diff --git a/cli_classic.c b/cli_classic.c
index 972043b..edcef8e 100644
--- a/cli_classic.c
+++ b/cli_classic.c
@@ -159,6 +159,18 @@
 	exit(1);
 }
 
+static int check_filename(char *filename, char *type)
+{
+	if (!filename || (filename[0] == '\0')) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Error: No %s file specified.\n", type);
+		return 1;
+	}
+	/* Not an error, but maybe the user intended to specify a CLI option instead of a file name. */
+	if (filename[0] == '-')
+		fprintf(stderr, "Warning: Supplied %s file name starts with -\n", type);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	unsigned long size;
@@ -377,36 +389,51 @@
 		cli_classic_abort_usage();
 	}
 
-	/* FIXME: Print the actions flashrom will take. */
-
-	if (list_supported) {
-		print_supported();
-		exit(0);
+	if ((read_it | write_it | verify_it) && check_filename(filename, "image")) {
+		cli_classic_abort_usage();
+	}
+	if (layoutfile && check_filename(layoutfile, "layout")) {
+		cli_classic_abort_usage();
 	}
 
 #if CONFIG_PRINT_WIKI == 1
 	if (list_supported_wiki) {
 		print_supported_wiki();
-		exit(0);
+		ret = 0;
+		goto out;
 	}
 #endif
 
-	if (layoutfile && read_romlayout(layoutfile))
-		cli_classic_abort_usage();
-	if (process_include_args())
-		cli_classic_abort_usage();
+	if (list_supported) {
+		print_supported();
+		ret = 0;
+		goto out;
+	}
 
+	msg_gdbg("Command line (%i args):", argc - 1);
+	for (i = 0; i < argc; i++) {
+		msg_gdbg(" %s", argv[i]);
+	}
+	msg_gdbg("\n");
+
+	if (layoutfile && read_romlayout(layoutfile)) {
+		ret = 1;
+		goto out;
+	}
+	if (process_include_args()) {
+		ret = 1;
+		goto out;
+	}
 	/* Does a chip with the requested name exist in the flashchips array? */
 	if (chip_to_probe) {
 		for (flash = flashchips; flash && flash->name; flash++)
 			if (!strcmp(flash->name, chip_to_probe))
 				break;
 		if (!flash || !flash->name) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "Error: Unknown chip '%s' specified.\n",
-				chip_to_probe);
-			printf("Run flashrom -L to view the hardware supported "
-			       "in this flashrom version.\n");
-			exit(1);
+			msg_cerr("Error: Unknown chip '%s' specified.\n", chip_to_probe);
+			msg_gerr("Run flashrom -L to view the hardware supported in this flashrom version.\n");
+			ret = 1;
+			goto out;
 		}
 		/* Clean up after the check. */
 		flash = NULL;
@@ -419,7 +446,7 @@
 	myusec_calibrate_delay();
 
 	if (programmer_init(prog, pparam)) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "Error: Programmer initialization failed.\n");
+		msg_perr("Error: Programmer initialization failed.\n");
 		ret = 1;
 		goto out_shutdown;
 	}
@@ -442,25 +469,22 @@
 	}
 
 	if (chipcount > 1) {
-		printf("Multiple flash chips were detected: \"%s\"",
-			flashes[0].name);
+		msg_cinfo("Multiple flash chips were detected: \"%s\"", flashes[0].name);
 		for (i = 1; i < chipcount; i++)
-			printf(", \"%s\"", flashes[i].name);
-		printf("\nPlease specify which chip to use with the "
-		       "-c <chipname> option.\n");
+			msg_cinfo(", \"%s\"", flashes[i].name);
+		msg_cinfo("\nPlease specify which chip to use with the -c <chipname> option.\n");
 		ret = 1;
 		goto out_shutdown;
 	} else if (!chipcount) {
-		printf("No EEPROM/flash device found.\n");
+		msg_cinfo("No EEPROM/flash device found.\n");
 		if (!force || !chip_to_probe) {
-			printf("Note: flashrom can never write if the flash "
-			       "chip isn't found automatically.\n");
+			msg_cinfo("Note: flashrom can never write if the flash chip isn't found "
+				  "automatically.\n");
 		}
 		if (force && read_it && chip_to_probe) {
 			struct registered_programmer *pgm;
 			int compatible_programmers = 0;
-			printf("Force read (-f -r -c) requested, pretending "
-			       "the chip is there:\n");
+			msg_cinfo("Force read (-f -r -c) requested, pretending the chip is there:\n");
 			/* This loop just counts compatible controllers. */
 			for (j = 0; j < registered_programmer_count; j++) {
 				pgm = &registered_programmers[j];
@@ -468,9 +492,8 @@
 					compatible_programmers++;
 			}
 			if (compatible_programmers > 1)
-				printf("More than one compatible controller "
-				       "found for the requested flash chip, "
-				       "using the first one.\n");
+				msg_cinfo("More than one compatible controller found for the requested flash "
+					  "chip, using the first one.\n");
 			for (j = 0; j < registered_programmer_count; j++) {
 				pgm = &registered_programmers[j];
 				startchip = probe_flash(pgm, 0, &flashes[0], 1);
@@ -478,14 +501,13 @@
 					break;
 			}
 			if (startchip == -1) {
-				printf("Probing for flash chip '%s' failed.\n",
-				       chip_to_probe);
+				msg_cinfo("Probing for flash chip '%s' failed.\n", chip_to_probe);
 				ret = 1;
 				goto out_shutdown;
 			}
-			printf("Please note that forced reads most likely "
-			       "contain garbage.\n");
-			return read_flash_to_file(&flashes[0], filename);
+			msg_cinfo("Please note that forced reads most likely contain garbage.\n");
+			ret = read_flash_to_file(&flashes[0], filename);
+			goto out_shutdown;
 		}
 		ret = 1;
 		goto out_shutdown;
@@ -503,22 +525,14 @@
 	check_chip_supported(fill_flash);
 
 	size = fill_flash->total_size * 1024;
-	if (check_max_decode(fill_flash->pgm->buses_supported & fill_flash->bustype, size) &&
-	    (!force)) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "Chip is too big for this programmer "
-			"(-V gives details). Use --force to override.\n");
+	if (check_max_decode(fill_flash->pgm->buses_supported & fill_flash->bustype, size) && (!force)) {
+		msg_cerr("Chip is too big for this programmer (-V gives details). Use --force to override.\n");
 		ret = 1;
 		goto out_shutdown;
 	}
 
 	if (!(read_it | write_it | verify_it | erase_it)) {
-		printf("No operations were specified.\n");
-		goto out_shutdown;
-	}
-
-	if (!filename && !erase_it) {
-		printf("Error: No filename specified.\n");
-		ret = 1;
+		msg_ginfo("No operations were specified.\n");
 		goto out_shutdown;
 	}
 
@@ -531,9 +545,12 @@
 	 * Give the chip time to settle.
 	 */
 	programmer_delay(100000);
-	return doit(fill_flash, force, filename, read_it, write_it, erase_it, verify_it);
+	ret |= doit(fill_flash, force, filename, read_it, write_it, erase_it, verify_it);
+	/* Note: doit() already calls programmer_shutdown(). */
+	goto out;
 
 out_shutdown:
 	programmer_shutdown();
+out:
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/cli_output.c b/cli_output.c
index 2a67bea..231f2a8 100644
--- a/cli_output.c
+++ b/cli_output.c
@@ -22,34 +22,25 @@
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include "flash.h"
 
-int print(int type, const char *fmt, ...)
+/* Please note that level is the verbosity, not the importance of the message. */
+int print(enum msglevel level, const char *fmt, ...)
 {
 	va_list ap;
-	int ret;
-	FILE *output_type;
+	int ret = 0;
+	FILE *output_type = stdout;
 
-	switch (type) {
-	case MSG_ERROR:
+	if (level == MSG_ERROR)
 		output_type = stderr;
-		break;
-	case MSG_BARF:
-		if (verbose < 3)
-			return 0;
-	case MSG_DEBUG2:
-		if (verbose < 2)
-			return 0;
-	case MSG_DEBUG:
-		if (verbose < 1)
-			return 0;
-	case MSG_INFO:
-	default:
-		output_type = stdout;
-		break;
-	}
 
-	va_start(ap, fmt);
-	ret = vfprintf(output_type, fmt, ap);
-	va_end(ap);
-	fflush(output_type);
+	if (level <= verbose) {
+		va_start(ap, fmt);
+		ret = vfprintf(output_type, fmt, ap);
+		va_end(ap);
+		/* msg_*spew usually happens inside chip accessors in possibly
+		 * time-critical operations. Don't slow them down by flushing.
+		 */
+		if (level != MSG_SPEW)
+			fflush(output_type);
+	}
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/flash.h b/flash.h
index 0dac13d..0c14ce1 100644
--- a/flash.h
+++ b/flash.h
@@ -268,13 +268,15 @@
 #define ERROR_FLASHROM_LIMIT -201
 
 /* cli_output.c */
+enum msglevel {
+	MSG_ERROR	= 0,
+	MSG_INFO	= 1,
+	MSG_DEBUG	= 2,
+	MSG_DEBUG2	= 3,
+	MSG_SPEW	= 4,
+};
 /* Let gcc and clang check for correct printf-style format strings. */
-int print(int type, const char *fmt, ...) __attribute__((format(printf, 2, 3)));
-#define MSG_ERROR	0
-#define MSG_INFO	1
-#define MSG_DEBUG	2
-#define MSG_DEBUG2	3
-#define MSG_BARF	4
+int print(enum msglevel level, const char *fmt, ...) __attribute__((format(printf, 2, 3)));
 #define msg_gerr(...)	print(MSG_ERROR, __VA_ARGS__)	/* general errors */
 #define msg_perr(...)	print(MSG_ERROR, __VA_ARGS__)	/* programmer errors */
 #define msg_cerr(...)	print(MSG_ERROR, __VA_ARGS__)	/* chip errors */
@@ -287,9 +289,9 @@
 #define msg_gdbg2(...)	print(MSG_DEBUG2, __VA_ARGS__)	/* general debug2 */
 #define msg_pdbg2(...)	print(MSG_DEBUG2, __VA_ARGS__)	/* programmer debug2 */
 #define msg_cdbg2(...)	print(MSG_DEBUG2, __VA_ARGS__)	/* chip debug2 */
-#define msg_gspew(...)	print(MSG_BARF, __VA_ARGS__)	/* general debug barf  */
-#define msg_pspew(...)	print(MSG_BARF, __VA_ARGS__)	/* programmer debug barf  */
-#define msg_cspew(...)	print(MSG_BARF, __VA_ARGS__)	/* chip debug barf  */
+#define msg_gspew(...)	print(MSG_SPEW, __VA_ARGS__)	/* general debug spew  */
+#define msg_pspew(...)	print(MSG_SPEW, __VA_ARGS__)	/* programmer debug spew  */
+#define msg_cspew(...)	print(MSG_SPEW, __VA_ARGS__)	/* chip debug spew  */
 
 /* layout.c */
 int register_include_arg(char *name);
diff --git a/flashrom.c b/flashrom.c
index a54348d..ec8137b 100644
--- a/flashrom.c
+++ b/flashrom.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 
 const char flashrom_version[] = FLASHROM_VERSION;
 char *chip_to_probe = NULL;
-int verbose = 0;
+int verbose = MSG_INFO;
 
 static enum programmer programmer = PROGRAMMER_INVALID;
 
@@ -1457,27 +1457,27 @@
 			if (firstline)
 				firstline = 0;
 			else
-				printf("\n");
+				msg_ginfo("\n");
 			for (i = 0; i < startcol; i++)
-				printf(" ");
+				msg_ginfo(" ");
 			remaining = cols - startcol;
 		} else {
-			printf(" ");
+			msg_ginfo(" ");
 			remaining--;
 		}
 		if (paren && (p == 0)) {
-			printf("(");
+			msg_ginfo("(");
 			remaining--;
 		}
-		printf("%s", pname);
+		msg_ginfo("%s", pname);
 		remaining -= pnamelen;
 		if (p < PROGRAMMER_INVALID - 1) {
-			printf(",");
+			msg_ginfo(",");
 			remaining--;
 		} else {
 			if (paren)
-				printf(")");
-			printf("\n");
+				msg_ginfo(")");
+			msg_ginfo("\n");
 		}
 	}
 }