diff --git a/cli/command/secret/formatter.go b/cli/command/secret/formatter.go
index 5a84d39444..101c4dddb6 100644
--- a/cli/command/secret/formatter.go
+++ b/cli/command/secret/formatter.go
@@ -29,7 +29,14 @@ Updated at:        {{.UpdatedAt}}`
 )
 
 // NewFormat returns a Format for rendering using a secret Context
+//
+// Deprecated: this function was only used internally and will be removed in the next release.
 func NewFormat(source string, quiet bool) formatter.Format {
+	return newFormat(source, quiet)
+}
+
+// newFormat returns a Format for rendering using a secretContext.
+func newFormat(source string, quiet bool) formatter.Format {
 	switch source {
 	case formatter.PrettyFormatKey:
 		return secretInspectPrettyTemplate
@@ -43,7 +50,14 @@ func NewFormat(source string, quiet bool) formatter.Format {
 }
 
 // FormatWrite writes the context
-func FormatWrite(ctx formatter.Context, secrets []swarm.Secret) error {
+//
+// Deprecated: this function was only used internally and will be removed in the next release.
+func FormatWrite(fmtCtx formatter.Context, secrets []swarm.Secret) error {
+	return formatWrite(fmtCtx, secrets)
+}
+
+// formatWrite writes the context
+func formatWrite(fmtCtx formatter.Context, secrets []swarm.Secret) error {
 	render := func(format func(subContext formatter.SubContext) error) error {
 		for _, secret := range secrets {
 			secretCtx := &secretContext{s: secret}
@@ -53,7 +67,7 @@ func FormatWrite(ctx formatter.Context, secrets []swarm.Secret) error {
 		}
 		return nil
 	}
-	return ctx.Write(newSecretContext(), render)
+	return fmtCtx.Write(newSecretContext(), render)
 }
 
 func newSecretContext() *secretContext {
@@ -122,9 +136,16 @@ func (c *secretContext) Label(name string) string {
 }
 
 // InspectFormatWrite renders the context for a list of secrets
-func InspectFormatWrite(ctx formatter.Context, refs []string, getRef inspect.GetRefFunc) error {
-	if ctx.Format != secretInspectPrettyTemplate {
-		return inspect.Inspect(ctx.Output, refs, string(ctx.Format), getRef)
+//
+// Deprecated: this function was only used internally and will be removed in the next release.
+func InspectFormatWrite(fmtCtx formatter.Context, refs []string, getRef inspect.GetRefFunc) error {
+	return inspectFormatWrite(fmtCtx, refs, getRef)
+}
+
+// inspectFormatWrite renders the context for a list of secrets.
+func inspectFormatWrite(fmtCtx formatter.Context, refs []string, getRef inspect.GetRefFunc) error {
+	if fmtCtx.Format != secretInspectPrettyTemplate {
+		return inspect.Inspect(fmtCtx.Output, refs, string(fmtCtx.Format), getRef)
 	}
 	render := func(format func(subContext formatter.SubContext) error) error {
 		for _, ref := range refs {
@@ -142,7 +163,7 @@ func InspectFormatWrite(ctx formatter.Context, refs []string, getRef inspect.Get
 		}
 		return nil
 	}
-	return ctx.Write(&secretInspectContext{}, render)
+	return fmtCtx.Write(&secretInspectContext{}, render)
 }
 
 type secretInspectContext struct {
diff --git a/cli/command/secret/formatter_test.go b/cli/command/secret/formatter_test.go
index 76dc11e026..72473ecd67 100644
--- a/cli/command/secret/formatter_test.go
+++ b/cli/command/secret/formatter_test.go
@@ -27,21 +27,21 @@ func TestSecretContextFormatWrite(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		// Table format
 		{
-			formatter.Context{Format: NewFormat("table", false)},
+			formatter.Context{Format: newFormat("table", false)},
 			`ID        NAME        DRIVER    CREATED                  UPDATED
 1         passwords             Less than a second ago   Less than a second ago
 2         id_rsa                Less than a second ago   Less than a second ago
 `,
 		},
 		{
-			formatter.Context{Format: NewFormat("table {{.Name}}", true)},
+			formatter.Context{Format: newFormat("table {{.Name}}", true)},
 			`NAME
 passwords
 id_rsa
 `,
 		},
 		{
-			formatter.Context{Format: NewFormat("{{.ID}}-{{.Name}}", false)},
+			formatter.Context{Format: newFormat("{{.ID}}-{{.Name}}", false)},
 			`1-passwords
 2-id_rsa
 `,
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ id_rsa
 			var out bytes.Buffer
 			tc.context.Output = &out
 
-			if err := FormatWrite(tc.context, secrets); err != nil {
+			if err := formatWrite(tc.context, secrets); err != nil {
 				assert.Error(t, err, tc.expected)
 			} else {
 				assert.Equal(t, out.String(), tc.expected)
diff --git a/cli/command/secret/inspect.go b/cli/command/secret/inspect.go
index 22fed4b6e7..7712e4be13 100644
--- a/cli/command/secret/inspect.go
+++ b/cli/command/secret/inspect.go
@@ -61,10 +61,10 @@ func runSecretInspect(ctx context.Context, dockerCli command.Cli, opts inspectOp
 
 	secretCtx := formatter.Context{
 		Output: dockerCli.Out(),
-		Format: NewFormat(f, false),
+		Format: newFormat(f, false),
 	}
 
-	if err := InspectFormatWrite(secretCtx, opts.names, getRef); err != nil {
+	if err := inspectFormatWrite(secretCtx, opts.names, getRef); err != nil {
 		return cli.StatusError{StatusCode: 1, Status: err.Error()}
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/cli/command/secret/ls.go b/cli/command/secret/ls.go
index c841ddfb29..e56acc4975 100644
--- a/cli/command/secret/ls.go
+++ b/cli/command/secret/ls.go
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ func runSecretList(ctx context.Context, dockerCli command.Cli, options listOptio
 
 	secretCtx := formatter.Context{
 		Output: dockerCli.Out(),
-		Format: NewFormat(format, options.quiet),
+		Format: newFormat(format, options.quiet),
 	}
-	return FormatWrite(secretCtx, secrets)
+	return formatWrite(secretCtx, secrets)
 }