diff --git a/src/isync.h b/src/isync.h
index c9b5798..88ee199 100644
--- a/src/isync.h
+++ b/src/isync.h
@@ -400,6 +400,7 @@ void infon( const char *, ... );
 void warn( const char *, ... );
 void error( const char *, ... );
 void sys_error( const char *, ... );
+void flushn( void );
 
 char *next_arg( char ** );
 
diff --git a/src/sync.c b/src/sync.c
index d72ae62..d8c9af8 100644
--- a/src/sync.c
+++ b/src/sync.c
@@ -1733,7 +1733,7 @@ sync_bail2( sync_vars_t *svars )
 	free( svars->nname );
 	free( svars->jname );
 	free( svars->dname );
-	error( "" );
+	flushn();
 	sync_deref( svars );
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index 11ce4fc..39df03d 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -34,6 +34,15 @@
 int DFlags, Ontty;
 static int need_nl;
 
+void
+flushn( void )
+{
+	if (need_nl) {
+		putchar( '\n' );
+		need_nl = 0;
+	}
+}
+
 void
 debug( const char *msg, ... )
 {
@@ -96,10 +105,7 @@ warn( const char *msg, ... )
 	va_list va;
 
 	if (!(DFlags & VERYQUIET)) {
-		if (need_nl) {
-			putchar( '\n' );
-			need_nl = 0;
-		}
+		flushn();
 		va_start( va, msg );
 		vfprintf( stderr, msg, va );
 		va_end( va );
@@ -111,10 +117,7 @@ error( const char *msg, ... )
 {
 	va_list va;
 
-	if (need_nl) {
-		putchar( '\n' );
-		need_nl = 0;
-	}
+	flushn();
 	va_start( va, msg );
 	vfprintf( stderr, msg, va );
 	va_end( va );
@@ -126,10 +129,7 @@ sys_error( const char *msg, ... )
 	va_list va;
 	char buf[1024];
 
-	if (need_nl) {
-		putchar( '\n' );
-		need_nl = 0;
-	}
+	flushn();
 	va_start( va, msg );
 	if ((unsigned)vsnprintf( buf, sizeof(buf), msg, va ) >= sizeof(buf))
 		oob();