diff --git a/src/daemon/rpmostreed-sysroot.c b/src/daemon/rpmostreed-sysroot.c
index c133608f..f17aea3f 100644
--- a/src/daemon/rpmostreed-sysroot.c
+++ b/src/daemon/rpmostreed-sysroot.c
@@ -303,6 +303,10 @@ sysroot_output_cb (RpmOstreeOutputType type, void *data, void *opaque)
 
   switch (type)
   {
+  case RPMOSTREE_OUTPUT_MESSAGE:
+    rpmostree_transaction_emit_message (RPMOSTREE_TRANSACTION (transaction),
+                                        ((RpmOstreeOutputMessage*)data)->text);
+    break;
   case RPMOSTREE_OUTPUT_TASK_BEGIN:
     rpmostree_transaction_emit_task_begin (RPMOSTREE_TRANSACTION (transaction),
                                            ((RpmOstreeOutputTaskBegin*)data)->text);
diff --git a/src/libpriv/rpmostree-output.c b/src/libpriv/rpmostree-output.c
index d05fe6a5..00ce1d7b 100644
--- a/src/libpriv/rpmostree-output.c
+++ b/src/libpriv/rpmostree-output.c
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ rpmostree_output_default_handler (RpmOstreeOutputType type,
 {
   switch (type)
   {
+  case RPMOSTREE_OUTPUT_MESSAGE:
+    g_print ("%s\n", ((RpmOstreeOutputMessage*)data)->text);
+    break;
   case RPMOSTREE_OUTPUT_TASK_BEGIN:
     /* XXX: move to libglnx spinner once it's implemented */
     g_print ("%s... ", ((RpmOstreeOutputTaskBegin*)data)->text);
@@ -71,36 +74,33 @@ rpmostree_output_set_callback (void (*cb)(RpmOstreeOutputType, void*, void*),
   active_cb_opaque = opaque;
 }
 
+#define strdup_vprintf(format)                  \
+  ({ va_list args; va_start (args, format);     \
+     char *s = g_strdup_vprintf (format, args); \
+     va_end (args); s; })
+
+void
+rpmostree_output_message (const char *format, ...)
+{
+  g_autofree char *final_msg = strdup_vprintf (format);
+  RpmOstreeOutputMessage task = { final_msg };
+  active_cb (RPMOSTREE_OUTPUT_MESSAGE, &task, active_cb_opaque);
+}
+
 void
 rpmostree_output_task_begin (const char *format, ...)
 {
-  g_autofree char *final = NULL;
-  va_list args;
-
-  va_start (args, format);
-  final = g_strdup_vprintf (format, args);
-  va_end (args);
-
-  {
-    RpmOstreeOutputTaskBegin task = { final };
-    active_cb (RPMOSTREE_OUTPUT_TASK_BEGIN, &task, active_cb_opaque);
-  }
+  g_autofree char *final_msg = strdup_vprintf (format);
+  RpmOstreeOutputTaskBegin task = { final_msg };
+  active_cb (RPMOSTREE_OUTPUT_TASK_BEGIN, &task, active_cb_opaque);
 }
 
 void
 rpmostree_output_task_end (const char *format, ...)
 {
-  g_autofree char *final = NULL;
-  va_list args;
-
-  va_start (args, format);
-  final = g_strdup_vprintf (format, args);
-  va_end (args);
-
-  {
-    RpmOstreeOutputTaskEnd task = { final };
-    active_cb (RPMOSTREE_OUTPUT_TASK_END, &task, active_cb_opaque);
-  }
+  g_autofree char *final_msg = strdup_vprintf (format);
+  RpmOstreeOutputTaskEnd task = { final_msg };
+  active_cb (RPMOSTREE_OUTPUT_TASK_END, &task, active_cb_opaque);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/libpriv/rpmostree-output.h b/src/libpriv/rpmostree-output.h
index d944a606..d104061f 100644
--- a/src/libpriv/rpmostree-output.h
+++ b/src/libpriv/rpmostree-output.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 typedef enum {
+  RPMOSTREE_OUTPUT_MESSAGE,
   RPMOSTREE_OUTPUT_TASK_BEGIN,
   RPMOSTREE_OUTPUT_TASK_END,
   RPMOSTREE_OUTPUT_PERCENT_PROGRESS,
@@ -33,12 +34,17 @@ rpmostree_output_set_callback (void (*cb)(RpmOstreeOutputType, void*, void*), vo
 
 typedef struct {
   const char *text;
-} RpmOstreeOutputTaskBegin;
+} RpmOstreeOutputMessage;
+
+void
+rpmostree_output_message (const char *format, ...) G_GNUC_PRINTF (1,2);
+
+typedef RpmOstreeOutputMessage RpmOstreeOutputTaskBegin;
 
 void
 rpmostree_output_task_begin (const char *format, ...) G_GNUC_PRINTF (1,2);
 
-typedef RpmOstreeOutputTaskBegin RpmOstreeOutputTaskEnd;
+typedef RpmOstreeOutputMessage RpmOstreeOutputTaskEnd;
 
 void
 rpmostree_output_task_end (const char *format, ...) G_GNUC_PRINTF (1,2);