diff --git a/cli/command/container/list.go b/cli/command/container/list.go
index 844ef57519..ec1ad69e13 100644
--- a/cli/command/container/list.go
+++ b/cli/command/container/list.go
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/command"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/command/formatter"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/opts"
+	"github.com/docker/cli/templates"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/templates"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 )
diff --git a/cli/command/formatter/formatter.go b/cli/command/formatter/formatter.go
index 3f07aee963..c63e1a4908 100644
--- a/cli/command/formatter/formatter.go
+++ b/cli/command/formatter/formatter.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"text/tabwriter"
 	"text/template"
 
-	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/templates"
+	"github.com/docker/cli/templates"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
diff --git a/cli/command/inspect/inspector.go b/cli/command/inspect/inspector.go
index 054381f50f..b03dbed264 100644
--- a/cli/command/inspect/inspector.go
+++ b/cli/command/inspect/inspector.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/templates"
+	"github.com/docker/cli/templates"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
diff --git a/cli/command/inspect/inspector_test.go b/cli/command/inspect/inspector_test.go
index 721bcf84c5..7d19fceda2 100644
--- a/cli/command/inspect/inspector_test.go
+++ b/cli/command/inspect/inspector_test.go
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
-	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/templates"
+	"github.com/docker/cli/templates"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
diff --git a/cli/command/system/events.go b/cli/command/system/events.go
index ba83d26fa3..6dbc51e2bc 100644
--- a/cli/command/system/events.go
+++ b/cli/command/system/events.go
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/command"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/opts"
+	"github.com/docker/cli/templates"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
 	eventtypes "github.com/docker/docker/api/types/events"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/jsonlog"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/templates"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 )
diff --git a/cli/command/system/info.go b/cli/command/system/info.go
index f2a404e905..73f1765435 100644
--- a/cli/command/system/info.go
+++ b/cli/command/system/info.go
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/command"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/debug"
+	"github.com/docker/cli/templates"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/swarm"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/templates"
 	"github.com/docker/go-units"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
diff --git a/cli/command/system/version.go b/cli/command/system/version.go
index 21c5a6df30..9cca599fe3 100644
--- a/cli/command/system/version.go
+++ b/cli/command/system/version.go
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/command"
+	"github.com/docker/cli/templates"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/templates"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
diff --git a/templates/templates.go b/templates/templates.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..80cab5ed34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/templates.go
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+package templates
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"strings"
+	"text/template"
+)
+
+// basicFunctions are the set of initial
+// functions provided to every template.
+var basicFunctions = template.FuncMap{
+	"json": func(v interface{}) string {
+		buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
+		enc := json.NewEncoder(buf)
+		enc.SetEscapeHTML(false)
+		enc.Encode(v)
+		// Remove the trailing new line added by the encoder
+		return strings.TrimSpace(buf.String())
+	},
+	"split":    strings.Split,
+	"join":     strings.Join,
+	"title":    strings.Title,
+	"lower":    strings.ToLower,
+	"upper":    strings.ToUpper,
+	"pad":      padWithSpace,
+	"truncate": truncateWithLength,
+}
+
+// HeaderFunctions are used to created headers of a table.
+// This is a replacement of basicFunctions for header generation
+// because we want the header to remain intact.
+// Some functions like `split` are irrelevant so not added.
+var HeaderFunctions = template.FuncMap{
+	"json": func(v string) string {
+		return v
+	},
+	"title": func(v string) string {
+		return v
+	},
+	"lower": func(v string) string {
+		return v
+	},
+	"upper": func(v string) string {
+		return v
+	},
+	"truncate": func(v string, _ int) string {
+		return v
+	},
+}
+
+// Parse creates a new anonymous template with the basic functions
+// and parses the given format.
+func Parse(format string) (*template.Template, error) {
+	return NewParse("", format)
+}
+
+// NewParse creates a new tagged template with the basic functions
+// and parses the given format.
+func NewParse(tag, format string) (*template.Template, error) {
+	return template.New(tag).Funcs(basicFunctions).Parse(format)
+}
+
+// padWithSpace adds whitespace to the input if the input is non-empty
+func padWithSpace(source string, prefix, suffix int) string {
+	if source == "" {
+		return source
+	}
+	return strings.Repeat(" ", prefix) + source + strings.Repeat(" ", suffix)
+}
+
+// truncateWithLength truncates the source string up to the length provided by the input
+func truncateWithLength(source string, length int) string {
+	if len(source) < length {
+		return source
+	}
+	return source[:length]
+}
diff --git a/templates/templates_test.go b/templates/templates_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..296bcb7107
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/templates_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+package templates
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+// Github #32120
+func TestParseJSONFunctions(t *testing.T) {
+	tm, err := Parse(`{{json .Ports}}`)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var b bytes.Buffer
+	assert.NoError(t, tm.Execute(&b, map[string]string{"Ports": "0.0.0.0:2->8/udp"}))
+	want := "\"0.0.0.0:2->8/udp\""
+	assert.Equal(t, want, b.String())
+}
+
+func TestParseStringFunctions(t *testing.T) {
+	tm, err := Parse(`{{join (split . ":") "/"}}`)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var b bytes.Buffer
+	assert.NoError(t, tm.Execute(&b, "text:with:colon"))
+	want := "text/with/colon"
+	assert.Equal(t, want, b.String())
+}
+
+func TestNewParse(t *testing.T) {
+	tm, err := NewParse("foo", "this is a {{ . }}")
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var b bytes.Buffer
+	assert.NoError(t, tm.Execute(&b, "string"))
+	want := "this is a string"
+	assert.Equal(t, want, b.String())
+}
+
+func TestParseTruncateFunction(t *testing.T) {
+	source := "tupx5xzf6hvsrhnruz5cr8gwp"
+
+	testCases := []struct {
+		template string
+		expected string
+	}{
+		{
+			template: `{{truncate . 5}}`,
+			expected: "tupx5",
+		},
+		{
+			template: `{{truncate . 25}}`,
+			expected: "tupx5xzf6hvsrhnruz5cr8gwp",
+		},
+		{
+			template: `{{truncate . 30}}`,
+			expected: "tupx5xzf6hvsrhnruz5cr8gwp",
+		},
+		{
+			template: `{{pad . 3 3}}`,
+			expected: "   tupx5xzf6hvsrhnruz5cr8gwp   ",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, testCase := range testCases {
+		tm, err := Parse(testCase.template)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+		t.Run("Non Empty Source Test with template: "+testCase.template, func(t *testing.T) {
+			var b bytes.Buffer
+			assert.NoError(t, tm.Execute(&b, source))
+			assert.Equal(t, testCase.expected, b.String())
+		})
+
+		t.Run("Empty Source Test with template: "+testCase.template, func(t *testing.T) {
+			var c bytes.Buffer
+			assert.NoError(t, tm.Execute(&c, ""))
+			assert.Equal(t, "", c.String())
+		})
+
+		t.Run("Nil Source Test with template: "+testCase.template, func(t *testing.T) {
+			var c bytes.Buffer
+			assert.Error(t, tm.Execute(&c, nil))
+			assert.Equal(t, "", c.String())
+		})
+	}
+}