diff --git a/cmd/helm/list.go b/cmd/helm/list.go
index 4b652088d..08d6beb79 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/list.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/list.go
@@ -83,10 +83,29 @@ func newListCmd(cfg *action.Configuration, out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 			}
 
 			if client.Short {
+
+				names := make([]string, 0)
 				for _, res := range results {
-					fmt.Fprintln(out, res.Name)
+					names = append(names, res.Name)
+				}
+
+				outputFlag := cmd.Flag("output")
+
+				switch outputFlag.Value.String() {
+				case "json":
+					output.EncodeJSON(out, names)
+					return nil
+				case "yaml":
+					output.EncodeYAML(out, names)
+					return nil
+				case "table":
+					for _, res := range results {
+						fmt.Fprintln(out, res.Name)
+					}
+					return nil
+				default:
+					return outfmt.Write(out, newReleaseListWriter(results))
 				}
-				return nil
 			}
 
 			return outfmt.Write(out, newReleaseListWriter(results))
diff --git a/cmd/helm/list_test.go b/cmd/helm/list_test.go
index fe773a803..dadb57b94 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/list_test.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/list_test.go
@@ -198,6 +198,16 @@ func TestListCmd(t *testing.T) {
 		cmd:    "list --short",
 		golden: "output/list-short.txt",
 		rels:   releaseFixture,
+	}, {
+		name:   "list releases in short output format",
+		cmd:    "list --short --output yaml",
+		golden: "output/list-short-yaml.txt",
+		rels:   releaseFixture,
+	}, {
+		name:   "list releases in short output format",
+		cmd:    "list --short --output json",
+		golden: "output/list-short-json.txt",
+		rels:   releaseFixture,
 	}, {
 		name:   "list superseded releases",
 		cmd:    "list --superseded",
diff --git a/cmd/helm/testdata/output/list-short-json.txt b/cmd/helm/testdata/output/list-short-json.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..acbf1e44d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/helm/testdata/output/list-short-json.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+["hummingbird","iguana","rocket","starlord"]
diff --git a/cmd/helm/testdata/output/list-short-yaml.txt b/cmd/helm/testdata/output/list-short-yaml.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..86fb3d670
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/helm/testdata/output/list-short-yaml.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+- hummingbird
+- iguana
+- rocket
+- starlord