diff --git a/src/vt/runtime/runtime_banner.cc b/src/vt/runtime/runtime_banner.cc
index 7ad2a04c00..a76b32541b 100644
--- a/src/vt/runtime/runtime_banner.cc
+++ b/src/vt/runtime/runtime_banner.cc
@@ -63,50 +63,6 @@
 
 #include <mpi.h>
 
-auto param_str = [](
-  std::unordered_map<std::string,std::string> const& params
-) -> std::string {
-  std::stringstream ss;
-  for (auto&& param : params) {
-    ss << fmt::format("{}={} ",
-      vt::debug::emph(param.first),
-      vt::debug::emph(param.second));
-  }
-  std::string s = ss.str();
-  return s.empty() ? s : s.substr(0, s.size() - 1);
-};
-
-void printLBSpec(std::string const& filename) {
-  using Spec = vt::vrt::collection::balance::ReadLBSpec;
-
-  Spec::openFile(filename);
-  Spec::readFile();
-
-  if (not Spec::getExactEntries().empty()) {
-    fmt::print("{}\tExact specification lines:\n", vt::debug::vtPre());
-  }
-  for (auto const& exact_entry : Spec::getExactEntries()) {
-    fmt::print("{}\tRun `{}` on phase {} with arguments `{}`\n",
-      vt::debug::vtPre(),
-      vt::debug::emph(exact_entry.second.getName()),
-      vt::debug::emph(std::to_string(exact_entry.second.getIdx())),
-      param_str(exact_entry.second.getParams()));
-  }
-
-  if (not Spec::getModEntries().empty()) {
-    fmt::print("{}\tMod (%) specification lines:\n", vt::debug::vtPre());
-  }
-  for (auto const& mod_entry : Spec::getModEntries()) {
-    fmt::print("{}\tRun `{}` every {} phases with arguments `{}`\n",
-      vt::debug::vtPre(),
-      vt::debug::emph(mod_entry.second.getName()),
-      vt::debug::emph(std::to_string(mod_entry.second.getIdx())),
-      param_str(mod_entry.second.getParams()));
-  }
-
-  return;
-}
-
 namespace vt { namespace runtime {
 
 void Runtime::printStartupBanner() {
@@ -334,7 +290,7 @@ void Runtime::printStartupBanner() {
       if (getAppConfig()->vt_lb_show_spec) {
         auto s = opt_on("--vt_lb_show_spec", "Showing LB specification");
         fmt::print("{}\t{}", vt_pre, s);
-        printLBSpec(getAppConfig()->vt_lb_file_name);
+        fmt::print(vrt::collection::balance::ReadLBSpec::toString());
       }
     } else {
       auto a3 = fmt::format("Load balancer name: \"{}\"", getAppConfig()->vt_lb_name);
diff --git a/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/read_lb.cc b/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/read_lb.cc
index cec3b9be3a..81dd78e7ed 100644
--- a/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/read_lb.cc
+++ b/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/read_lb.cc
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 #include "vt/vrt/collection/balance/lb_type.h"
 #include "vt/configs/arguments/app_config.h"
 
+#include <sstream>
 #include <string>
 #include <fstream>
 #include <cassert>
@@ -294,4 +295,70 @@ ReadLBSpec::parseParams(std::vector<std::string> params) {
   return SpecEntry{0, "", param_map};
 }
 
+auto param_str = [](
+  std::unordered_map<std::string,std::string> const& params
+) -> std::string {
+  std::stringstream ss;
+  for (auto&& param : params) {
+    ss << fmt::format("{}={} ",
+      vt::debug::emph(param.first),
+      vt::debug::emph(param.second));
+  }
+  std::string s = ss.str();
+  return s.empty() ? s : s.substr(0, s.size() - 1);
+};
+
+auto excluded_str = [](SpecIndex idx) -> std::string {
+  std::stringstream ss;
+  auto exact_entries = ReadLBSpec::getExactEntries();
+  auto max_idx = exact_entries.empty() ? 0 : exact_entries.rbegin()->first;
+
+  for (auto k = 1; k*idx <= max_idx; k++) {
+    auto next_entry = ReadLBSpec::entry(k*idx);
+    if (next_entry != nullptr and next_entry->getIdx() != idx) {
+      ss << fmt::format("{}, ", debug::emph(std::to_string(k*idx)));
+    }
+  }
+  std::string s = ss.str();
+  return s.empty() ? s : s.substr(0, s.size() - 2);
+};
+
+/*static*/ std::string ReadLBSpec::toString() {
+  std::stringstream ss;
+
+  ReadLBSpec::openFile(theConfig()->vt_lb_file_name);
+  ReadLBSpec::readFile();
+
+  if (not ReadLBSpec::getExactEntries().empty()) {
+    ss << fmt::format("{}\tExact specification lines:\n", vt::debug::vtPre());
+  }
+  for (auto const& exact_entry : ReadLBSpec::getExactEntries()) {
+    ss << fmt::format("{}\tRun `{}` on phase {} with arguments `{}`\n",
+      vt::debug::vtPre(),
+      vt::debug::emph(exact_entry.second.getName()),
+      vt::debug::emph(std::to_string(exact_entry.first)),
+      param_str(exact_entry.second.getParams()));
+  }
+
+  if (not ReadLBSpec::getModEntries().empty()) {
+    ss << fmt::format(
+      "{}\tMod (%) specification lines:\n", vt::debug::vtPre()
+    );
+  }
+  for (auto const& mod_entry : ReadLBSpec::getModEntries()) {
+    ss << fmt::format("{}\tRun `{}` every {} phases with arguments `{}`",
+      vt::debug::vtPre(),
+      vt::debug::emph(mod_entry.second.getName()),
+      vt::debug::emph(std::to_string(mod_entry.first)),
+      param_str(mod_entry.second.getParams()));
+
+    auto excluded_phases = excluded_str(mod_entry.first);
+    if (not excluded_phases.empty()) {
+      ss << " excluding phases " << excluded_phases;
+    }
+    ss << '\n';
+  }
+  return ss.str();
+}
+
 }}}} /* end namespace vt::vrt::collection::balance */
diff --git a/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/read_lb.h b/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/read_lb.h
index ec92823023..fc02b4ba93 100644
--- a/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/read_lb.h
+++ b/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/read_lb.h
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ struct ReadLBSpec {
   static ParamMapType parseParams(std::vector<std::string> params);
   static SpecEntry makeSpecFromParams(std::string params);
   static void clear();
+  static std::string toString();
 
 private:
   static bool read_complete_;