diff --git a/lib/common.js b/lib/common.js
index 0aaf85a..636c343 100644
--- a/lib/common.js
+++ b/lib/common.js
@@ -262,11 +262,22 @@ function humanSizeFromBytes(opts, bytes) {
     return format(template, sign, s, sizes[i]);
 }
 
+/*
+ * capitalize the first character of a string and return the new string
+ */
 function capitalize(s) {
     assert.string(s, 's');
     return s[0].toUpperCase() + s.substr(1);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Convert a UUID to a short ID
+ */
+function uuidToShortId(s) {
+    assert.uuid(s, 's');
+    return s.split('-', 1)[0];
+}
+
 /*
  * Normalize a short ID. Returns undefined if the given string isn't a valid
  * short id.
@@ -424,6 +435,7 @@ module.exports = {
     humanSizeFromBytes: humanSizeFromBytes,
     capitalize: capitalize,
     normShortId: normShortId,
+    uuidToShortId: uuidToShortId,
     slug: slug,
     getCliTableOptions: getCliTableOptions
 };
diff --git a/lib/do_instance_audit.js b/lib/do_instance_audit.js
index bf9c90d..7619e25 100644
--- a/lib/do_instance_audit.js
+++ b/lib/do_instance_audit.js
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@ var common = require('./common');
 var errors = require('./errors');
 
 // columns default without -o
-var columnsDefault = 'id,time,action,success';
+var columnsDefault = 'shortid,time,action,success';
+
+// columns default with -l
+var columnsDefaultLong = 'id,time,action,success';
 
 // sort default with -s
 var sortDefault = 'id,time';
@@ -33,7 +36,14 @@ function do_instance_audit(subcmd, opts, args, cb) {
         return cb(new Error('incorrect args: ' + args));
     }
 
-    var columns = opts.o.split(',');
+    var columns = columnsDefault;
+    if (opts.o) {
+        columns = opts.o;
+    } else if (opts.long) {
+        columns = columnsDefaultLong;
+    }
+    columns = columns.split(',');
+
     var sort = opts.s.split(',');
 
     var arg = args[0];
@@ -62,6 +72,7 @@ function do_instance_audit(subcmd, opts, args, cb) {
 
             audit.forEach(function (a) {
                 a.id = uuid;
+                a.shortid = common.uuidToShortId(uuid);
             });
 
             if (opts.json) {
@@ -79,6 +90,8 @@ function do_instance_audit(subcmd, opts, args, cb) {
     }
 }
 
+do_instance_audit.aliases = ['audit'];
+
 do_instance_audit.options = [
     {
         names: ['help', 'h'],
@@ -86,7 +99,7 @@ do_instance_audit.options = [
         help: 'Show this help.'
     }
 ].concat(common.getCliTableOptions({
-    columnsDefault: columnsDefault,
+    includeLong: true,
     sortDefault: sortDefault
 }));
 
@@ -99,6 +112,4 @@ do_instance_audit.help = (
     + '{{options}}'
 );
 
-
-
 module.exports = do_instance_audit;