diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbAccess.c b/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbAccess.c
index 5138ba618..4b4666613 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbAccess.c
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/db/dbAccess.c
@@ -798,18 +798,13 @@ int dbLoadRecords(const char* file, const char* subs)
         return -1;
     }
     status = dbReadDatabase(&pdbbase, file, 0, subs);
-    switch(status)
-    {
-    case 0:
+    if(status==0) {
         if(dbLoadRecordsHook)
             dbLoadRecordsHook(file, subs);
-        break;
-    case -2:
-        errlogPrintf("dbLoadRecords: failed to load '%s'\n"
-            "    Records cannot be loaded after iocInit!\n", file);
-        break;
-    default:
-        errlogPrintf("dbLoadRecords: failed to load '%s'\n", file);
+    } else {
+        fprintf(stderr, ERL_ERROR " failed to load '%s'\n", file);
+        if(status==-2)
+            fprintf(stderr, "    Records cannot be loaded after iocInit!\n");
     }
     return status;
 }
diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbtemplate/msi.cpp b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbtemplate/msi.cpp
index c4c0caa64..88c5d160d 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/dbtemplate/msi.cpp
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/dbtemplate/msi.cpp
@@ -522,7 +522,7 @@ static void inputOpenFile(inputData *pinputData, const char * const filename)
     }
 
     if (!fp) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "msi: Can't open file '%s'\n", filename);
+        fprintf(stderr, ERL_ERROR " msi: Can't open file '%s'\n", filename);
         inputErrPrint(pinputData);
         abortExit(1);
     }
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ static void substituteOpen(subInfo **ppvt, const std::string& substitutionName)
 
     fp = fopen(substitutionName.c_str(), "r");
     if (!fp) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "msi: Can't open file '%s'\n", substitutionName.c_str());
+        fprintf(stderr, ERL_ERROR " msi: Can't open file '%s'\n", substitutionName.c_str());
         abortExit(1);
     }
 
diff --git a/modules/libcom/src/as/asLibRoutines.c b/modules/libcom/src/as/asLibRoutines.c
index 8ffb85fd7..59dd80bda 100644
--- a/modules/libcom/src/as/asLibRoutines.c
+++ b/modules/libcom/src/as/asLibRoutines.c
@@ -176,12 +176,12 @@ long epicsStdCall asInitFile(const char *filename,const char *substitutions)
 
     fp = fopen(filename,"r");
     if(!fp) {
-        errlogPrintf("asInitFile: Can't open file '%s'\n", filename);
+        fprintf(stderr, ERL_ERROR " asInitFile: Can't open file '%s'\n", filename);
         return(S_asLib_badConfig);
     }
     status = asInitFP(fp,substitutions);
     if(fclose(fp)==EOF) {
-        errMessage(0,"asInitFile: fclose failed!");
+        fprintf(stderr, ERL_ERROR " asInitFile: fclose failed!");
         if(!status) status = S_asLib_badConfig;
     }
     return(status);
diff --git a/modules/libcom/src/iocsh/iocsh.cpp b/modules/libcom/src/iocsh/iocsh.cpp
index 27f980cc7..a3c99095c 100644
--- a/modules/libcom/src/iocsh/iocsh.cpp
+++ b/modules/libcom/src/iocsh/iocsh.cpp
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ showError (const char *filename, int lineno, const char *msg, ...)
 
     va_start (ap, msg);
     if (filename)
-        fprintf(epicsGetStderr(), "%s line %d: ", filename, lineno);
+        fprintf(epicsGetStderr(), ERL_ERROR " %s line %d: ", filename, lineno);
     vfprintf (epicsGetStderr(), msg, ap);
     fputc ('\n', epicsGetStderr());
     va_end (ap);
@@ -1438,12 +1438,12 @@ static void varCallFunc(const iocshArgBuf *args)
                 found = 1;
             }
         if (!found && name != NULL)
-            fprintf(epicsGetStderr(), "No var matching %s found.\n", name);
+            fprintf(epicsGetStderr(), ANSI_RED("No var matching") " %s found.\n", name);
     }
     else {
         v = (iocshVariable *)registryFind(iocshVarID, args[0].sval);
         if (v == NULL) {
-            fprintf(epicsGetStderr(), "Var %s not found.\n", name);
+            fprintf(epicsGetStderr(), "Var %s " ANSI_RED("not found.") "\n", name);
         }
         else {
             varHandler(v->pVarDef, value);