diff --git a/lib/iris/util.py b/lib/iris/util.py
index 9ab413a493..43ff6c9271 100644
--- a/lib/iris/util.py
+++ b/lib/iris/util.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 
 from abc import ABCMeta, abstractmethod
 from collections.abc import Hashable, Iterable
-from contextlib import contextmanager
 import copy
 import functools
 import inspect
@@ -1054,18 +1053,20 @@ def format_array(arr):
 
     """
 
-    summary_insert = ""
     summary_threshold = 85
+    summary_insert = "..." if arr.size > summary_threshold else ""
     edge_items = 3
     ffunc = str
-    formatArray = np.core.arrayprint._formatArray
     max_line_len = 50
-    legacy = "1.13"
-    if arr.size > summary_threshold:
-        summary_insert = "..."
-    options = np.get_printoptions()
-    options["legacy"] = legacy
-    with _printopts_context(**options):
+
+    # Format the array with version 1.13 legacy behaviour
+    with np.printoptions(legacy="1.13"):
+        # Use this (private) routine for more control.
+        formatArray = np.core.arrayprint._formatArray
+        # N.B. the 'legacy' arg had different forms in different numpy versions
+        # -- fetch the required form from the internal options dict
+        legacy_key = np.core.arrayprint._format_options["legacy"]
+
         result = formatArray(
             arr,
             ffunc,
@@ -1074,29 +1075,12 @@ def format_array(arr):
             separator=", ",
             edge_items=edge_items,
             summary_insert=summary_insert,
-            legacy=legacy,
+            legacy=legacy_key,
         )
 
     return result
 
 
-@contextmanager
-def _printopts_context(**kwargs):
-    """
-    Update the numpy printoptions for the life of this context manager.
-
-    Note: this function can be removed with numpy>=1.15 thanks to
-          https://github.com/numpy/numpy/pull/10406
-
-    """
-    original_opts = np.get_printoptions()
-    np.set_printoptions(**kwargs)
-    try:
-        yield
-    finally:
-        np.set_printoptions(**original_opts)
-
-
 def new_axis(src_cube, scalar_coord=None):
     """
     Create a new axis as the leading dimension of the cube, promoting a scalar