diff --git a/testing/scripts/build-baseimage b/testing/scripts/build-baseimage
index de247786b..08da30f08 100755
--- a/testing/scripts/build-baseimage
+++ b/testing/scripts/build-baseimage
@@ -1,16 +1,14 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-if [ `id -u` != 0 ];
-then
-	echo "! you must be root to run $0"
-	exit
-fi
+echo "Building base image"
 
 DIR=`dirname $0`
 
 . $DIR/function.sh
 
-[ -f $DIR/../testing.conf ] || die "!! Configuration file 'testing.conf' not found"
+[ `id -u` -eq 0 ] || die "You must be root to run $0"
+
+[ -f $DIR/../testing.conf ] || die "Configuration file 'testing.conf' not found"
 . $DIR/../testing.conf
 
 # additional packages
@@ -26,7 +24,6 @@ mkdir -p $CACHEDIR
 rm -f $ROOTFS
 
 echo "`date`, building $ROOTFS" >>$LOGFILE
-echo "Building base image"
 log_action "Creating image $ROOTFS"
 execute "dd if=/dev/null of=$ROOTFS bs=1M seek=$ROOTFSSIZE count=1"
 
diff --git a/testing/scripts/function.sh b/testing/scripts/function.sh
index 4ee9b24b8..a04490aec 100755
--- a/testing/scripts/function.sh
+++ b/testing/scripts/function.sh
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ execute_chroot()
 }
 
 export TERM=xterm
+RED=$(tput setaf 1)
+GREEN=$(tput setaf 2)
+NORMAL=$(tput op)
 
 function cecho {
     echo -e "\033[1;31m$1\033[0m"
@@ -64,10 +67,6 @@ log_action()
 # $1 - exit status of action
 log_status()
 {
-	RED=$(tput setaf 1)
-	GREEN=$(tput setaf 2)
-	NORMAL=$(tput op)
-
 	tput hpa 0
 	if [ $1 -eq 0 ]; then
 		/bin/echo -ne "[${GREEN} ok ${NORMAL}"
@@ -77,14 +76,11 @@ log_status()
 	echo
 }
 
-#############################################
-# output all args to stderr and exit with
-# return code 1
-#
-
+# exit with given error message
+# $1 - error message
 die() {
-    echo $* 1>&2
-    exit 1
+	echo -e "${RED}$1${NORMAL}"
+	exit 1
 }
 
 #############################################