diff --git a/check/checkdata/library.go b/check/checkdata/library.go
index 9abf9b6c..addb554e 100644
--- a/check/checkdata/library.go
+++ b/check/checkdata/library.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func InitializeForLibrary(project project.Type, schemasPath *paths.Path) {
 		url := "http://downloads.arduino.cc/libraries/library_index.json"
 		httpResponse, err := http.Get(url)
 		if err != nil {
-			feedback.Errorf("%s Unable to download Library Manager index from %s", err, url)
+			feedback.Errorf("Unable to download Library Manager index from %s: %s", err, url)
 			os.Exit(1)
 		}
 		defer httpResponse.Body.Close()
diff --git a/command/command.go b/command/command.go
index 13e453b1..6999eb08 100644
--- a/command/command.go
+++ b/command/command.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ import (
 // ArduinoCheck is the root command function.
 func ArduinoCheck(rootCommand *cobra.Command, cliArguments []string) {
 	if err := configuration.Initialize(rootCommand.Flags(), cliArguments); err != nil {
-		feedback.Errorf("Configuration error: %v", err)
+		feedback.Errorf("Invalid configuration: %v", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
diff --git a/configuration/configuration.go b/configuration/configuration.go
index a9554d23..843c08e7 100644
--- a/configuration/configuration.go
+++ b/configuration/configuration.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package configuration
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -56,15 +57,13 @@ func Initialize(flags *pflag.FlagSet, projectPaths []string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	logrus.SetOutput(defaultLogOutput)
-
 	if logFormatString, ok := os.LookupEnv("ARDUINO_CHECK_LOG_FORMAT"); ok {
 		logFormat, err := logFormatFromString(logFormatString)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("--log-format flag value %s not valid", logFormatString)
 		}
 		logrus.SetFormatter(logFormat)
-		logrus.SetOutput(os.Stderr) // Enable log output.
+		EnableLogging(true)
 	}
 
 	if logLevelString, ok := os.LookupEnv("ARDUINO_CHECK_LOG_LEVEL"); ok {
@@ -73,7 +72,7 @@ func Initialize(flags *pflag.FlagSet, projectPaths []string) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("--log-level flag value %s not valid", logLevelString)
 		}
 		logrus.SetLevel(logLevel)
-		logrus.SetOutput(os.Stderr) // Enable log output.
+		EnableLogging(true)
 	}
 
 	superprojectTypeFilterString, _ := flags.GetString("project-type")
@@ -100,7 +99,7 @@ func Initialize(flags *pflag.FlagSet, projectPaths []string) error {
 		// Default to using current working directory.
 		workingDirectoryPath, err := os.Getwd()
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Error when setting default PROJECT_PATH argument: %s", err)
+			panic(err)
 		}
 		targetPaths.Add(paths.New(workingDirectoryPath))
 	} else {
@@ -108,7 +107,7 @@ func Initialize(flags *pflag.FlagSet, projectPaths []string) error {
 			targetPath := paths.New(projectPath)
 			targetPathExists, err := targetPath.ExistCheck()
 			if err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("Problem processing PROJECT_PATH argument value %v: %v", targetPath, err)
+				return fmt.Errorf("Unable to process PROJECT_PATH argument value %v: %v", targetPath, err)
 			}
 			if !targetPathExists {
 				return fmt.Errorf("PROJECT_PATH argument %v does not exist", targetPath)
@@ -232,3 +231,11 @@ func SchemasPath() *paths.Path {
 	}
 	return paths.New(executablePath).Parent().Join("etc", "schemas")
 }
+
+func EnableLogging(enable bool) {
+	if enable {
+		logrus.SetOutput(defaultLogOutput) // Enable log output.
+	} else {
+		logrus.SetOutput(ioutil.Discard)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/configuration/defaults.go b/configuration/defaults.go
index 7f2f3d5d..38fde8af 100644
--- a/configuration/defaults.go
+++ b/configuration/defaults.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ package configuration
 // The default configuration settings.
 
 import (
-	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
 
 	"github.com/arduino/arduino-check/configuration/checkmode"
 	"github.com/arduino/arduino-check/project/projecttype"
@@ -61,4 +61,4 @@ var defaultCheckModes = map[projecttype.Type]map[checkmode.Type]bool{
 	},
 }
 
-var defaultLogOutput = ioutil.Discard // Default to no log output.
+var defaultLogOutput = os.Stderr
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 0adae901..e920bbb3 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -19,9 +19,14 @@ import (
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/arduino/arduino-check/cli"
+	"github.com/arduino/arduino-check/configuration"
 	"github.com/arduino/arduino-check/result/feedback"
 )
 
+func init() {
+	configuration.EnableLogging(false)
+}
+
 func main() {
 	rootCommand := cli.Root()
 	if err := rootCommand.Execute(); err != nil {
diff --git a/project/project.go b/project/project.go
index b93f9a4f..fd85be4f 100644
--- a/project/project.go
+++ b/project/project.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func findProjects(targetPath *paths.Path) ([]Type, error) {
 			return foundProjects, nil
 		}
 
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("specified path %s is not an Arduino project", targetPath)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Specified path %s is not an Arduino project", targetPath)
 	}
 
 	if configuration.SuperprojectTypeFilter() == projecttype.All || configuration.Recursive() {
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func findProjects(targetPath *paths.Path) ([]Type, error) {
 	}
 
 	if foundProjects == nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("no projects found under %s", targetPath)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("No projects found under %s", targetPath)
 	}
 
 	return foundProjects, nil
diff --git a/result/feedback/feedback.go b/result/feedback/feedback.go
index da79d815..969f99b3 100644
--- a/result/feedback/feedback.go
+++ b/result/feedback/feedback.go
@@ -66,8 +66,9 @@ func Errorf(format string, v ...interface{}) {
 	Error(fmt.Sprintf(format, v...))
 }
 
-// Error behaves like fmt.Print but adds a newline and also logs the error.
+// Error behaves like fmt.Print but adds a prefix, newline and also logs the error.
 func Error(v ...interface{}) {
+	fmt.Fprint(os.Stderr, "error: ")
 	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, v...)
 	logrus.Error(fmt.Sprint(v...))
 }
diff --git a/result/result.go b/result/result.go
index c8b72b4f..df6776ca 100644
--- a/result/result.go
+++ b/result/result.go
@@ -236,13 +236,13 @@ func (results Type) WriteReport() error {
 	if !reportFilePathParentExists {
 		err = reportFilePath.Parent().MkdirAll()
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Error while creating report file path (%v): %v", reportFilePath.Parent(), err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("Unable to create report file path (%v): %v", reportFilePath.Parent(), err)
 		}
 	}
 
 	err = reportFilePath.WriteFile(results.jsonReportRaw())
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Error while writing report: %v", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("While writing report: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	return nil