diff --git a/CmdLine.hs b/CmdLine.hs
index 85423e5e89..46b980fbcb 100644
--- a/CmdLine.hs
+++ b/CmdLine.hs
@@ -87,7 +87,9 @@ tryRun' state errnum (a:as) = do
 		a
 	case result of
 		Left err -> do
-			Annex.eval state $ showErr err
+			Annex.eval state $ do
+				showEndFail
+				showErr err
 			tryRun' state (errnum + 1) as
 		Right (True,state') -> tryRun' state' errnum as
 		Right (False,state') -> tryRun' state' (errnum + 1) as
diff --git a/Command.hs b/Command.hs
index d36f675d24..c666ddbd29 100644
--- a/Command.hs
+++ b/Command.hs
@@ -96,10 +96,15 @@ prepCommand Command { cmdseek = seek } params = do
 doCommand :: CommandStart -> CommandCleanup
 doCommand = start
 	where
-		start   = stage $ maybe (return True) perform
-		perform = stage $ maybe (showEndFail >> return False) cleanup
+		start   = stage $ maybe success perform
+		perform = stage $ maybe failure cleanup
 		cleanup = stage $ \r -> showEndResult r >> return r
 		stage a b = b >>= a
+		success = return True
+		failure = do
+			showProgress
+			showEndFail
+			return False
 
 notAnnexed :: FilePath -> Annex (Maybe a) -> Annex (Maybe a)
 notAnnexed file a = maybe a (const $ return Nothing) =<< Backend.lookupFile file
diff --git a/Command/Map.hs b/Command/Map.hs
index 7bb435ff81..940db54c89 100644
--- a/Command/Map.hs
+++ b/Command/Map.hs
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ scan r = do
 			showEndOk
 			return r'
 		Nothing -> do
+			showProgress
 			showEndFail
 			return r
 
diff --git a/Messages.hs b/Messages.hs
index c44e44eea1..038e4c0bc7 100644
--- a/Messages.hs
+++ b/Messages.hs
@@ -43,14 +43,16 @@ showEndOk :: Annex ()
 showEndOk = verbose $ liftIO $ putStrLn "ok"
 
 showEndFail :: Annex ()
-showEndFail = verbose $ liftIO $ putStrLn "\nfailed"
+showEndFail = verbose $ liftIO $ putStrLn "failed"
 
 showEndResult :: Bool -> Annex ()
 showEndResult True = showEndOk
 showEndResult False = showEndFail
 
 showErr :: (Show a) => a -> Annex ()
-showErr e = warning $ "git-annex: " ++ show e
+showErr e = do
+	liftIO $ hFlush stdout
+	liftIO $ hPutStrLn stderr $ "git-annex: " ++ show e
 
 warning :: String -> Annex ()
 warning w = do