diff --git a/src/commands/link.rs b/src/commands/link.rs
index 5ae669f..7b1b7b6 100644
--- a/src/commands/link.rs
+++ b/src/commands/link.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use anyhow::{Result, anyhow, bail};
 use self::store::{Repo, ignored, resolve, symlink_metadata_opt, tracked};
 use crate::ctx::Ctx;
 use crate::fsops::{move_path, place_link, prune_empty, remove_file, rename, suffixed};
-use crate::output::{note, warning};
+use crate::output::{line, note, warning};
 
 const BACKUP_SUFFIX: &str = ".ahab-bak";
 
@@ -200,10 +200,10 @@ pub fn list(ctx: &Ctx, store: Option<&Path>) -> Result<()> {
     let repo = Repo::discover(ctx, store)?;
     let stored = stored_paths(&repo, &repo.store)?;
 
-    println!("store: {}", repo.store.display());
+    line!("store: {}", repo.store.display());
 
     if stored.is_empty() {
-        println!("nothing in the store for this repository");
+        line!("nothing in the store for this repository");
         return Ok(());
     }
 
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ pub fn list(ctx: &Ctx, store: Option<&Path>) -> Result<()> {
             Stored::Taken => "shadowed",
         };
 
-        println!("\t{:<11}{}", format!("{verb}:"), rel.display());
+        line!("\t{:<11}{}", format!("{verb}:"), rel.display());
     }
 
     Ok(())
@@ -237,10 +237,10 @@ impl Report {
     fn line(&self, verb: &str, path: &Path) {
         // worth naming once per run
         if !self.named.replace(true) {
-            println!("store: {}", self.store.display());
+            line!("store: {}", self.store.display());
         }
 
-        println!("\t{:<11}{}", format!("{verb}:"), path.display());
+        line!("\t{:<11}{}", format!("{verb}:"), path.display());
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/commands/link/check.rs b/src/commands/link/check.rs
index 637431d..b13f869 100644
--- a/src/commands/link/check.rs
+++ b/src/commands/link/check.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use anyhow::{Result, anyhow};
 use super::store::{Repo, resolve, symlink_metadata_opt};
 use crate::cmd::{Cmd, LsFiles};
 use crate::ctx::Ctx;
+use crate::output::{line, text};
 
 pub fn check(
     ctx: &Ctx,
@@ -55,17 +56,17 @@ fn print_porcelain(exposed: &[Exposed], null: bool) {
 
     for item in exposed {
         match &item.dest {
-            Some(dest) => print!("{} {} -> {}{end}", item.code(), item.name, dest.display()),
-            None => print!("{} {}{end}", item.code(), item.name),
+            Some(dest) => text!("{} {} -> {}{end}", item.code(), item.name, dest.display()),
+            None => text!("{} {}{end}", item.code(), item.name),
         }
     }
 }
 
 fn print_listing(repo: &Repo, exposed: &[Exposed]) {
-    println!("store: {}", repo.store.display());
+    line!("store: {}", repo.store.display());
 
     if exposed.is_empty() {
-        println!("nothing outside the store, a sandbox would see tracked files only");
+        line!("nothing outside the store, a sandbox would see tracked files only");
         return;
     }
 
@@ -93,11 +94,11 @@ fn print_listing(repo: &Repo, exposed: &[Exposed]) {
             continue;
         }
 
-        println!("\n{heading}\n{hint}");
+        line!("\n{heading}\n{hint}");
         for item in items {
             match &item.dest {
-                Some(dest) => println!("\t{} -> {}", item.name, dest.display()),
-                None => println!("\t{}", item.name),
+                Some(dest) => line!("\t{} -> {}", item.name, dest.display()),
+                None => line!("\t{}", item.name),
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/commands/status.rs b/src/commands/status.rs
index 4c6bdc5..0da1340 100644
--- a/src/commands/status.rs
+++ b/src/commands/status.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ use anyhow::Result;
 use crate::cmd::{Cmd, Ps};
 use crate::commands::link;
 use crate::ctx::Ctx;
+use crate::output::line;
 use crate::project::Project;
 
 // which services ahab picked, what it would talk to, what the store holds
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ pub fn status(ctx: &Ctx, store: Option<&Path>) -> Result<()> {
         }
     };
 
-    println!("services: {}", project.names().join(", "));
+    line!("services: {}", project.names().join(", "));
 
     role(ctx, "django", project.django(), &project);
     role(ctx, "postgres", project.postgres(), &project);
@@ -30,16 +31,16 @@ pub fn status(ctx: &Ctx, store: Option<&Path>) -> Result<()> {
 // what the store holds, and where to look for what it does not
 fn stored(ctx: &Ctx, store: Option<&Path>) {
     match link::stored_summary(ctx, store) {
-        Err(e) => println!("store: {e:#}"),
+        Err(e) => line!("store: {e:#}"),
         Ok((store, linked, other)) => {
-            println!("store: {}", store.display());
-            println!("\tlinked:    {linked}");
+            line!("store: {}", store.display());
+            line!("\tlinked:    {linked}");
 
             if other > 0 {
-                println!("\tnot linked: {other} (see `ahab link list`)");
+                line!("\tnot linked: {other} (see `ahab link list`)");
             }
 
-            println!("\t`ahab link check` lists what a sandbox can still read");
+            line!("\t`ahab link check` lists what a sandbox can still read");
         }
     }
 }
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ fn role(ctx: &Ctx, role: &str, detected: Result<String>, project: &Project) {
     let service = match detected {
         Ok(service) => service,
         Err(e) => {
-            println!("{role}: {e:#}");
+            line!("{role}: {e:#}");
             return;
         }
     };
@@ -59,12 +60,12 @@ fn role(ctx: &Ctx, role: &str, detected: Result<String>, project: &Project) {
         .unwrap_or("built from the project")
         .to_string();
 
-    println!("{role}: {service} ({image})");
+    line!("{role}: {service} ({image})");
 
     match Ps::id_of(&service).capture(ctx) {
-        Ok(id) if id.trim().is_empty() => println!("\tcontainer: not running"),
-        Ok(id) => println!("\tcontainer: {}", short(id.trim())),
-        Err(e) => println!("\tcontainer: {e:#}"),
+        Ok(id) if id.trim().is_empty() => line!("\tcontainer: not running"),
+        Ok(id) => line!("\tcontainer: {}", short(id.trim())),
+        Err(e) => line!("\tcontainer: {e:#}"),
     }
 
     if role == "postgres" {
@@ -74,8 +75,8 @@ fn role(ctx: &Ctx, role: &str, detected: Result<String>, project: &Project) {
             None => " (default, nothing in the environment)",
         };
 
-        println!("\tuser:      {user}{}", source("POSTGRES_USER"));
-        println!("\tdatabase:  {database}{}", source("POSTGRES_DB"));
+        line!("\tuser:      {user}{}", source("POSTGRES_USER"));
+        line!("\tdatabase:  {database}{}", source("POSTGRES_DB"));
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/output.rs b/src/output.rs
index 5b7e7c5..10448f1 100644
--- a/src/output.rs
+++ b/src/output.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+use std::fmt::Arguments;
+use std::io::{self, Write};
+
 // progress, on stderr and only when it was asked for
 macro_rules! note {
     ($ctx:expr, $($arg:tt)*) => {
@@ -12,4 +15,29 @@ macro_rules! warning {
     ($($arg:tt)*) => { eprintln!("warning: {}", format_args!($($arg)*)) };
 }
 
-pub(crate) use {note, warning};
+// what a command was asked for, on stdout
+macro_rules! line {
+    ($($arg:tt)*) => { $crate::output::write_line(format_args!($($arg)*)) };
+}
+
+// the same, for a caller that terminates its own entries
+macro_rules! text {
+    ($($arg:tt)*) => { $crate::output::write_text(format_args!($($arg)*)) };
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn write_line(args: Arguments) {
+    finish(writeln!(io::stdout(), "{args}"));
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn write_text(args: Arguments) {
+    finish(write!(io::stdout(), "{args}"));
+}
+
+// a reader leaving early ends the pipe; println! would panic instead
+fn finish(written: io::Result<()>) {
+    if written.is_err() {
+        std::process::exit(0);
+    }
+}
+
+pub(crate) use {line, note, text, warning};