diff --git a/application/controllers/HostsController.php b/application/controllers/HostsController.php
index 87d98666..1ad7e9bc 100644
--- a/application/controllers/HostsController.php
+++ b/application/controllers/HostsController.php
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ class HostsController extends Controller
             $limitControl,
             viewModeSwitcherClass: TabularViewModeSwitcher::class
         );
-        $columns = $this->createColumnControl($hosts, $viewModeSwitcher);
+        $columns = $this->createColumnControl($hosts, $viewModeSwitcher, ['host.name', 'host.state.output']);
 
         $searchBar = $this->createSearchBar($hosts, [
             $limitControl->getLimitParam(),
@@ -296,9 +296,4 @@ class HostsController extends Controller
 
         return new FeatureStatus('host', $summary->first());
     }
-
-    protected function getDefaultColumns(): string
-    {
-        return 'host.name, host.state.output';
-    }
 }
diff --git a/application/controllers/ServicesController.php b/application/controllers/ServicesController.php
index 84873c70..6de66c46 100644
--- a/application/controllers/ServicesController.php
+++ b/application/controllers/ServicesController.php
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ class ServicesController extends Controller
             $limitControl,
             viewModeSwitcherClass: TabularViewModeSwitcher::class
         );
-        $columns = $this->createColumnControl($services, $viewModeSwitcher);
+        $columns = $this->createColumnControl($services, $viewModeSwitcher, ['service.name', 'service.state.output']);
 
         $searchBar = $this->createSearchBar($services, [
             $limitControl->getLimitParam(),
@@ -494,9 +494,4 @@ class ServicesController extends Controller
 
         return $problemToggle;
     }
-
-    protected function getDefaultColumns(): string
-    {
-        return 'service.name, service.state.output';
-    }
 }
diff --git a/library/Icingadb/Web/Controller.php b/library/Icingadb/Web/Controller.php
index 9284cd9d..82dbdbfb 100644
--- a/library/Icingadb/Web/Controller.php
+++ b/library/Icingadb/Web/Controller.php
@@ -79,26 +79,27 @@ class Controller extends CompatController
      *
      * @param Query $query
      * @param ViewModeSwitcher $viewModeSwitcher
+     * @param array $defaultColumns
      *
      * @return array provided columns
      */
-    public function createColumnControl(Query $query, ViewModeSwitcher $viewModeSwitcher): array
+    public function createColumnControl(Query $query, ViewModeSwitcher $viewModeSwitcher, array $defaultColumns): array
     {
         // All of that is essentially what `ColumnControl::apply()` should do
         $viewMode = $viewModeSwitcher->getViewMode();
         $columnsDef = $this->params->shift('columns');
         if (! $columnsDef) {
             if ($viewMode === 'tabular') {
-                $columnsDef = $this->getDefaultColumns();
+                $columns = $defaultColumns;
             } else {
                 return [];
             }
-        }
-
-        $columns = [];
-        foreach (explode(',', $columnsDef) as $column) {
-            if ($column = trim($column)) {
-                $columns[] = $column;
+        } else {
+            $columns = [];
+            foreach (explode(',', $columnsDef) as $column) {
+                if ($column = trim($column)) {
+                    $columns[] = $column;
+                }
             }
         }
 
@@ -497,9 +498,4 @@ class Controller extends CompatController
             ->getPlugin('Zend_Controller_Plugin_ErrorHandler')
             ->setErrorHandlerModule('icingadb');
     }
-
-    protected function getDefaultColumns(): string
-    {
-        return 'name, state.output';
-    }
 }