLS_2.28;
+
+
+SMARTCOLS_2.30 {
+global:
+	scols_cell_get_alignment;
+} SMARTCOLS_2.29;
diff --git a/libsmartcols/src/table_print.c b/libsmartcols/src/table_print.c
index 65f261245..afcbc1647 100644
--- a/libsmartcols/src/table_print.c
+++ b/libsmartcols/src/table_print.c
@@ -782,14 +782,19 @@ static int print_title(struct libscols_table *tb)
 		goto done;
 	}
 
-	if (tb->title.flags & SCOLS_CELL_FL_LEFT)
-		align = MBS_ALIGN_LEFT;
-	else if (tb->title.flags & SCOLS_CELL_FL_RIGHT)
+	switch (scols_cell_get_alignment(&tb->title)) {
+	case SCOLS_CELL_FL_RIGHT:
 		align = MBS_ALIGN_RIGHT;
-	else if (tb->title.flags & SCOLS_CELL_FL_CENTER)
+		break;
+	case SCOLS_CELL_FL_CENTER:
 		align = MBS_ALIGN_CENTER;
-	else
-		align = MBS_ALIGN_LEFT;	/* default */
+		break;
+	case SCOLS_CELL_FL_LEFT:
+	default:
+		align = MBS_ALIGN_LEFT;
+		break;
+
+	}
 
 	/* copy from buf to title and align to width with title_padding */
 	rc = mbsalign_with_padding(buf, title, titlesz,