diff --git a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
index 811dc93124e..7c2e00de8de 100644
--- a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
+++ b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
@@ -1200,6 +1200,9 @@ CmdLineParser::Result CmdLineParser::parseFromArgs(int argc, const char* const a
                     mSettings.templateFormat = "{file}:{line}:{column}: {severity}:{inconclusive:inconclusive:} {message} [{id}]\\n{code}";
                     mSettings.templateLocation = "{file}:{line}:{column}: note: {info}\\n{code}";
                     mSettings.daca = true;
+                } else if (mSettings.templateFormat == "simple") {
+                    mSettings.templateFormat = "{file}:{line}:{column}: {severity}:{inconclusive:inconclusive:} {message} [{id}]";
+                    mSettings.templateLocation = "";
                 }
                 // TODO: bail out when no placeholders are found?
             }
diff --git a/releasenotes.txt b/releasenotes.txt
index d6dd912498e..39882ba5f03 100644
--- a/releasenotes.txt
+++ b/releasenotes.txt
@@ -20,3 +20,4 @@ Other:
 - The minimum required compiler versions have been bumped to GCC 5.1 / Clang 3.5 / Visual Studio 2015
 - The minimum required CMake version has been bumped to 3.5
 - Using Visual Studio with CMake now checks if the CMake version is at least 3.13. This was always required but was not checked explicitly.
+- Added '--template=simple'. It is expands to '{file}:{line}:{column}: {severity}:{inconclusive:inconclusive:} {message} [{id}]' without any additional location details.
diff --git a/test/cli/helloworld_test.py b/test/cli/helloworld_test.py
index 97632114a3a..cc68d0bad8c 100644
--- a/test/cli/helloworld_test.py
+++ b/test/cli/helloworld_test.py
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ def test_checkers_report():
 
 
 def __test_missing_include_system(use_j):
-    args = ['--enable=missingInclude', '--suppress=zerodiv', '--template={file}:{line}:{column}: {severity}:{inconclusive:inconclusive:} {message} [{id}]', 'helloworld']
+    args = ['--enable=missingInclude', '--suppress=zerodiv', '--template=simple', 'helloworld']
     if use_j:
         args.insert(0, '-j2')
 
diff --git a/test/cli/other_test.py b/test/cli/other_test.py
index dc8c0e818fe..52fe1371e0d 100644
--- a/test/cli/other_test.py
+++ b/test/cli/other_test.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ def __test_missing_include(tmpdir, use_j):
                 #include "test.h"
                 """)
 
-    args = ['--enable=missingInclude', '--template={file}:{line}:{column}: {severity}:{inconclusive:inconclusive:} {message} [{id}]', test_file]
+    args = ['--enable=missingInclude', '--template=simple', test_file]
     if use_j:
         args.insert(0, '-j2')
 
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ def test_addon_y2038(tmpdir):
 }
         """)
 
-    args = ['--addon=y2038', '--enable=all', '--template={file}:{line}:{column}: {severity}:{inconclusive:inconclusive:} {message} [{id}]', test_file]
+    args = ['--addon=y2038', '--enable=all', '--template=simple', test_file]
 
     exitcode, stdout, stderr = cppcheck(args)
     assert exitcode == 0
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ def test_addon_threadsafety(tmpdir):
 }
         """)
 
-    args = ['--addon=threadsafety', '--enable=all', '--template={file}:{line}:{column}: {severity}:{inconclusive:inconclusive:} {message} [{id}]', test_file]
+    args = ['--addon=threadsafety', '--enable=all', '--template=simple', test_file]
 
     exitcode, stdout, stderr = cppcheck(args)
     assert exitcode == 0
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ def test_addon_naming(tmpdir):
 int Var;
         """)
 
-    args = ['--addon={}'.format(addon_file), '--enable=all', '--template={file}:{line}:{column}: {severity}:{inconclusive:inconclusive:} {message} [{id}]', test_file]
+    args = ['--addon={}'.format(addon_file), '--enable=all', '--template=simple', test_file]
 
     exitcode, stdout, stderr = cppcheck(args)
     assert exitcode == 0
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ def test_addon_findcasts(tmpdir):
         }
         """)
 
-    args = ['--addon=findcasts', '--enable=all', '--template={file}:{line}:{column}: {severity}:{inconclusive:inconclusive:} {message} [{id}]', test_file]
+    args = ['--addon=findcasts', '--enable=all', '--template=simple', test_file]
 
     exitcode, stdout, stderr = cppcheck(args)
     assert exitcode == 0
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ def test_addon_misc(tmpdir):
 }
         """)
 
-    args = ['--addon=misc', '--enable=all', '--template={file}:{line}:{column}: {severity}:{inconclusive:inconclusive:} {message} [{id}]', test_file]
+    args = ['--addon=misc', '--enable=all', '--template=simple', test_file]
 
     exitcode, stdout, stderr = cppcheck(args)
     assert exitcode == 0
@@ -757,7 +757,7 @@ class A {
                 };
                 """)
 
-    args = ['--enable=unusedFunction', '--inline-suppr', '--template={file}:{line}:{column}: {severity}:{inconclusive:inconclusive:} {message} [{id}]', test_cpp_file]
+    args = ['--enable=unusedFunction', '--inline-suppr', '--template=simple', test_cpp_file]
 
     _, _, stderr = cppcheck(args)
     assert stderr == "{}:4:0: style: The function 'f' is never used. [unusedFunction]\n".format(test_h_file)
diff --git a/test/fixture.cpp b/test/fixture.cpp
index fd8ac2ffafe..6318dc151b3 100644
--- a/test/fixture.cpp
+++ b/test/fixture.cpp
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ void TestFixture::setTemplateFormat(const std::string &templateFormat)
         mTemplateFormat = "{file}:{line}:{severity}:{message}";
         mTemplateLocation = "{file}:{line}:note:{info}";
     }
-    else if (templateFormat == "simple") {
+    else if (templateFormat == "simple") { // TODO: use the existing one in CmdLineParser
         mTemplateFormat = "{file}:{line}:{column}: {severity}:{inconclusive:inconclusive:} {message} [{id}]";
         mTemplateLocation = "";
     }
diff --git a/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp b/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
index 617b1a6d01a..99dd0c6fa97 100644
--- a/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
+++ b/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
@@ -253,6 +253,7 @@ class TestCmdlineParser : public TestFixture {
         TEST_CASE(templatesCppcheck1);
         TEST_CASE(templatesDaca2);
         TEST_CASE(templatesSelfcheck);
+        TEST_CASE(templatesSimple);
         TEST_CASE(templatesNoPlaceholder);
         TEST_CASE(templateFormatInvalid);
         TEST_CASE(templateFormatEmpty);
@@ -1553,6 +1554,16 @@ class TestCmdlineParser : public TestFixture {
         ASSERT_EQUALS("{file}:{line}:{column}: note: {info}\n{code}", settings->templateLocation);
     }
 
+    void templatesSimple() {
+        REDIRECT;
+        const char * const argv[] = {"cppcheck", "--template=simple", "file.cpp"};
+        settings->templateFormat.clear();
+        settings->templateLocation.clear();
+        ASSERT_EQUALS(CmdLineParser::Result::Success, parser->parseFromArgs(3, argv));
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("{file}:{line}:{column}: {severity}:{inconclusive:inconclusive:} {message} [{id}]", settings->templateFormat);
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("", settings->templateLocation);
+    }
+
     // TODO: we should bail out on this
     void templatesNoPlaceholder() {
         REDIRECT;