diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/cli/install.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/cli/install.rb
index 996de8d1b5..1292ad076e 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/cli/install.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cask/lib/hbc/cli/install.rb
@@ -42,13 +42,12 @@ module Hbc
 
       def self.warn_unavailable_with_suggestion(cask_token, e)
         exact_match, partial_matches = Search.search(cask_token)
-        errmsg = e.message
         if exact_match
-          errmsg.concat(". Did you mean:\n#{exact_match}")
+          onoe e.message.concat(". Did you mean:\n#{exact_match}")
         elsif !partial_matches.empty?
-          errmsg.concat(". Did you mean one of:\n#{puts_columns(partial_matches.take(20))}\n")
+          onoe e.message.concat(". Did you mean one of:")
+          $stderr.puts_columns(partial_matches.take(20))
         end
-        onoe errmsg
       end
 
       def self.help
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/install.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/install.rb
index ffb7eeab3d..209fe8bad9 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/install.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/install.rb
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ module Homebrew
           ofail "No similarly named formulae found."
         when 1
           puts "This similarly named formula was found:"
-          puts_columns(formulae_search_results)
+          puts formulae_search_results
           puts "To install it, run:\n  brew install #{formulae_search_results.first}"
         else
           puts "These similarly named formulae were found:"
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ module Homebrew
           ofail "No formulae found in taps."
         when 1
           puts "This formula was found in a tap:"
-          puts_columns(taps_search_results)
+          puts taps_search_results
           puts "To install it, run:\n  brew install #{taps_search_results.first}"
         else
           puts "These formulae were found in taps:"
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/list.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/list.rb
index 01af678a71..93c2545ad2 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/list.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/list.rb
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ module Homebrew
             a <=> b
           end
         end
+        return if full_names.empty?
         puts_columns full_names
       else
         ENV["CLICOLOR"] = nil
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/search.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/search.rb
index 8d6e5ad7c3..f0a2769295 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/search.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/search.rb
@@ -59,9 +59,9 @@ module Homebrew
       query = ARGV.first
       regex = query_regexp(query)
       local_results = search_formulae(regex)
-      puts_columns(local_results)
+      puts_columns(local_results) unless local_results.empty?
       tap_results = search_taps(regex)
-      puts_columns(tap_results)
+      puts_columns(tap_results) unless tap_results.empty?
 
       if $stdout.tty?
         count = local_results.length + tap_results.length
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/uses.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/uses.rb
index 4acf1b9f1f..66088e217c 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/uses.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/uses.rb
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ module Homebrew
       end
     end
 
+    return if uses.empty?
     puts_columns uses.map(&:full_name)
   end
 end