diff --git a/scripts/common.py b/scripts/common.py
index 1518f387..41df23f8 100644
--- a/scripts/common.py
+++ b/scripts/common.py
@@ -2501,7 +2501,10 @@ def list_emulator_profiles(emulators_dir: str, skip_aliases: bool = True) -> Non
         ptype = p.get("type", "libretro")
         systems = ", ".join(p.get("systems", [])[:3])
         more = "..." if len(p.get("systems", [])) > 3 else ""
-        print(f"  {name:30s} {display:40s} [{ptype}] {systems}{more}")
+        # The type is padded to its longest value, so the systems start in
+        # one column whatever the type reads.
+        kind = f"[{ptype}]"
+        print(f"  {name:30s} {display:40s} {kind:24s}{systems}{more}".rstrip())
 
 
 def system_index(profiles: dict) -> dict[str, tuple[str, set[str]]]:
@@ -2537,9 +2540,8 @@ def list_platform_system_ids(platform_name: str, platforms_dir: str) -> None:
         file_count = len(systems[sys_id].get("files", []))
         mfr = systems[sys_id].get("manufacturer", "")
         mfr_display = f"  [{mfr.split('|')[0]}]" if mfr else ""
-        print(
-            f"  {sys_id:35s} ({file_count} file{'s' if file_count != 1 else ''}){mfr_display}"
-        )
+        count = f"({file_count} file{'s' if file_count != 1 else ''})"
+        print(f"  {sys_id:35s} {count:12s}{mfr_display}".rstrip())
 
 
 def build_target_cores_cache(
diff --git a/tests/test_system_selection.py b/tests/test_system_selection.py
index 889bec18..5c09325b 100644
--- a/tests/test_system_selection.py
+++ b/tests/test_system_selection.py
@@ -423,5 +423,27 @@ class ASystemPackHoldsThatSystem(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(report["total_files"], 2)
 
 
+class ListingsKeepTheirColumns(unittest.TestCase):
+    """--list-systems and --list-emulators started their last column at a
+    position that moved with the file count and the profile type."""
+
+    def test_the_last_column_starts_in_one_place(self):
+        listing = subprocess.run(
+            [sys.executable, "scripts/generate_pack.py", "--platform", "retroarch",
+             "--list-systems"], cwd=REPO_ROOT, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=300,
+        ).stdout.splitlines()
+        starts = {line.index("[") for line in listing if "[" in line}
+        self.assertEqual(len(starts), 1, listing[:5])
+        emulators = subprocess.run(
+            [sys.executable, "scripts/verify.py", "--list-emulators"],
+            cwd=REPO_ROOT, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=300,
+        ).stdout.splitlines()
+        ends = {line.index("]") + 1 for line in emulators if "]" in line}
+        tails = {len(line) - len(line[line.index("]") + 1:].lstrip())
+                 for line in emulators if "]" in line and line[line.index("]") + 1:].strip()}
+        self.assertEqual(len(tails), 1, sorted(ends))
+        self.assertFalse([line for line in listing + emulators if line != line.rstrip()])
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()