--- a/libinterp/corefcn/symtab.cc
+++ b/libinterp/corefcn/symtab.cc
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 #include <config.h>
 #endif
 
+#include <sstream>
+
 #include "file-ops.h"
 #include "file-stat.h"
 #include "oct-env.h"
@@ -1418,8 +1420,12 @@
               else if (sr.is_inherited ())
                 storage = 'i';
 
+              std::ostringstream buf;
+              val.short_disp (buf);
+              std::string short_disp_str = buf.str ();
+
               workspace_element elt (storage, nm, val.class_name (),
-                                     val.short_disp (), dv.str (),
+                                     short_disp_str, dv.str (),
                                      val.is_complex_type ());
 
               retval.push_back (elt);

--- a/libinterp/octave-value/ov-base-mat.cc
+++ b/libinterp/octave-value/ov-base-mat.cc
@@ -450,13 +450,11 @@
 }
 
 template <class MT>
-std::string
-octave_base_matrix<MT>::short_disp (void) const
+void
+octave_base_matrix<MT>::short_disp (std::ostream& os) const
 {
-  std::ostringstream buf;
-
   if (matrix.is_empty ())
-    buf << "[]";
+    os << "[]";
   else if (matrix.ndims () == 2)
     {
       // FIXME: should this be configurable?
@@ -468,32 +466,34 @@
       octave_idx_type nr = matrix.rows ();
       octave_idx_type nc = matrix.columns ();
 
-      buf << "[";
+      os << "[";
 
       for (octave_idx_type i = 0; i < nr; i++)
         {
           for (octave_idx_type j = 0; j < nc; j++)
             {
-              octave_print_internal (buf, matrix(j*nr+i), true);
+              std::ostringstream buf;
+              octave_print_internal (buf, matrix(j*nr+i));
+              std::string tmp = buf.str ();
+              size_t pos = tmp.find_first_not_of (" ");
+              os << tmp.substr (pos);
 
               if (++elts >= max_elts)
                 goto done;
 
               if (j < nc - 1)
-                buf << ", ";
+                os << ", ";
             }
 
           if (i < nr - 1 && elts < max_elts)
-            buf << "; ";
+            os << "; ";
         }
 
     done:
 
       if (nel <= max_elts)
-        buf << "]";
+        os << "]";
     }
-
-  return buf.str ();
 }
 
 template <class MT>

--- a/libinterp/octave-value/ov-base-mat.h
+++ b/libinterp/octave-value/ov-base-mat.h
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@
 
   void print_info (std::ostream& os, const std::string& prefix) const;
 
-  std::string short_disp (void) const;
+  void short_disp (std::ostream& os) const;
 
   MT& matrix_ref (void)
   {

--- a/libinterp/octave-value/ov-base-scalar.cc
+++ b/libinterp/octave-value/ov-base-scalar.cc
@@ -169,12 +169,14 @@
 }
 
 template <class ST>
-std::string
-octave_base_scalar<ST>::short_disp (void) const
+void
+octave_base_scalar<ST>::short_disp (std::ostream& os) const
 {
   std::ostringstream buf;
-  octave_print_internal (buf, scalar, true);
-  return buf.str ();
+  octave_print_internal (buf, scalar);
+  std::string tmp = buf.str ();
+  size_t pos = tmp.find_first_not_of (" ");
+  os << tmp.substr (pos);
 }
 
 template <class ST>

--- a/libinterp/octave-value/ov-base-scalar.h
+++ b/libinterp/octave-value/ov-base-scalar.h
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@
 
   bool print_name_tag (std::ostream& os, const std::string& name) const;
 
-  std::string short_disp (void) const;
+  void short_disp (std::ostream& os) const;
 
   // Unsafe.  This function exists to support the MEX interface.
   // You should not use it anywhere else.

--- a/libinterp/octave-value/ov-base.h
+++ b/libinterp/octave-value/ov-base.h
@@ -618,7 +618,7 @@
   print_with_name (std::ostream& output_buf, const std::string& name,
                    bool print_padding = true);
 
-  virtual std::string short_disp (void) const { return "..."; }
+  virtual void short_disp (std::ostream& os) const { os << "..."; }
 
   virtual void print_info (std::ostream& os, const std::string& prefix) const;
 

--- a/libinterp/octave-value/ov-cell.cc
+++ b/libinterp/octave-value/ov-cell.cc
@@ -750,10 +750,10 @@
     }
 }
 
-std::string
-octave_cell::short_disp (void) const
+void
+octave_cell::short_disp (std::ostream& os) const
 {
-  return matrix.is_empty () ? "{}" : "";
+  os << matrix.is_empty () ? "{}" : "...";
 }
 
 #define CELL_ELT_TAG "<cell-element>"

--- a/libinterp/octave-value/ov-cell.h
+++ b/libinterp/octave-value/ov-cell.h
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@
 
   void print_raw (std::ostream& os, bool pr_as_read_syntax = false) const;
 
-  std::string short_disp (void) const;
+  void short_disp (std::ostream& os) const;
 
   bool save_ascii (std::ostream& os);
 

--- a/libinterp/octave-value/ov-range.cc
+++ b/libinterp/octave-value/ov-range.cc
@@ -388,29 +388,25 @@
   return retval;
 }
 
-std::string
-octave_range::short_disp (void) const
+void
+octave_range::short_disp (std::ostream& os) const
 {
-  std::ostringstream buf;
-
   octave_idx_type len = range.nelem ();
 
   if (len == 0)
-    buf << "[]";
+    os << "[]";
   else
     {
-      buf << range.base () << ":";
+      os << range.base () << ":";
 
       if (len > 1)
         {
           if (range.inc () != 1)
-            buf << range.inc () << ":";
+            os << range.inc () << ":";
 
-          buf << range.limit ();
+          os << range.limit ();
         }
     }
-
-  return buf.str ();
 }
 
 // Skip white space and comments on stream IS.

--- a/libinterp/octave-value/ov-range.h
+++ b/libinterp/octave-value/ov-range.h
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@
 
   bool print_name_tag (std::ostream& os, const std::string& name) const;
 
-  std::string short_disp (void) const;
+  void short_disp (std::ostream& os) const;
 
   bool save_ascii (std::ostream& os);
 

--- a/libinterp/octave-value/ov-str-mat.cc
+++ b/libinterp/octave-value/ov-str-mat.cc
@@ -270,25 +270,20 @@
                          current_print_indent_level (), true);
 }
 
-std::string
-octave_char_matrix_str::short_disp (void) const
+void
+octave_char_matrix_str::short_disp (std::ostream& os) const
 {
-  std::string retval;
-
   if (matrix.ndims () == 2 && numel () > 0)
     {
-      retval = string_value ();
+      std::string tmp = string_value ();
 
       // FIXME: should this be configurable?
+      size_t max_len = 100;
 
-      if (retval.length () > 100)
-        retval = retval.substr (0, 100);
+      os << (tmp.length () > max_len) ? tmp.substr (0, 100) : tmp;
     }
-
-  return retval;
 }
 
-
 bool
 octave_char_matrix_str::save_ascii (std::ostream& os)
 {

--- a/libinterp/octave-value/ov-str-mat.h
+++ b/libinterp/octave-value/ov-str-mat.h
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@
 
   void print_raw (std::ostream& os, bool pr_as_read_syntax = false) const;
 
-  std::string short_disp (void) const;
+  void short_disp (std::ostream& os) const;
 
   bool save_ascii (std::ostream& os);
 

--- a/libinterp/octave-value/ov.h
+++ b/libinterp/octave-value/ov.h
@@ -1027,7 +1027,7 @@
   void print_with_name (std::ostream& os, const std::string& name) const
   { rep->print_with_name (os, name, true); }
 
-  std::string short_disp (void) const { return rep->short_disp (); }
+  void short_disp (std::ostream& os) const { rep->short_disp (os); }
 
   int type_id (void) const { return rep->type_id (); }