diff --git a/column.c b/column.c
index 8d1ce88d14..1a468debb4 100644
--- a/column.c
+++ b/column.c
@@ -370,46 +370,29 @@ static struct child_process column_process;
 
 int run_column_filter(int colopts, const struct column_options *opts)
 {
-	const char *av[10];
-	int ret, ac = 0;
-	struct strbuf sb_colopt  = STRBUF_INIT;
-	struct strbuf sb_width   = STRBUF_INIT;
-	struct strbuf sb_padding = STRBUF_INIT;
+	struct argv_array *argv;
 
 	if (fd_out != -1)
 		return -1;
 
-	av[ac++] = "column";
-	strbuf_addf(&sb_colopt, "--raw-mode=%d", colopts);
-	av[ac++] = sb_colopt.buf;
-	if (opts && opts->width) {
-		strbuf_addf(&sb_width, "--width=%d", opts->width);
-		av[ac++] = sb_width.buf;
-	}
-	if (opts && opts->indent) {
-		av[ac++] = "--indent";
-		av[ac++] = opts->indent;
-	}
-	if (opts && opts->padding) {
-		strbuf_addf(&sb_padding, "--padding=%d", opts->padding);
-		av[ac++] = sb_padding.buf;
-	}
-	av[ac] = NULL;
+	memset(&column_process, 0, sizeof(column_process));
+	argv = &column_process.args;
+
+	argv_array_push(argv, "column");
+	argv_array_pushf(argv, "--raw-mode=%d", colopts);
+	if (opts && opts->width)
+		argv_array_pushf(argv, "--width=%d", opts->width);
+	if (opts && opts->indent)
+		argv_array_pushf(argv, "--indent=%s", opts->indent);
+	if (opts && opts->padding)
+		argv_array_pushf(argv, "--padding=%d", opts->padding);
 
 	fflush(stdout);
-	memset(&column_process, 0, sizeof(column_process));
 	column_process.in = -1;
 	column_process.out = dup(1);
 	column_process.git_cmd = 1;
-	column_process.argv = av;
 
-	ret = start_command(&column_process);
-
-	strbuf_release(&sb_colopt);
-	strbuf_release(&sb_width);
-	strbuf_release(&sb_padding);
-
-	if (ret)
+	if (start_command(&column_process))
 		return -2;
 
 	fd_out = dup(1);