diff --git a/cmd/buildctl/build.go b/cmd/buildctl/build.go
index b2cd1fb1..bc811049 100644
--- a/cmd/buildctl/build.go
+++ b/cmd/buildctl/build.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/containerd/console"
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/client"
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/client/llb"
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/solver/pb"
@@ -168,22 +169,25 @@ func build(clicontext *cli.Context) error {
 	})
 
 	eg.Go(func() error {
-		if clicontext.Bool("no-progress") {
-			for s := range displayCh {
-				for _, v := range s.Vertexes {
-					logrus.Debugf("vertex: %s %s %v %v", v.Digest, v.Name, v.Started, v.Completed)
-				}
-				for _, s := range s.Statuses {
-					logrus.Debugf("status: %s %s %d", s.Vertex, s.ID, s.Current)
-				}
-				for _, l := range s.Logs {
-					logrus.Debugf("log: %s\n%s", l.Vertex, l.Data)
-				}
+		if !clicontext.Bool("no-progress") {
+			if c, err := console.ConsoleFromFile(os.Stdout); err == nil {
+				// not using shared context to not disrupt display but let is finish reporting errors
+				return progressui.DisplaySolveStatus(context.TODO(), c, displayCh)
 			}
-			return nil
 		}
-		// not using shared context to not disrupt display but let is finish reporting errors
-		return progressui.DisplaySolveStatus(context.TODO(), displayCh)
+
+		for s := range displayCh {
+			for _, v := range s.Vertexes {
+				logrus.Debugf("vertex: %s %s %v %v", v.Digest, v.Name, v.Started, v.Completed)
+			}
+			for _, s := range s.Statuses {
+				logrus.Debugf("status: %s %s %d", s.Vertex, s.ID, s.Current)
+			}
+			for _, l := range s.Logs {
+				logrus.Debugf("log: %s\n%s", l.Vertex, l.Data)
+			}
+		}
+		return nil
 	})
 
 	return eg.Wait()
diff --git a/cmd/buildctl/main.go b/cmd/buildctl/main.go
index 497c5ce5..1ea03800 100644
--- a/cmd/buildctl/main.go
+++ b/cmd/buildctl/main.go
@@ -39,8 +39,11 @@ func main() {
 		debugCommand,
 	}
 
+	var debugEnabled bool
+
 	app.Before = func(context *cli.Context) error {
-		if context.GlobalBool("debug") {
+		debugEnabled = context.GlobalBool("debug")
+		if debugEnabled {
 			logrus.SetLevel(logrus.DebugLevel)
 		}
 		return nil
@@ -49,7 +52,11 @@ func main() {
 	profiler.Attach(app)
 
 	if err := app.Run(os.Args); err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "buildd: %s\n", err)
+		if debugEnabled {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: %+v\n", err)
+		} else {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error: %v\n", err)
+		}
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/util/progress/progressui/display.go b/util/progress/progressui/display.go
index 2908277b..4533a87f 100644
--- a/util/progress/progressui/display.go
+++ b/util/progress/progressui/display.go
@@ -15,11 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/time/rate"
 )
 
-func DisplaySolveStatus(ctx context.Context, ch chan *client.SolveStatus) error {
-	c, err := console.ConsoleFromFile(os.Stdout)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err // TODO: switch to log mode
-	}
+func DisplaySolveStatus(ctx context.Context, c console.Console, ch chan *client.SolveStatus) error {
 	disp := &display{c: c}
 
 	t := newTrace()