diff --git a/docs/debugging/xl-meta/main.go b/docs/debugging/xl-meta/main.go
index 70f137e39..39daed482 100644
--- a/docs/debugging/xl-meta/main.go
+++ b/docs/debugging/xl-meta/main.go
@@ -67,8 +67,9 @@ FLAGS:
 
 	app.Flags = []cli.Flag{
 		cli.BoolFlag{
-			Usage: "print each file as a separate line without formatting",
-			Name:  "ndjson",
+			Usage:  "print each file as a separate line without formatting",
+			Name:   "ndjson",
+			Hidden: true,
 		},
 		cli.BoolFlag{
 			Usage: "display inline data keys and sizes",
@@ -286,13 +287,11 @@ FLAGS:
 		if len(files) == 0 {
 			return fmt.Errorf("no files found")
 		}
-		multiple := len(files) > 1 || strings.HasSuffix(files[0], ".zip")
-		if multiple {
+		if len(files) > 1 || strings.HasSuffix(files[0], ".zip") {
 			ndjson = true
-			fmt.Println("{")
 		}
 
-		hasWritten := false
+		toPrint := make([]string, 0, 16)
 		for _, file := range files {
 			var r io.Reader
 			var sz int64
@@ -323,42 +322,42 @@ FLAGS:
 						}
 						// Quote string...
 						b, _ := json.Marshal(file.Name)
-						if hasWritten {
-							fmt.Print(",\n")
-						}
-						fmt.Printf("\t%s: ", string(b))
-
-						b, err = decode(r, file.Name)
+						b2, err := decode(r, file.Name)
 						if err != nil {
 							return err
 						}
-						fmt.Print(string(b))
-						hasWritten = true
+						var tmp map[string]interface{}
+						if err := json.Unmarshal(b2, &tmp); err == nil {
+							if b3, err := json.Marshal(tmp); err == nil {
+								b2 = b3
+							}
+						}
+						toPrint = append(toPrint, fmt.Sprintf("\t%s: %s", string(b), string(b2)))
 					}
 				}
 			} else {
-				if multiple {
-					// Quote string...
+				b0 := ""
+				if ndjson {
 					b, _ := json.Marshal(file)
-					if hasWritten {
-						fmt.Print(",\n")
-					}
-					fmt.Printf("\t%s: ", string(b))
+					b0 = fmt.Sprintf("%s: ", string(b))
 				}
-
 				b, err := decode(r, file)
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
+				b = bytes.TrimSpace(b)
+				if !ndjson {
+					b = bytes.TrimFunc(b, func(r rune) bool {
+						return r == '{' || r == '}' || r == '\n' || r == '\r'
+					})
+				}
 
-				hasWritten = true
-				fmt.Print(string(b))
+				toPrint = append(toPrint, fmt.Sprintf("%s%s", b0, string(b)))
 			}
 		}
-		fmt.Println("")
-		if multiple {
-			fmt.Println("}")
-		}
+		sort.Strings(toPrint)
+		fmt.Printf("{\n%s\n}\n", strings.Join(toPrint, ",\n"))
+
 		if len(combineFiles) > 0 {
 			for k, v := range combineFiles {
 				if err := combine(v, k); err != nil {