diff --git a/scripts/functions.sh b/scripts/functions.sh
index 6033e03efe..fecad9922d 100755
--- a/scripts/functions.sh
+++ b/scripts/functions.sh
@@ -4,13 +4,13 @@ gitcmd="git -c commit.gpgsign=false"
 
 color() {
     if [ $2 ]; then
-            echo -e "\e[$1;$2m"
+            printf "\e[$1;$2m"
     else
-            echo -e "\e[$1m"
+            printf "\e[$1m"
     fi
 }
 colorend() {
-    echo -e "\e[m"
+    printf "\e[m"
 }
 
 paperstash() {
diff --git a/scripts/requireDeps.sh b/scripts/requireDeps.sh
index b64412f35f..ac3f843fd6 100755
--- a/scripts/requireDeps.sh
+++ b/scripts/requireDeps.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ set -ue
 # Check if an application is on the PATH.
 # If it is not, return with non-zero.
 _is_dep_available() {
-	command -v "$1" >/dev/null || (echo "$1 ${2:-was not found and is a required dependency}"; return 1)
+	command -v "$1" >/dev/null || (echo "\`$1\` ${2:-command was not found in the path and is a required dependency}"; return 1)
 }
 
 if [ -z "${1:-}" ]; then