diff --git a/bin/xbps-uhelper/main.c b/bin/xbps-uhelper/main.c
index aedbef445..200926976 100644
--- a/bin/xbps-uhelper/main.c
+++ b/bin/xbps-uhelper/main.c
@@ -355,13 +355,16 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 			/* NOTREACHED */
 		}
 		rv = xbps_pkgpattern_match(argv[1], argv[2]);
-		if (rv >= 0)
-			xbps_verbose_printf("%s %s %s\n",
-				argv[1],
-				(rv == 1) ? "matches" : "does not match",
-				argv[2]);
-		else if (flags & XBPS_FLAG_VERBOSE)
+		if (rv >= 0) {
+			if (flags & XBPS_FLAG_VERBOSE) {
+				fprintf(stderr, "%s %s %s\n",
+					argv[1],
+					(rv == 1) ? "matches" : "does not match",
+					argv[2]);
+			}
+		} else if (flags & XBPS_FLAG_VERBOSE) {
 			xbps_error_printf("%s: not a pattern\n", argv[2]);
+		}
 		exit(rv);
 	} else if (strcmp(argv[0], "cmpver") == 0) {
 		/* Compare two version strings, installed vs required */
@@ -371,10 +374,12 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 
 		rv = xbps_cmpver(argv[1], argv[2]);
-		xbps_verbose_printf("%s %s %s\n",
-			argv[1],
-			(rv == 1) ? ">" : ((rv == 0) ? "=" : "<"),
-			argv[2]);
+		if (flags & XBPS_FLAG_VERBOSE) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s %s %s\n",
+				argv[1],
+				(rv == 1) ? ">" : ((rv == 0) ? "=" : "<"),
+				argv[2]);
+		}
 		exit(rv);
 	} else if (strcmp(argv[0], "arch") == 0) {
 		/* returns the xbps native arch */