diff --git a/src/journal/journalctl.c b/src/journal/journalctl.c
index 4e3d17678e..63334c0ea4 100644
--- a/src/journal/journalctl.c
+++ b/src/journal/journalctl.c
@@ -581,6 +581,9 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
                         if (OUTPUT_MODE_IS_JSON(arg_output))
                                 arg_json_format_flags = output_mode_to_json_format_flags(arg_output) | JSON_FORMAT_COLOR_AUTO;
+                        else
+                                arg_json_format_flags = JSON_FORMAT_OFF;
+
                         break;
 
                 case 'l':
@@ -1457,13 +1460,20 @@ static int list_boots(sd_journal *j) {
         if (count == 0)
                 return count;
 
-        table = table_new(OUTPUT_MODE_IS_JSON(arg_output) ? "index" : "idx", "boot id", "first entry", "last entry");
+        table = table_new("idx", "boot id", "first entry", "last entry");
         if (!table)
                 return log_oom();
 
         if (arg_full)
                 table_set_width(table, 0);
 
+        r = table_set_json_field_name(table, 0, "index");
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to set JSON field name of column 0: %m");
+
+        (void) table_set_sort(table, (size_t) 0);
+        (void) table_set_reverse(table, 0, arg_reverse);
+
         i = 0;
         LIST_FOREACH(boot_list, id, all_ids) {
                 r = table_add_many(table,