--- a/src/libeinfo/einfo.h	
+++ a/src/libeinfo/einfo.h	
@@ -140,5 +140,8 @@ void eoutdentv(void);
 /*! @brief Prefix each einfo line with something */
 void eprefix(const char * EINFO_RESTRICT);
 
+/*! @brief toggles between left-side and right-sided eend output */
+void eleft(bool);
+
 __END_DECLS
 #endif
--- a/src/libeinfo/einfo.map	
+++ a/src/libeinfo/einfo.map	
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ global:
 	eindentv;
 	eoutdentv;
 	eprefix;
-
+	eleft;
 local:
 	*;
 };
--- a/src/libeinfo/libeinfo.c	
+++ a/src/libeinfo/libeinfo.c	
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ hidden_proto(elog)
 hidden_proto(eoutdent)
 hidden_proto(eoutdentv)
 hidden_proto(eprefix)
+hidden_proto(eleft)
 hidden_proto(ewarn)
 hidden_proto(ewarnn)
 hidden_proto(ewarnv)
@@ -118,6 +119,9 @@ hidden_proto(ewendv)
 /* A pointer to a string to prefix to einfo/ewarn/eerror messages */
 static const char *_eprefix = NULL;
 
+/* A bool for toggling left (true) and right-sided (false)  eend */
+static bool _eleft = false;
+
 /* Buffers and structures to hold the final colours */
 static char ebuffer[100];
 struct ecolor {
@@ -525,6 +529,13 @@ eprefix(const char *EINFO_RESTRICT prefix)
 }
 hidden_def(eprefix)
 
+void
+eleft(bool eleft)
+{
+	_eleft=eleft;
+}
+hidden_def(eleft)
+
 static void EINFO_PRINTF(2, 0)
 elogv(int level, const char *EINFO_RESTRICT fmt, va_list ap)
 {
@@ -819,9 +830,15 @@ _eend(FILE * EINFO_RESTRICT fp, int col, ECOLOR color, const char *msg)
 		cols--;
 
 	if (cols > 0 && colour_terminal(fp)) {
-		fprintf(fp, "%s%s %s[%s %s %s]%s\n", up, tgoto(goto_column, 0, cols),
+		if (_eleft) {
+		fprintf(fp, "%s%s %s[%s %s %s]%s\n", up, tgoto(goto_column, 0, 0),
 		    ecolor(ECOLOR_BRACKET), ecolor(color), msg,
 		    ecolor(ECOLOR_BRACKET), ecolor(ECOLOR_NORMAL));
+		} else {
+		fprintf(fp, "%s%s %s[%s %s %s]%s\n", up, tgoto(goto_column, 0, cols),
+                    ecolor(ECOLOR_BRACKET), ecolor(color), msg,
+                    ecolor(ECOLOR_BRACKET), ecolor(ECOLOR_NORMAL));
+		}
 	} else {
 		if (col > 0)
 			for (i = 0; i < cols - col; i++)
--- a/src/rc/rc-status.c	
+++ a/src/rc/rc-status.c	
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ static RC_STRINGLIST *types;
 static RC_STRINGLIST *levels, *services, *tmp, *alist;
 static RC_STRINGLIST *sservices, *nservices, *needsme;
 
+bool left = false;
+
 bool
 _rc_can_find_pids(void)
 {
@@ -95,7 +97,14 @@ static void
 print_service(const char *service)
 {
 	char status[10];
-	int cols =  printf(" %s", service);
+	int cols;
+	if (left && isatty(fileno(stdout)))
+	{
+		/* hardcoded width, should be fixed */
+		cols =  printf("                 %s", service);
+	} else {
+		cols =  printf("%s", service);
+	}
 	const char *c = ecolor(ECOLOR_GOOD);
 	RC_SERVICE state = rc_service_state(service);
 	ECOLOR color = ECOLOR_BAD;
@@ -195,7 +204,7 @@ print_stacked_services(const char *runlevel)
 #define usagestring ""						\
 	"Usage: rc-status [options] <runlevel>...\n"		\
 	"   or: rc-status [options] [-a | -c | -l | -r | -s | -u]"
-#define getoptstring "aclrsu" getoptstring_COMMON
+#define getoptstring "xaclrsu" getoptstring_COMMON
 static const struct option longopts[] = {
 	{"all",         0, NULL, 'a'},
 	{"crashed",     0, NULL, 'c'},
@@ -203,6 +212,7 @@ static const struct option longopts[] = {
 	{"runlevel",    0, NULL, 'r'},
 	{"servicelist", 0, NULL, 's'},
 	{"unused",      0, NULL, 'u'},
+	{"leftaligned", 0, NULL, 'x'},
 	longopts_COMMON
 };
 static const char * const longopts_help[] = {
@@ -212,6 +222,7 @@ static const char * const longopts_help[] = {
 	"Show the name of the current runlevel",
 	"Show service list",
 	"Show services not assigned to any runlevel",
+	"Show output left-aligned",
 	longopts_help_COMMON
 };
 #include "_usage.c"
@@ -229,6 +240,9 @@ rc_status(int argc, char **argv)
 	while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, getoptstring, longopts,
 				  (int *) 0)) != -1)
 		switch (opt) {
+		case 'x':
+			left = true;
+			break;
 		case 'a':
 			aflag++;
 			levels = rc_runlevel_list();
@@ -277,6 +291,10 @@ rc_status(int argc, char **argv)
 		case_RC_COMMON_GETOPT
 		}
 
+	// alignment stuff
+	if (left)
+		eleft(true);
+
 	if (!levels)
 		levels = rc_stringlist_new();
 	opt = (optind < argc) ? 0 : 1;