diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/api/common/APIFramework.java b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/api/common/APIFramework.java
index ca96a96..d57be82 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/api/common/APIFramework.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/api/common/APIFramework.java
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@
 import org.apache.hyracks.api.client.IHyracksClientConnection;
 import org.apache.hyracks.api.client.NodeControllerInfo;
 import org.apache.hyracks.api.config.IOptionType;
+import org.apache.hyracks.api.exceptions.HyracksDataException;
 import org.apache.hyracks.api.exceptions.HyracksException;
 import org.apache.hyracks.api.exceptions.SourceLocation;
 import org.apache.hyracks.api.job.JobId;
@@ -199,6 +200,7 @@
         final boolean isLoad = statement != null && statement.getKind() == Statement.Kind.LOAD;
         final SourceLocation sourceLoc =
                 query != null ? query.getSourceLocation() : statement != null ? statement.getSourceLocation() : null;
+        final boolean isExplainOnly = isQuery && query.isExplain();
 
         SessionConfig conf = output.config();
         if (isQuery && !conf.is(SessionConfig.FORMAT_ONLY_PHYSICAL_OPS)
@@ -245,7 +247,7 @@
         ICompiler compiler = compilerFactory.createCompiler(plan, metadataProvider, t.getVarCounter());
         if (conf.isOptimize()) {
             compiler.optimize();
-            if (conf.is(SessionConfig.OOB_OPTIMIZED_LOGICAL_PLAN)) {
+            if (conf.is(SessionConfig.OOB_OPTIMIZED_LOGICAL_PLAN) || isExplainOnly) {
                 if (conf.is(SessionConfig.FORMAT_ONLY_PHYSICAL_OPS)) {
                     // For Optimizer tests.
                     AlgebricksAppendable buffer = new AlgebricksAppendable(output.out());
@@ -257,16 +259,12 @@
                 }
             }
         }
-        if (isQuery && query.isExplain()) {
-            try {
-                LogicalOperatorPrettyPrintVisitor pvisitor = new LogicalOperatorPrettyPrintVisitor();
-                PlanPrettyPrinter.printPlan(plan, pvisitor, 0);
-                ResultUtil.printResults(metadataProvider.getApplicationContext(), pvisitor.get().toString(), output,
-                        new Stats(), null);
-                return null;
-            } catch (IOException e) {
-                throw new AlgebricksException(e);
+        if (isExplainOnly) {
+            printPlanAsResult(metadataProvider, output);
+            if (!conf.is(SessionConfig.OOB_OPTIMIZED_LOGICAL_PLAN)) {
+                executionPlans.setOptimizedLogicalPlan(null);
             }
+            return null;
         }
 
         if (!conf.isGenerateJobSpec()) {
@@ -308,6 +306,18 @@
         return spec;
     }
 
+    private void printPlanAsResult(MetadataProvider metadataProvider, SessionOutput output) throws AlgebricksException {
+        final SessionConfig conf = output.config();
+        boolean quoteResult = output.config().getPlanFormat() == SessionConfig.PlanFormat.STRING;
+        conf.set(SessionConfig.FORMAT_QUOTE_RECORD, quoteResult);
+        try {
+            ResultUtil.printResults(metadataProvider.getApplicationContext(), executionPlans.getOptimizedLogicalPlan(),
+                    output, new Stats(), null);
+        } catch (HyracksDataException e) {
+            throw new AlgebricksException(e);
+        }
+    }
+
     protected PhysicalOptimizationConfig getPhysicalOptimizationConfig(CompilerProperties compilerProperties,
             Map<String, Object> querySpecificConfig, SourceLocation sourceLoc) throws AlgebricksException {
         int frameSize = compilerProperties.getFrameSize();
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/app/result/ResultPrinter.java b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/app/result/ResultPrinter.java
index a6d2da9..2602917 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/app/result/ResultPrinter.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/app/result/ResultPrinter.java
@@ -192,8 +192,6 @@
 
     public void print(String record) throws HyracksDataException {
         printPrefix();
-        // TODO(tillw) evil hack
-        quoteRecord = true;
         displayRecord(record);
         printPostfix();
     }
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/java/org/apache/asterix/test/common/TestExecutor.java b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/java/org/apache/asterix/test/common/TestExecutor.java
index 5aff17f..73b3e70 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/java/org/apache/asterix/test/common/TestExecutor.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/java/org/apache/asterix/test/common/TestExecutor.java
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@
     protected static final Logger LOGGER = LogManager.getLogger();
     private static final String AQL = "aql";
     private static final String SQLPP = "sqlpp";
+    private static final String DEFAULT_PLAN_FORMAT = "string";
     // see
     // https://stackoverflow.com/questions/417142/what-is-the-maximum-length-of-a-url-in-different-browsers/417184
     private static final long MAX_URL_LENGTH = 2000l;
@@ -585,6 +586,8 @@
     public InputStream executeQueryService(String str, OutputFormat fmt, URI uri, List<Parameter> params,
             boolean jsonEncoded, Predicate<Integer> responseCodeValidator, boolean cancellable) throws Exception {
         List<Parameter> newParams = upsertParam(params, "format", ParameterTypeEnum.STRING, fmt.mimeType());
+        newParams = upsertParam(newParams, QueryServiceServlet.Parameter.PLAN_FORMAT.str(), ParameterTypeEnum.STRING,
+                DEFAULT_PLAN_FORMAT);
         final Optional<String> maxReadsOptional = extractMaxResultReads(str);
         if (maxReadsOptional.isPresent()) {
             newParams = upsertParam(newParams, QueryServiceServlet.Parameter.MAX_RESULT_READS.str(),