diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 05c830c..3b7f0e2 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ add_dependencies(bottles cog)
 add_custom_target(cog ALL DEPENDS ${coggedfiles})
 
 add_executable(cellar ${src}/cellar.cpp ${src}/commands.cpp ${src}/fs.cpp
-        ${src}/version.cpp)
+        ${src}/version.cpp ${src}/output.cpp)
 target_link_libraries(cellar ${Boost_LIBRARIES} bottles)
 
 install(TARGETS cellar bottles
diff --git a/include/output.hpp b/include/output.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a962c8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/output.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#ifndef __OUTPUT_HPP
+#define __OUTPUT_HPP
+
+#include <string>
+
+namespace cellar {
+    namespace output {
+        extern void statement(std::string parm);
+        extern void warning(std::string parm);
+        extern void error(std::string);
+    }
+}
+
+#endif // __OUTPUT_HPP
diff --git a/src/bottles/active.cpp b/src/bottles/active.cpp
index ec76458..91124cf 100644
--- a/src/bottles/active.cpp
+++ b/src/bottles/active.cpp
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 #include <cstdlib>
-#include <iostream>
 #include <map>
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 
 #include "bottles.hpp"
 #include "internal/bottles.hpp"
+#include "output.hpp"
 
 using namespace std;
 using namespace cellar::bottles;
@@ -13,37 +13,43 @@ using namespace cellar::bottles;
 void cellar::bottles::print_active_bottle(int argc, vector<string> argv) {
     map<string, Bottle> bottlemap = get_bottles();
     if (bottlemap.find(".wine") == bottlemap.end()) { // not found
-        cout << "no active wine bottle" << endl;
+        output::error("no active wine bottle");
         return;
     }
 
     Bottle active_bottle = bottlemap[".wine"];
     string bottlepath = active_bottle.canonical_path;
+    stringstream outstr;
+    bool cellar_managed = true;
     if (active_bottle.type == bottle_symlink) {
-        cout << "symlink to ";
+        outstr << "symlink to ";
         string homedir = getenv("HOME");
         if (active_bottle.canonical_path.substr(0, homedir.length()) == homedir) {
             bottlepath.replace(0, homedir.length() + 1, ""); // should convert "/home/someone/.wine.example" to ".wine.example"
             active_bottle = bottlemap[bottlepath];
         } else {
-            cout << active_bottle.canonical_path << endl;
+            outstr << active_bottle.canonical_path;
+            cellar_managed = false;
             return;
         }
     }
 
-    switch (active_bottle.type) {
-        case bottle_anonymous:
-            cout << "anonymous wine bottle at " << active_bottle.canonical_path << endl;
-            return;
-        case bottle_labelled:
-            cout << active_bottle.config["name"] << " (~/" << bottlepath << ")";
-            if (active_bottle.config.find("desc") != active_bottle.config.end()) {
-                cout << " - " << active_bottle.config["desc"];
-            }
-            cout << endl;
-            return;
-        default:
-            cout << "broken or unsupported wine bottle" << endl;
-            return;
+    if (cellar_managed) {
+        switch (active_bottle.type) {
+            case bottle_anonymous:
+                outstr << "anonymous wine bottle at " << active_bottle.canonical_path;
+                break;
+            case bottle_labelled:
+                outstr << active_bottle.config["name"] << " (~/" << bottlepath << ")";
+                if (active_bottle.config.find("desc") != active_bottle.config.end()) {
+                    outstr << " - " << active_bottle.config["desc"];
+                }
+                break;
+            default:
+                outstr << "broken or unsupported wine bottle";
+                break;
+        }
     }
+
+    output::statement(outstr.str());
 }
diff --git a/src/bottles/bottles.cpp b/src/bottles/bottles.cpp
index eee6e2a..6a2d1bd 100644
--- a/src/bottles/bottles.cpp
+++ b/src/bottles/bottles.cpp
@@ -13,8 +13,10 @@
 #include "internal/bottles.hpp"
 #include "dll.hpp"
 #include "fs.hpp"
+#include "output.hpp"
 
 using namespace std;
+using namespace cellar;
 using namespace cellar::bottles;
 
 using CommandFunction = cellar::commands::CommandFunction;
@@ -31,7 +33,7 @@ DLL_PUBLIC map<string, Bottle> cellar::bottles::get_bottles() {
 	map<string, Bottle> result;
 
 	string homepath = getenv("HOME");
-	vector<string> homedir = cellar::fs::listdir(homepath);
+	vector<string> homedir = fs::listdir(homepath);
 	for (string item : homedir) {
 		if (item.substr(0,5) == ".wine") {
             Bottle output;
@@ -78,6 +80,8 @@ DLL_PUBLIC map<string, Bottle> cellar::bottles::get_bottles() {
 void cellar::bottles::print_bottles(int argc, vector<string> argv) {
     map<string, Bottle> bottles = get_bottles();
 
+    stringstream outstr;
+
     for (auto item : bottles) {
         if (item.first == ".wine" || item.first == ".wine.template") {
             // .wine is considered to be "active", and .wine.template is used as a template
@@ -85,20 +89,21 @@ void cellar::bottles::print_bottles(int argc, vector<string> argv) {
             continue;
         }
         Bottle bottle = item.second;
-        cout << item.first << " - ";
+        outstr << item.first << " - ";
         switch (bottle.type) {
             case bottle_anonymous:
-                cout << "anonymous wine bottle";
+                outstr << "anonymous wine bottle";
                 break;
             case bottle_symlink:
-                cout << "symlink to " << bottle.canonical_path;
+                outstr << "symlink to " << bottle.canonical_path;
                 break;
             case bottle_labelled:
-                cout << bottle.config["name"];
+                outstr << bottle.config["name"];
                 break;
             default:
-                cout << "broken or unsupported wine bottle";
+                outstr << "broken or unsupported wine bottle";
         }
-        cout << endl;
+        output::statement(outstr.str());
+        outstr.str("");
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/cellar.cpp b/src/cellar.cpp
index c8d24b8..5947eab 100644
--- a/src/cellar.cpp
+++ b/src/cellar.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "bottles.hpp"
 #include "cellar.hpp"
 #include "commands.hpp"
+#include "output.hpp"
 #include "version.hpp"
 
 using namespace std;
@@ -18,8 +19,8 @@ using namespace cellar;
 using json = nlohmann::json;
 
 void cellar::print_header() {
-    cout << "cellar - bottle management tool for WINE connoisseurs" << std::endl;
-    cout << version::short_version() << std::endl;
+    output::statement("cellar - bottle management tool for WINE connoisseurs");
+    output::statement(version::short_version());
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
@@ -57,7 +58,10 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
             }
             commands::command_map[usercmd](subargv.size(), subargv);
         } else {
-            cerr << "invalid command: " << usercmd << endl;
+            stringstream errstr;
+
+            errstr << "invalid command: " << usercmd;
+            output::error(errstr.str());
             return 1;
         }
         return 0;
diff --git a/src/fs.cpp b/src/fs.cpp
index a8aeae3..cff1148 100644
--- a/src/fs.cpp
+++ b/src/fs.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include <boost/filesystem/path.hpp>
 
 #include "fs.hpp"
+#include "output.hpp"
 
 using namespace std;
 
@@ -21,7 +22,8 @@ vector<string> cellar::fs::listdir(string path) {
 			result.push_back(item);
         }
         catch (const exception& exc) {
-            cout << "fuck" << endl;
+            // TODO: better error handling
+            cellar::output::error("fuck");
         }
     }
 	return result;
diff --git a/src/output.cpp b/src/output.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..70c292d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/output.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#include <iostream>
+#include <string>
+
+#include "output.hpp"
+
+void cellar::output::statement(std::string str_message) {
+    std::cout << "* " << str_message << std::endl;
+}
+void cellar::output::warning(std::string str_message) {
+    std::cerr << "* " << str_message << std::endl;
+}
+void cellar::output::error(std::string str_message) {
+    std::cerr << "* " << str_message << std::endl;
+}
diff --git a/src/version.cpp.cog b/src/version.cpp.cog
index 6a80c68..4820a07 100644
--- a/src/version.cpp.cog
+++ b/src/version.cpp.cog
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 #include "commands.hpp"
+#include "output.hpp"
 #include "version.hpp"
 
 using namespace std;
@@ -41,6 +42,6 @@ string cellar::version::short_version() {
 }
 
 void print_version(int argc, vector<string> argv) {
-    cout << short_version() << endl;
+    cellar::output::statement(short_version());
 }
 cellar::commands::CommandFunction versioncmd = cellar::commands::command_map["version"] = &print_version;