diff --git a/cli.js b/cli.js
index 3db54e1..487ece6 100644
--- a/cli.js
+++ b/cli.js
@@ -32,10 +32,13 @@ if (argv.help) {
   const cwd = process.cwd()
   const glob = argv._.length ? argv._ : ['*.md']
   const pkg = getNearestPackage(cwd) || {}
-  const packageOpts = pkg.hallmark || {}
+  const packageOpts = Object.assign({}, pkg.hallmark)
   const repo = pkg.repository ? pkg.repository.url || pkg.repository : ''
   const ignore = [].concat(packageOpts.ignore || []).concat(argv.ignore || [])
 
+  packageOpts.validateLinks = packageOpts.validateLinks !== false
+  packageOpts.paddedTable = packageOpts.paddedTable !== false
+
   deglob(glob, { usePackageJson: false, cwd, ignore }, function (err, files) {
     if (err) throw err
     if (files.length === 0) process.exit()
diff --git a/lint.js b/lint.js
index e254fc6..d28d2e8 100644
--- a/lint.js
+++ b/lint.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-module.exports = function (fix, cwd, validateLinks, repository) {
+module.exports = function (fix, cwd, packageOpts, repository) {
   const preset = {
     plugins: [
       require('remark-lint'),
@@ -30,7 +30,10 @@ module.exports = function (fix, cwd, validateLinks, repository) {
       require('remark-lint-no-heading-content-indent'),
       require('remark-lint-hard-break-spaces'),
       [require('remark-lint-code-block-style'), 'fenced'],
-      [require('remark-lint-table-cell-padding'), 'padded'],
+
+      // TODO: support fixed-width columns (https://github.com/remarkjs/remark-lint/issues/217)
+      packageOpts.paddedTable ? [require('remark-lint-table-cell-padding'), 'padded'] : null,
+
       require('remark-lint-table-pipes'),
       [require('remark-lint-checkbox-character-style'), {
         checked: 'x', unchecked: ' '
@@ -42,7 +45,7 @@ module.exports = function (fix, cwd, validateLinks, repository) {
   // Temporarily allow skipping link validation, because remark does not parse
   // HTML anchors - as used in various Level readme's. Those readme's should be
   // updated to use markdown only.
-  if (validateLinks) {
+  if (packageOpts.validateLinks) {
     preset.plugins.push([require('remark-validate-links'), {
       // If we don't pass this, remark-validate-links tries to get the repo url
       // from `git remote -v` which is not desirable for forks.
@@ -50,5 +53,6 @@ module.exports = function (fix, cwd, validateLinks, repository) {
     }])
   }
 
+  preset.plugins = preset.plugins.filter(Boolean)
   return preset
 }
diff --git a/options.js b/options.js
index 323386c..8bab330 100644
--- a/options.js
+++ b/options.js
@@ -42,12 +42,18 @@ module.exports = function (argv, packageOpts, files, cwd, repository) {
         test: /^table of contents$/i,
         summary: 'Click to expand'
       }],
-      require('./lint')(fix, cwd, packageOpts.validateLinks !== false, repository)
+      require('./lint')(fix, cwd, packageOpts, repository)
     ].filter(Boolean),
     settings: {
       // One style for code blocks, whether they have a language or not.
       fences: true,
-      listItemIndent: '1'
+      listItemIndent: '1',
+
+      // Allow disabling padding because on big tables it creates noise.
+      paddedTable: packageOpts.paddedTable,
+
+      // In addition, use fixed width columns.
+      stringLength: packageOpts.paddedTable ? (s) => String(s).length : () => 3
     },
     pluginPrefix: 'remark',
     // "Whether to write successfully processed files"