diff --git a/command/formatter/node.go b/command/formatter/node.go
index bd478e57f2..6a6fb43c1a 100644
--- a/command/formatter/node.go
+++ b/command/formatter/node.go
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	defaultNodeTableFormat = "table {{.ID}}\t{{.Hostname}}\t{{.Status}}\t{{.Availability}}\t{{.ManagerStatus}}"
+	defaultNodeTableFormat = "table {{.ID}} {{if .Self}}*{{else}} {{ end }}\t{{.Hostname}}\t{{.Status}}\t{{.Availability}}\t{{.ManagerStatus}}"
 
 	nodeIDHeader        = "ID"
+	selfHeader          = ""
 	hostnameHeader      = "HOSTNAME"
 	availabilityHeader  = "AVAILABILITY"
 	managerStatusHeader = "MANAGER STATUS"
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ func NodeWrite(ctx Context, nodes []swarm.Node, info types.Info) error {
 	nodeCtx := nodeContext{}
 	nodeCtx.header = nodeHeaderContext{
 		"ID":            nodeIDHeader,
+		"Self":          selfHeader,
 		"Hostname":      hostnameHeader,
 		"Status":        statusHeader,
 		"Availability":  availabilityHeader,
@@ -67,11 +69,11 @@ func (c *nodeContext) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 }
 
 func (c *nodeContext) ID() string {
-	nodeID := c.n.ID
-	if nodeID == c.info.Swarm.NodeID {
-		nodeID = nodeID + " *"
-	}
-	return nodeID
+	return c.n.ID
+}
+
+func (c *nodeContext) Self() bool {
+	return c.n.ID == c.info.Swarm.NodeID
 }
 
 func (c *nodeContext) Hostname() string {
diff --git a/command/formatter/node_test.go b/command/formatter/node_test.go
index e3e341fc8b..86f4979d3f 100644
--- a/command/formatter/node_test.go
+++ b/command/formatter/node_test.go
@@ -148,8 +148,8 @@ func TestNodeContextWriteJSON(t *testing.T) {
 		{ID: "nodeID2", Description: swarm.NodeDescription{Hostname: "foobar_bar"}},
 	}
 	expectedJSONs := []map[string]interface{}{
-		{"Availability": "", "Hostname": "foobar_baz", "ID": "nodeID1", "ManagerStatus": "", "Status": ""},
-		{"Availability": "", "Hostname": "foobar_bar", "ID": "nodeID2", "ManagerStatus": "", "Status": ""},
+		{"Availability": "", "Hostname": "foobar_baz", "ID": "nodeID1", "ManagerStatus": "", "Status": "", "Self": false},
+		{"Availability": "", "Hostname": "foobar_bar", "ID": "nodeID2", "ManagerStatus": "", "Status": "", "Self": false},
 	}
 
 	out := bytes.NewBufferString("")
diff --git a/command/node/list_test.go b/command/node/list_test.go
index 13a21d1b52..4b8d906c3a 100644
--- a/command/node/list_test.go
+++ b/command/node/list_test.go
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ func TestNodeListDefaultFormat(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 	cmd := newListCommand(cli)
 	assert.NilError(t, cmd.Execute())
-	assert.Contains(t, buf.String(), `nodeID1 *: nodeHostname1 Ready/Leader`)
+	assert.Contains(t, buf.String(), `nodeID1: nodeHostname1 Ready/Leader`)
 	assert.Contains(t, buf.String(), `nodeID2: nodeHostname2 Ready/Reachable`)
 	assert.Contains(t, buf.String(), `nodeID3: nodeHostname3 Ready`)
 }