diff --git a/ubi-utils/libscan.c b/ubi-utils/libscan.c
index dc47a89..e7d33e3 100644
--- a/ubi-utils/libscan.c
+++ b/ubi-utils/libscan.c
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ static int all_ff(const void *buf, int len)
 int ubi_scan(struct mtd_dev_info *mtd, int fd, struct ubi_scan_info **info,
 	     int verbose)
 {
-	int eb, v = (verbose == 2), pr = (verbose == 1);
+	int eb, v = (verbose == 2), pr = (verbose == 1) && isatty(STDOUT_FILENO);
 	struct ubi_scan_info *si;
 	unsigned long long sum = 0;
 
diff --git a/ubi-utils/ubiformat.c b/ubi-utils/ubiformat.c
index f286264..e421b3f 100644
--- a/ubi-utils/ubiformat.c
+++ b/ubi-utils/ubiformat.c
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ struct args {
 	unsigned int force:1;
 	unsigned int quiet:1;
 	unsigned int verbose:1;
+	unsigned int interactive:1;
 	unsigned int override_ec:1;
 	unsigned int novtbl:1;
 	unsigned int manual_subpage;
@@ -477,7 +478,7 @@ static int flash_image(libmtd_t libmtd, const struct mtd_dev_info *mtd,
 		char buf[mtd->eb_size];
 		long long ec;
 
-		if (!args.quiet && !args.verbose) {
+		if (args.interactive && !args.quiet && !args.verbose) {
 			printf("\r" PROGRAM_NAME ": flashing eraseblock %d -- %2lld %% complete  ",
 			       eb, (long long)(eb + 1) * 100 / divisor);
 			fflush(stdout);
@@ -495,7 +496,7 @@ static int flash_image(libmtd_t libmtd, const struct mtd_dev_info *mtd,
 
 		err = mtd_erase(libmtd, mtd, args.node_fd, eb);
 		if (err) {
-			if (!args.quiet)
+			if (args.interactive && !args.quiet)
 				printf("\n");
 			sys_errmsg("failed to erase eraseblock %d", eb);
 
@@ -570,7 +571,7 @@ static int flash_image(libmtd_t libmtd, const struct mtd_dev_info *mtd,
 			break;
 	}
 
-	if (!args.quiet && !args.verbose)
+	if (args.interactive && !args.quiet && !args.verbose)
 		printf("\n");
 	close(fd);
 	return eb + 1;
@@ -601,7 +602,7 @@ static int format(libmtd_t libmtd, const struct mtd_dev_info *mtd,
 	for (eb = start_eb; eb < mtd->eb_cnt; eb++) {
 		long long ec;
 
-		if (!args.quiet && !args.verbose) {
+		if (args.interactive && !args.quiet && !args.verbose) {
 			printf("\r" PROGRAM_NAME ": formatting eraseblock %d -- %2lld %% complete  ",
 			       eb, (long long)(eb + 1 - start_eb) * 100 / (mtd->eb_cnt - start_eb));
 			fflush(stdout);
@@ -625,7 +626,7 @@ static int format(libmtd_t libmtd, const struct mtd_dev_info *mtd,
 
 		err = mtd_erase(libmtd, mtd, args.node_fd, eb);
 		if (err) {
-			if (!args.quiet)
+			if (args.interactive && !args.quiet)
 				printf("\n");
 
 			sys_errmsg("failed to erase eraseblock %d", eb);
@@ -658,7 +659,7 @@ static int format(libmtd_t libmtd, const struct mtd_dev_info *mtd,
 		err = mtd_write(libmtd, mtd, args.node_fd, eb, 0, hdr,
 				write_size, NULL, 0, 0);
 		if (err) {
-			if (!args.quiet && !args.verbose)
+			if (args.interactive && !args.quiet && !args.verbose)
 				printf("\n");
 			sys_errmsg("cannot write EC header (%d bytes buffer) to eraseblock %d",
 				   write_size, eb);
@@ -680,7 +681,7 @@ static int format(libmtd_t libmtd, const struct mtd_dev_info *mtd,
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (!args.quiet && !args.verbose)
+	if (args.interactive && !args.quiet && !args.verbose)
 		printf("\n");
 
 	if (!novtbl) {
@@ -729,6 +730,12 @@ int main(int argc, char * const argv[])
 	if (err)
 		goto out_close_mtd;
 
+	args.interactive = isatty(STDOUT_FILENO);
+	if (!args.interactive && errno != EINVAL && errno != ENOTTY) {
+		sys_errmsg("cannot access stdout");
+		goto out_close_mtd;
+	}
+
 	err = mtd_get_info(libmtd, &mtd_info);
 	if (err) {
 		if (errno == ENODEV)