diff --git a/bin/sh/histedit.c b/bin/sh/histedit.c
index 32b0448d2b3a..0c2def8926d9 100644
--- a/bin/sh/histedit.c
+++ b/bin/sh/histedit.c
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ histedit(void)
 			if (hist != NULL)
 				sethistsize(histsizeval());
 			else
-				out2str("sh: can't initialize history\n");
+				out2fmt_flush("sh: can't initialize history\n");
 		}
 		if (editing && !el && isatty(0)) { /* && isatty(2) ??? */
 			/*
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ histedit(void)
 				el_set(el, EL_PROMPT, getprompt);
 			} else {
 bad:
-				out2str("sh: can't initialize editing\n");
+				out2fmt_flush("sh: can't initialize editing\n");
 			}
 			INTON;
 		} else if (!editing && el) {
@@ -336,6 +336,7 @@ histcmd(int argc, char **argv)
 			if (sflg) {
 				if (displayhist) {
 					out2str(s);
+					flushout(out2);
 				}
 				evalstring(s, 0);
 				if (displayhist && hist) {
diff --git a/bin/sh/input.c b/bin/sh/input.c
index f709b8c0218b..3d8f90c821c0 100644
--- a/bin/sh/input.c
+++ b/bin/sh/input.c
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ retry:
                                 if (flags >= 0 && flags & O_NONBLOCK) {
                                         flags &=~ O_NONBLOCK;
                                         if (fcntl(0, F_SETFL, flags) >= 0) {
-						out2str("sh: turning off NDELAY mode\n");
+						out2fmt_flush("sh: turning off NDELAY mode\n");
                                                 goto retry;
                                         }
                                 }
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ pushstring(char *s, int len, void *ap)
 	struct strpush *sp;
 
 	INTOFF;
-/*dprintf("*** calling pushstring: %s, %d\n", s, len);*/
+/*out2fmt_flush("*** calling pushstring: %s, %d\n", s, len);*/
 	if (parsefile->strpush) {
 		sp = ckmalloc(sizeof (struct strpush));
 		sp->prev = parsefile->strpush;
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ popstring(void)
 	parsenextc = sp->prevstring;
 	parsenleft = sp->prevnleft;
 	parselleft = sp->prevlleft;
-/*dprintf("*** calling popstring: restoring to '%s'\n", parsenextc);*/
+/*out2fmt_flush("*** calling popstring: restoring to '%s'\n", parsenextc);*/
 	if (sp->ap)
 		sp->ap->flag &= ~ALIASINUSE;
 	parsefile->strpush = sp->prev;
diff --git a/bin/sh/jobs.c b/bin/sh/jobs.c
index be9acab565a4..1ebf72285225 100644
--- a/bin/sh/jobs.c
+++ b/bin/sh/jobs.c
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ setjobctl(int on)
 		do { /* while we are in the background */
 			initialpgrp = tcgetpgrp(ttyfd);
 			if (initialpgrp < 0) {
-out:				out2str("sh: can't access tty; job control turned off\n");
+out:				out2fmt_flush("sh: can't access tty; job control turned off\n");
 				mflag = 0;
 				return;
 			}
@@ -1046,7 +1046,7 @@ stoppedjobs(void)
 		if (jp->used == 0)
 			continue;
 		if (jp->state == JOBSTOPPED) {
-			out2str("You have stopped jobs.\n");
+			out2fmt_flush("You have stopped jobs.\n");
 			job_warning = 2;
 			return (1);
 		}
diff --git a/bin/sh/main.c b/bin/sh/main.c
index 85a6d20ee457..f26e6119b708 100644
--- a/bin/sh/main.c
+++ b/bin/sh/main.c
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	setstackmark(&smark);
 	procargs(argc, argv);
 	if (getpwd() == NULL && iflag)
-		out2str("sh: cannot determine working directory\n");
+		out2fmt_flush("sh: cannot determine working directory\n");
 	if (getpwd() != NULL)
 		setvar ("PWD", getpwd(), VEXPORT);
 	if (argv[0] && argv[0][0] == '-') {
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ cmdloop(int top)
 			if (!stoppedjobs()) {
 				if (!Iflag)
 					break;
-				out2str("\nUse \"exit\" to leave shell.\n");
+				out2fmt_flush("\nUse \"exit\" to leave shell.\n");
 			}
 			numeof++;
 		} else if (n != NULL && nflag == 0) {
diff --git a/bin/sh/output.c b/bin/sh/output.c
index 0d55fdfcb28e..f1d207237e50 100644
--- a/bin/sh/output.c
+++ b/bin/sh/output.c
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ __FBSDID("$FreeBSD$");
 static int doformat_wr(void *, const char *, int);
 
 struct output output = {NULL, 0, NULL, OUTBUFSIZ, 1, 0};
-struct output errout = {NULL, 0, NULL, 100, 2, 0};
+struct output errout = {NULL, 0, NULL, 256, 2, 0};
 struct output memout = {NULL, 0, NULL, 0, MEM_OUT, 0};
 struct output *out1 = &output;
 struct output *out2 = &errout;
@@ -124,8 +124,6 @@ outstr(const char *p, struct output *file)
 {
 	while (*p)
 		outc(*p++, file);
-	if (file == out2)
-		flushout(file);
 }
 
 /* Like outstr(), but quote for re-input into the shell. */
@@ -255,7 +253,7 @@ out1fmt(const char *fmt, ...)
 }
 
 void
-dprintf(const char *fmt, ...)
+out2fmt_flush(const char *fmt, ...)
 {
 	va_list ap;
 
diff --git a/bin/sh/output.h b/bin/sh/output.h
index bafd8687b159..d34c7927d620 100644
--- a/bin/sh/output.h
+++ b/bin/sh/output.h
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ void flushout(struct output *);
 void freestdout(void);
 void outfmt(struct output *, const char *, ...) __printflike(2, 3);
 void out1fmt(const char *, ...) __printflike(1, 2);
-void dprintf(const char *, ...) __printflike(1, 2);
+void out2fmt_flush(const char *, ...) __printflike(1, 2);
 void fmtstr(char *, int, const char *, ...) __printflike(3, 4);
 void doformat(struct output *, const char *, va_list) __printflike(2, 0);
 int xwrite(int, char *, int);
diff --git a/bin/sh/parser.c b/bin/sh/parser.c
index 46f5199cf2e3..5218dc0f2922 100644
--- a/bin/sh/parser.c
+++ b/bin/sh/parser.c
@@ -1563,7 +1563,10 @@ setprompt(int which)
 #ifndef NO_HISTORY
 	if (!el)
 #endif
+	{
 		out2str(getprompt(NULL));
+		flushout(out2);
+	}
 }
 
 /*