diff --git a/cli/command/plugin/formatter.go b/cli/command/plugin/formatter.go
index b6f61f191..4407745eb 100644
--- a/cli/command/plugin/formatter.go
+++ b/cli/command/plugin/formatter.go
@@ -21,7 +21,14 @@ enabled: {{.Enabled}}
 )
 
 // NewFormat returns a Format for rendering using a plugin Context
+//
+// Deprecated: this function was only used internally and will be removed in the next release.
 func NewFormat(source string, quiet bool) formatter.Format {
+	return newFormat(source, quiet)
+}
+
+// newFormat returns a Format for rendering using a pluginContext.
+func newFormat(source string, quiet bool) formatter.Format {
 	switch source {
 	case formatter.TableFormatKey:
 		if quiet {
@@ -38,10 +45,17 @@ func NewFormat(source string, quiet bool) formatter.Format {
 }
 
 // FormatWrite writes the context
-func FormatWrite(ctx formatter.Context, plugins []*plugin.Plugin) error {
+//
+// Deprecated: this function was only used internally and will be removed in the next release.
+func FormatWrite(fmtCtx formatter.Context, plugins []*plugin.Plugin) error {
+	return formatWrite(fmtCtx, plugins)
+}
+
+// formatWrite writes the context
+func formatWrite(fmtCtx formatter.Context, plugins []*plugin.Plugin) error {
 	render := func(format func(subContext formatter.SubContext) error) error {
 		for _, p := range plugins {
-			pluginCtx := &pluginContext{trunc: ctx.Trunc, p: *p}
+			pluginCtx := &pluginContext{trunc: fmtCtx.Trunc, p: *p}
 			if err := format(pluginCtx); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -56,7 +70,7 @@ func FormatWrite(ctx formatter.Context, plugins []*plugin.Plugin) error {
 		"Enabled":         enabledHeader,
 		"PluginReference": formatter.ImageHeader,
 	}
-	return ctx.Write(&pluginCtx, render)
+	return fmtCtx.Write(&pluginCtx, render)
 }
 
 type pluginContext struct {
diff --git a/cli/command/plugin/formatter_test.go b/cli/command/plugin/formatter_test.go
index b3e9e733e..abc9e3ec3 100644
--- a/cli/command/plugin/formatter_test.go
+++ b/cli/command/plugin/formatter_test.go
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ func TestPluginContextWrite(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			doc:     "table format",
-			context: formatter.Context{Format: NewFormat("table", false)},
+			context: formatter.Context{Format: newFormat("table", false)},
 			expected: `ID          NAME         DESCRIPTION     ENABLED
 pluginID1   foobar_baz   description 1   true
 pluginID2   foobar_bar   description 2   false
@@ -94,14 +94,14 @@ pluginID2   foobar_bar   description 2   false
 		},
 		{
 			doc:     "table format, quiet",
-			context: formatter.Context{Format: NewFormat("table", true)},
+			context: formatter.Context{Format: newFormat("table", true)},
 			expected: `pluginID1
 pluginID2
 `,
 		},
 		{
 			doc:     "table format name col",
-			context: formatter.Context{Format: NewFormat("table {{.Name}}", false)},
+			context: formatter.Context{Format: newFormat("table {{.Name}}", false)},
 			expected: `NAME
 foobar_baz
 foobar_bar
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ foobar_bar
 		},
 		{
 			doc:     "table format name col, quiet",
-			context: formatter.Context{Format: NewFormat("table {{.Name}}", true)},
+			context: formatter.Context{Format: newFormat("table {{.Name}}", true)},
 			expected: `NAME
 foobar_baz
 foobar_bar
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ foobar_bar
 		},
 		{
 			doc:     "raw format",
-			context: formatter.Context{Format: NewFormat("raw", false)},
+			context: formatter.Context{Format: newFormat("raw", false)},
 			expected: `plugin_id: pluginID1
 name: foobar_baz
 description: description 1
@@ -132,14 +132,14 @@ enabled: false
 		},
 		{
 			doc:     "raw format, quiet",
-			context: formatter.Context{Format: NewFormat("raw", true)},
+			context: formatter.Context{Format: newFormat("raw", true)},
 			expected: `plugin_id: pluginID1
 plugin_id: pluginID2
 `,
 		},
 		{
 			doc:     "custom format",
-			context: formatter.Context{Format: NewFormat("{{.Name}}", false)},
+			context: formatter.Context{Format: newFormat("{{.Name}}", false)},
 			expected: `foobar_baz
 foobar_bar
 `,
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ foobar_bar
 			var out bytes.Buffer
 			tc.context.Output = &out
 
-			err := FormatWrite(tc.context, plugins)
+			err := formatWrite(tc.context, plugins)
 			if err != nil {
 				assert.Error(t, err, tc.expected)
 			} else {
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ func TestPluginContextWriteJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	out := bytes.NewBufferString("")
-	err := FormatWrite(formatter.Context{Format: "{{json .}}", Output: out}, plugins)
+	err := formatWrite(formatter.Context{Format: "{{json .}}", Output: out}, plugins)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ func TestPluginContextWriteJSONField(t *testing.T) {
 		{ID: "pluginID2", Name: "foobar_bar"},
 	}
 	out := bytes.NewBufferString("")
-	err := FormatWrite(formatter.Context{Format: "{{json .ID}}", Output: out}, plugins)
+	err := formatWrite(formatter.Context{Format: "{{json .ID}}", Output: out}, plugins)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/cli/command/plugin/list.go b/cli/command/plugin/list.go
index 0c7234a2c..da08a06f9 100644
--- a/cli/command/plugin/list.go
+++ b/cli/command/plugin/list.go
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ func runList(ctx context.Context, dockerCli command.Cli, options listOptions) er
 
 	pluginsCtx := formatter.Context{
 		Output: dockerCli.Out(),
-		Format: NewFormat(format, options.quiet),
+		Format: newFormat(format, options.quiet),
 		Trunc:  !options.noTrunc,
 	}
-	return FormatWrite(pluginsCtx, plugins)
+	return formatWrite(pluginsCtx, plugins)
 }