diff --git a/check/qgroup-verify.c b/check/qgroup-verify.c
index 8d49b79a..f0e3c683 100644
--- a/check/qgroup-verify.c
+++ b/check/qgroup-verify.c
@@ -1521,8 +1521,7 @@ int print_extent_state(struct btrfs_fs_info *info, u64 subvol)
 
 	tree_blocks = ulist_alloc(0);
 	if (!tree_blocks) {
-		fprintf(stderr,
-			"ERROR: Out of memory while allocating ulist.\n");
+		error("out of memory while allocating ulist");
 		return ENOMEM;
 	}
 
@@ -1536,15 +1535,14 @@ int print_extent_state(struct btrfs_fs_info *info, u64 subvol)
 		ret = scan_extents(info, bg->start,
 				   bg->start + bg->length - 1);
 		if (ret) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: while scanning extent tree: %d\n",
-				ret);
+			error("while scanning extent tree: %d", ret);
 			goto out;
 		}
 	}
 
 	ret = map_implied_refs(info);
 	if (ret) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: while mapping refs: %d\n", ret);
+		error("while mapping refs: %d", ret);
 		goto out;
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmds/replace.c b/cmds/replace.c
index 00eb725d..0af8856d 100644
--- a/cmds/replace.c
+++ b/cmds/replace.c
@@ -202,9 +202,7 @@ static int cmd_replace_start(const struct cmd_struct *cmd,
 	status_args.result = BTRFS_IOCTL_DEV_REPLACE_RESULT_NO_RESULT;
 	ret = ioctl(fdmnt, BTRFS_IOC_DEV_REPLACE, &status_args);
 	if (ret < 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr,
-			"ERROR: ioctl(DEV_REPLACE_STATUS) failed on \"%s\": %m",
-			path);
+		error("ioctl(DEV_REPLACE_STATUS) failed on \"%s\": %m", path);
 		if (status_args.result != BTRFS_IOCTL_DEV_REPLACE_RESULT_NO_RESULT)
 			fprintf(stderr, ", %s\n",
 				replace_dev_result2string(status_args.result));
@@ -325,9 +323,7 @@ static int cmd_replace_start(const struct cmd_struct *cmd,
 	ret = ioctl(fdmnt, BTRFS_IOC_DEV_REPLACE, &start_args);
 	if (do_not_background) {
 		if (ret < 0) {
-			fprintf(stderr,
-				"ERROR: ioctl(DEV_REPLACE_START) failed on \"%s\": %m",
-				path);
+			error("ioctl(DEV_REPLACE_START) failed on \"%s\": %m", path);
 			if (start_args.result != BTRFS_IOCTL_DEV_REPLACE_RESULT_NO_RESULT)
 				fprintf(stderr, ", %s\n",
 					replace_dev_result2string(start_args.result));
@@ -429,8 +425,7 @@ static int print_replace_status(int fd, const char *path, int once)
 		args.result = BTRFS_IOCTL_DEV_REPLACE_RESULT_NO_RESULT;
 		ret = ioctl(fd, BTRFS_IOC_DEV_REPLACE, &args);
 		if (ret < 0) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: ioctl(DEV_REPLACE_STATUS) failed on \"%s\": %m",
-				path);
+			error("ioctl(DEV_REPLACE_STATUS) failed on \"%s\": %m", path);
 			if (args.result != BTRFS_IOCTL_DEV_REPLACE_RESULT_NO_RESULT)
 				fprintf(stderr, ", %s\n",
 					replace_dev_result2string(args.result));
@@ -579,8 +574,7 @@ static int cmd_replace_cancel(const struct cmd_struct *cmd,
 	ret = ioctl(fd, BTRFS_IOC_DEV_REPLACE, &args);
 	close_file_or_dir(fd, dirstream);
 	if (ret < 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: ioctl(DEV_REPLACE_CANCEL) failed on \"%s\": %m",
-			path);
+		error("ioctl(DEV_REPLACE_CANCEL) failed on \"%s\": %m", path);
 		if (args.result != BTRFS_IOCTL_DEV_REPLACE_RESULT_NO_RESULT)
 			fprintf(stderr, ", %s\n",
 				replace_dev_result2string(args.result));
diff --git a/cmds/subvolume.c b/cmds/subvolume.c
index a1befc63..c28cf8e5 100644
--- a/cmds/subvolume.c
+++ b/cmds/subvolume.c
@@ -1485,7 +1485,7 @@ static int cmd_subvol_show(const struct cmd_struct *cmd, int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 
 	if (ret) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: quota query failed: %m");
+		error("quota query failed: %m");
 		goto out;
 	}
 
diff --git a/common/send-utils.c b/common/send-utils.c
index b7c681de..85c7f6ee 100644
--- a/common/send-utils.c
+++ b/common/send-utils.c
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ static int btrfs_get_root_id_by_sub_path(int mnt_fd, const char *sub_path,
 	subvol_fd = openat(mnt_fd, sub_path, O_RDONLY);
 	if (subvol_fd < 0) {
 		ret = -errno;
-		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: open %s failed: %m\n", sub_path);
+		error("open %s failed: %m", sub_path);
 		return ret;
 	}
 
@@ -87,8 +87,7 @@ static int btrfs_read_root_item_raw(int mnt_fd, u64 root_id, size_t buf_len,
 	while (1) {
 		ret = ioctl(mnt_fd, BTRFS_IOC_TREE_SEARCH, &args);
 		if (ret < 0) {
-			fprintf(stderr,
-				"ERROR: can't perform the search - %m\n");
+			error("can't perform the search: %m");
 			return 0;
 		}
 		/* the ioctl returns the number of item it found in nr_items */
@@ -116,8 +115,8 @@ static int btrfs_read_root_item_raw(int mnt_fd, u64 root_id, size_t buf_len,
 			    btrfs_search_header_type(sh) == BTRFS_ROOT_ITEM_KEY) {
 				if (btrfs_search_header_len(sh) > buf_len) {
 					/* btrfs-progs is too old for kernel */
-					fprintf(stderr,
-						"ERROR: buf for read_root_item_raw() is too small, get newer btrfs tools!\n");
+					error(
+			"buf for read_root_item_raw() is too small, get newer btrfs tools");
 					return -EOVERFLOW;
 				}
 				memcpy(buf, item, btrfs_search_header_len(sh));
diff --git a/common/string-utils.c b/common/string-utils.c
index 016c96ac..62f2d0ed 100644
--- a/common/string-utils.c
+++ b/common/string-utils.c
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <limits.h>
-#include "string-utils.h"
+#include "common/string-utils.h"
+#include "common/messages.h"
 
 int string_is_numerical(const char *str)
 {
@@ -53,8 +54,7 @@ u64 arg_strtou64(const char *str)
 
 	value = strtoull(str, &ptr_parse_end, 0);
 	if (ptr_parse_end && *ptr_parse_end != '\0') {
-		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: %s is not a valid numeric value.\n",
-			str);
+		error("%s is not a valid numeric value", str);
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
@@ -63,12 +63,11 @@ u64 arg_strtou64(const char *str)
 	 * unexpected number to us, so let's do the check ourselves.
 	 */
 	if (str[0] == '-') {
-		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: %s: negative value is invalid.\n",
-			str);
+		error("%s: negative value is invalid", str);
 		exit(1);
 	}
 	if (value == ULLONG_MAX) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: %s is too large.\n", str);
+		error("%s is too large", str);
 		exit(1);
 	}
 	return value;
diff --git a/common/utils.c b/common/utils.c
index 7edfe13c..974acfc8 100644
--- a/common/utils.c
+++ b/common/utils.c
@@ -367,17 +367,15 @@ int test_num_disk_vs_raid(u64 metadata_profile, u64 data_profile,
 		warning("DUP is not recommended on filesystem with multiple devices");
 	}
 	if (metadata_profile & ~allowed) {
-		fprintf(stderr,
-			"ERROR: unable to create FS with metadata profile %s "
-			"(have %llu devices but %d devices are required)\n",
+		error("unable to create FS with metadata profile %s "
+			"(have %llu devices but %d devices are required)",
 			btrfs_group_profile_str(metadata_profile), dev_cnt,
 			btrfs_bg_type_to_devs_min(metadata_profile));
 		return 1;
 	}
 	if (data_profile & ~allowed) {
-		fprintf(stderr,
-			"ERROR: unable to create FS with data profile %s "
-			"(have %llu devices but %d devices are required)\n",
+		error("ERROR: unable to create FS with data profile %s "
+			"(have %llu devices but %d devices are required)",
 			btrfs_group_profile_str(data_profile), dev_cnt,
 			btrfs_bg_type_to_devs_min(data_profile));
 		return 1;
diff --git a/crypto/hash-speedtest.c b/crypto/hash-speedtest.c
index 639666be..21e7697e 100644
--- a/crypto/hash-speedtest.c
+++ b/crypto/hash-speedtest.c
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "crypto/crc32c.h"
 #include "crypto/sha.h"
 #include "crypto/blake2.h"
+#include "common/messages.h"
 
 #ifdef __x86_64__
 static const int cycles_supported = 1;
@@ -206,8 +207,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 		switch (c) {
 		case 'c':
 			if (!cycles_supported) {
-				fprintf(stderr,
-		"ERROR: cannot measure cycles on this arch, use --time\n");
+				error("cannot measure cycles on this arch, use --time");
 				return 1;
 			}
 			units = UNITS_CYCLES;
@@ -217,14 +217,14 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 			break;
 		case 'p':
 			if (perf_init() == -1) {
-				fprintf(stderr,
-"ERROR: cannot initialize perf, please check sysctl kernel.perf_event_paranoid: %m\n");
+				error(
+"cannot initialize perf, please check sysctl kernel.perf_event_paranoid: %m");
 				return 1;
 			}
 			units = UNITS_PERF;
 			break;
 		default:
-			fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: unknown option\n");
+			error("unknown option");
 			return 1;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/crypto/hash-vectest.c b/crypto/hash-vectest.c
index c0905d71..1540f581 100644
--- a/crypto/hash-vectest.c
+++ b/crypto/hash-vectest.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include "crypto/crc32c.h"
 #include "crypto/sha.h"
 #include "crypto/blake2.h"
+#include "common/messages.h"
 
 struct hash_testvec {
 	const char *plaintext;
@@ -157,7 +158,7 @@ int test_hash(const struct hash_testspec *spec)
 
 		ret = spec->hash((const u8 *)vec->plaintext, vec->psize, csum);
 		if (ret < 0) {
-			printf("ERROR: hash %s = %d\n", spec->name, ret);
+			error("hash %s = %d", spec->name, ret);
 			return 1;
 		}
 		if (memcmp(csum, vec->digest, spec->digest_size) == 0) {