diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index e910e8e88..ad34e0e20 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ New commands in taskwarrior 2.2.0
 New configuration options in taskwarrior 2.2.0
 
   - New color rule 'color.uda.<uda-name>'.
-  - Added the configuration variable 'print.empty.columns'.
+  - Added the configuration variable 'print.empty.columns', which defaults to
+    'no'.  This allows more efficient use of horizontal space.
   - Any ~ characters in a default .taskrc file are preserved.
 
 Newly deprecated features in taskwarrior 2.2.0
diff --git a/src/Duration.cpp b/src/Duration.cpp
index db0cd07c5..45768e5e4 100644
--- a/src/Duration.cpp
+++ b/src/Duration.cpp
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ std::string Duration::formatCompact () const
   else if (_secs >= 3600)        sprintf (formatted, "%s%dh",   (_negative ? "-" : ""), (int) (_secs / 3600));
   else if (_secs >= 60)          sprintf (formatted, "%s%dm",   (_negative ? "-" : ""), (int) (_secs / 60));
   else if (_secs >= 1)           sprintf (formatted, "%s%ds",   (_negative ? "-" : ""), (int) _secs);
-  else                           strcpy (formatted, "-");
+  else                           formatted[0] = '\0';
 
   return std::string (formatted);
 }
diff --git a/test/bug.annual.t b/test/bug.annual.t
index d57c16cb1..40e127d65 100755
--- a/test/bug.annual.t
+++ b/test/bug.annual.t
@@ -41,32 +41,32 @@ if (open my $fh, '>', 'annual.rc')
 # If a task is added with a due date ten years ago, with an annual recurrence,
 # then the synthetic tasks in between then and now have a due date that creeps.
 #
-# ID Project Pri Due        Active Age Description
-# -- ------- --- ---------- ------ --- -----------
-#  2               1/1/2000          - foo
-#  3             12/31/2000          - foo
-#  4             12/31/2001          - foo
-#  5             12/31/2002          - foo
-#  6             12/31/2003          - foo
-#  7             12/30/2004          - foo
-#  8             12/30/2005          - foo
-#  9             12/30/2006          - foo
-# 10             12/30/2007          - foo
-# 11             13/29/2008          - foo
-# 12             12/29/2009          - foo
+# ID Project Pri Due        Active Description
+# -- ------- --- ---------- ------ -----------
+#  2               1/1/2000        foo
+#  3             12/31/2000        foo
+#  4             12/31/2001        foo
+#  5             12/31/2002        foo
+#  6             12/31/2003        foo
+#  7             12/30/2004        foo
+#  8             12/30/2005        foo
+#  9             12/30/2006        foo
+# 10             12/30/2007        foo
+# 11             13/29/2008        foo
+# 12             12/29/2009        foo
 
 qx{../src/task rc:annual.rc add foo due:1/1/2000 recur:annual until:1/1/2009 2>&1};
 my $output = qx{../src/task rc:annual.rc list 2>&1};
-like ($output, qr/2\s+1\/1\/2000\s+(?:-|\d+\ssecs?)\s+foo/,  'synthetic 2 no creep');
-like ($output, qr/3\s+1\/1\/2001\s+(?:-|\d+\ssecs?)\s+foo/,  'synthetic 3 no creep');
-like ($output, qr/4\s+1\/1\/2002\s+(?:-|\d+\ssecs?)\s+foo/,  'synthetic 4 no creep');
-like ($output, qr/5\s+1\/1\/2003\s+(?:-|\d+\ssecs?)\s+foo/,  'synthetic 5 no creep');
-like ($output, qr/6\s+1\/1\/2004\s+(?:-|\d+\ssecs?)\s+foo/,  'synthetic 6 no creep');
-like ($output, qr/7\s+1\/1\/2005\s+(?:-|\d+\ssecs?)\s+foo/,  'synthetic 7 no creep');
-like ($output, qr/8\s+1\/1\/2006\s+(?:-|\d+\ssecs?)\s+foo/,  'synthetic 8 no creep');
-like ($output, qr/9\s+1\/1\/2007\s+(?:-|\d+\ssecs?)\s+foo/,  'synthetic 9 no creep');
-like ($output, qr/10\s+1\/1\/2008\s+(?:-|\d+\ssecs?)\s+foo/, 'synthetic 10 no creep');
-like ($output, qr/11\s+1\/1\/2009\s+(?:-|\d+\ssecs?)\s+foo/, 'synthetic 11 no creep');
+like ($output, qr/2\s+1\/1\/2000\s+(?:\d+\ssecs?\s+)?foo/,  'synthetic 2 no creep');
+like ($output, qr/3\s+1\/1\/2001\s+(?:\d+\ssecs?\s+)?foo/,  'synthetic 3 no creep');
+like ($output, qr/4\s+1\/1\/2002\s+(?:\d+\ssecs?\s+)?foo/,  'synthetic 4 no creep');
+like ($output, qr/5\s+1\/1\/2003\s+(?:\d+\ssecs?\s+)?foo/,  'synthetic 5 no creep');
+like ($output, qr/6\s+1\/1\/2004\s+(?:\d+\ssecs?\s+)?foo/,  'synthetic 6 no creep');
+like ($output, qr/7\s+1\/1\/2005\s+(?:\d+\ssecs?\s+)?foo/,  'synthetic 7 no creep');
+like ($output, qr/8\s+1\/1\/2006\s+(?:\d+\ssecs?\s+)?foo/,  'synthetic 8 no creep');
+like ($output, qr/9\s+1\/1\/2007\s+(?:\d+\ssecs?\s+)?foo/,  'synthetic 9 no creep');
+like ($output, qr/10\s+1\/1\/2008\s+(?:\d+\ssecs?\s+)?foo/, 'synthetic 10 no creep');
+like ($output, qr/11\s+1\/1\/2009\s+(?:\d+\ssecs?\s+)?foo/, 'synthetic 11 no creep');
 
 $output = qx{../src/task rc:annual.rc diag 2>&1};
 like ($output, qr/No duplicates found/, 'No duplicate UUIDs detected');
diff --git a/test/duration.t.cpp b/test/duration.t.cpp
index ab1649916..a0839f7b8 100644
--- a/test/duration.t.cpp
+++ b/test/duration.t.cpp
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ int main (int argc, char** argv)
   d = Duration (365 * 86400 + 1); t.is (d.format (), "1.0 yrs", "365 days + 1 sec -> 1.0 yrs");
 
   // std::string formatCompact ();
-  d = Duration (0),               t.is (d.formatCompact (), "-",    "0 -> -");
+  d = Duration (0),               t.is (d.formatCompact (), "",     "0 ->");
   d = Duration (1),               t.is (d.formatCompact (), "1s",   "1 -> 1s");
   d = Duration (2),               t.is (d.formatCompact (), "2s",   "2 -> 2s");
   d = Duration (59),              t.is (d.formatCompact (), "59s",  "59 -> 59s");