diff --git a/tools/bufr_compare.cc b/tools/bufr_compare.cc
index dd2a897d7..294a1da26 100644
--- a/tools/bufr_compare.cc
+++ b/tools/bufr_compare.cc
@@ -1311,7 +1311,7 @@ static int compare_handles(grib_handle* handle1, grib_handle* handle2, grib_runt
             if (options->compare[i].type == CODES_NAMESPACE) {
                 iter = grib_keys_iterator_new(handle1, 0, options->compare[i].name);
                 if (!iter) {
-                    grib_context_log(handle1->context, GRIB_LOG_ERROR, "unable to get iterator");
+                    grib_context_log(handle1->context, GRIB_LOG_ERROR, "unable to create the BUFR keys iterator");
                     exit(1);
                 }
                 while (grib_keys_iterator_next(iter)) {
@@ -1372,12 +1372,11 @@ static int compare_handles(grib_handle* handle1, grib_handle* handle2, grib_runt
                     iter = grib_keys_iterator_new(handle1, 0, options->compare[i].name);
                     if (!iter) {
                         grib_context_log(handle1->context, GRIB_LOG_ERROR,
-                                         "ERROR: unable to get keys iterator for %s", options->compare[i].name);
+                                         "unable to create the BUFR keys iterator for %s", options->compare[i].name);
                         exit(1);
                     }
                     while (grib_keys_iterator_next(iter)) {
                         name = grib_keys_iterator_get_name(iter);
-                        /*printf("----- comparing %s\n",name);*/
 
                         if (blocklisted(name))
                             continue;
diff --git a/tools/grib_compare.cc b/tools/grib_compare.cc
index a538f2a8c..9d99498fb 100644
--- a/tools/grib_compare.cc
+++ b/tools/grib_compare.cc
@@ -1227,7 +1227,6 @@ static int compare_handles(grib_handle* h1, grib_handle* h2, grib_runtime_option
         h22 = grib_handle_new_from_partial_message(h1->context, msg2, size2);
 
         iter = grib_keys_iterator_new(h11, GRIB_KEYS_ITERATOR_SKIP_COMPUTED, NULL);
-
         if (!iter) {
             grib_context_log(context, GRIB_LOG_ERROR, "unable to create the GRIB keys iterator");
             exit(1);
@@ -1235,7 +1234,6 @@ static int compare_handles(grib_handle* h1, grib_handle* h2, grib_runtime_option
 
         while (grib_keys_iterator_next(iter)) {
             name = grib_keys_iterator_get_name(iter);
-            /*printf("----- comparing %s\n",name);*/
 
             if (blocklisted(name))
                 continue;
@@ -1258,7 +1256,7 @@ static int compare_handles(grib_handle* h1, grib_handle* h2, grib_runtime_option
                 int num_keys_in_namespace = 0;
                 iter = grib_keys_iterator_new(h1, 0, options->compare[i].name);
                 if (!iter) {
-                    printf("ERROR: unable to get keys iterator for namespace \"%s\".\n", options->compare[i].name);
+                    grib_context_log(context, GRIB_LOG_ERROR, "unable to create the GRIB keys iterator for %s", options->compare[i].name);
                     exit(1);
                 }
                 while (grib_keys_iterator_next(iter)) {
@@ -1292,9 +1290,8 @@ static int compare_handles(grib_handle* h1, grib_handle* h2, grib_runtime_option
             return 0;
 
         iter = grib_keys_iterator_new(h1, GRIB_KEYS_ITERATOR_SKIP_COMPUTED, NULL);
-
         if (!iter) {
-            printf("ERROR: unable to get keys iterator\n");
+            grib_context_log(context, GRIB_LOG_ERROR, "unable to create the GRIB keys iterator");
             exit(1);
         }
 
@@ -1318,7 +1315,7 @@ static int compare_handles(grib_handle* h1, grib_handle* h2, grib_runtime_option
                 if (options->compare[i].type == CODES_NAMESPACE) {
                     iter = grib_keys_iterator_new(h1, 0, options->compare[i].name);
                     if (!iter) {
-                        printf("ERROR: unable to get iterator for %s\n", options->compare[i].name);
+                        fprintf(stderr, "Error: unable to get keys iterator for %s\n", options->compare[i].name);
                         exit(1);
                     }
                     while (grib_keys_iterator_next(iter)) {