diff --git a/cli/command/stack/ps.go b/cli/command/stack/ps.go
index ae9ed0f70a..985d6ee8d8 100644
--- a/cli/command/stack/ps.go
+++ b/cli/command/stack/ps.go
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func runPS(dockerCli command.Cli, options psOptions) error {
 	}
 
 	if len(tasks) == 0 {
-		fmt.Fprintf(dockerCli.Out(), "Nothing found in stack: %s\n", namespace)
+		fmt.Fprintf(dockerCli.Err(), "Nothing found in stack: %s\n", namespace)
 		return nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/cli/command/stack/ps_test.go b/cli/command/stack/ps_test.go
index afda419eb4..7dc766609c 100644
--- a/cli/command/stack/ps_test.go
+++ b/cli/command/stack/ps_test.go
@@ -53,15 +53,20 @@ func TestStackPsErrors(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestStackPsEmptyStack(t *testing.T) {
-	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
-	cmd := newPsCommand(test.NewFakeCli(&fakeClient{
+	out := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	stderr := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	fakeCli := test.NewFakeCli(&fakeClient{
 		taskListFunc: func(options types.TaskListOptions) ([]swarm.Task, error) {
 			return []swarm.Task{}, nil
 		},
-	}, buf))
+	}, out)
+	fakeCli.SetErr(stderr)
+	cmd := newPsCommand(fakeCli)
 	cmd.SetArgs([]string{"foo"})
+
 	assert.NoError(t, cmd.Execute())
-	testutil.EqualNormalizedString(t, testutil.RemoveSpace, buf.String(), "Nothing found in stack: foo")
+	assert.Equal(t, "", out.String())
+	assert.Equal(t, "Nothing found in stack: foo\n", stderr.String())
 }
 
 func TestStackPsWithQuietOption(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/cli/command/stack/remove.go b/cli/command/stack/remove.go
index 20d3ee71db..10a651cc13 100644
--- a/cli/command/stack/remove.go
+++ b/cli/command/stack/remove.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func runRemove(dockerCli command.Cli, opts removeOptions) error {
 		}
 
 		if len(services)+len(networks)+len(secrets)+len(configs) == 0 {
-			fmt.Fprintf(dockerCli.Out(), "Nothing found in stack: %s\n", namespace)
+			fmt.Fprintf(dockerCli.Err(), "Nothing found in stack: %s\n", namespace)
 			continue
 		}
 
diff --git a/cli/command/stack/remove_test.go b/cli/command/stack/remove_test.go
index 498416ebe8..a924407af0 100644
--- a/cli/command/stack/remove_test.go
+++ b/cli/command/stack/remove_test.go
@@ -56,8 +56,9 @@ func TestRemoveStack(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, allConfigIDs, cli.removedConfigs)
 }
 
-func TestSkipEmptyStack(t *testing.T) {
-	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+func TestRemoveStackSkipEmpty(t *testing.T) {
+	out := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	stderr := new(bytes.Buffer)
 	allServices := []string{objectName("bar", "service1"), objectName("bar", "service2")}
 	allServiceIDs := buildObjectIDs(allServices)
 
@@ -70,21 +71,24 @@ func TestSkipEmptyStack(t *testing.T) {
 	allConfigs := []string{objectName("bar", "config1")}
 	allConfigIDs := buildObjectIDs(allConfigs)
 
-	cli := &fakeClient{
+	fakeClient := &fakeClient{
 		services: allServices,
 		networks: allNetworks,
 		secrets:  allSecrets,
 		configs:  allConfigs,
 	}
-	cmd := newRemoveCommand(test.NewFakeCli(cli, buf))
+	fakeCli := test.NewFakeCli(fakeClient, out)
+	fakeCli.SetErr(stderr)
+	cmd := newRemoveCommand(fakeCli)
 	cmd.SetArgs([]string{"foo", "bar"})
 
 	assert.NoError(t, cmd.Execute())
-	assert.Contains(t, buf.String(), "Nothing found in stack: foo")
-	assert.Equal(t, allServiceIDs, cli.removedServices)
-	assert.Equal(t, allNetworkIDs, cli.removedNetworks)
-	assert.Equal(t, allSecretIDs, cli.removedSecrets)
-	assert.Equal(t, allConfigIDs, cli.removedConfigs)
+	assert.Equal(t, "", out.String())
+	assert.Contains(t, stderr.String(), "Nothing found in stack: foo\n")
+	assert.Equal(t, allServiceIDs, fakeClient.removedServices)
+	assert.Equal(t, allNetworkIDs, fakeClient.removedNetworks)
+	assert.Equal(t, allSecretIDs, fakeClient.removedSecrets)
+	assert.Equal(t, allConfigIDs, fakeClient.removedConfigs)
 }
 
 func TestRemoveContinueAfterError(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/cli/command/stack/services.go b/cli/command/stack/services.go
index 5b59c479c6..94fcb8bded 100644
--- a/cli/command/stack/services.go
+++ b/cli/command/stack/services.go
@@ -51,11 +51,9 @@ func runServices(dockerCli command.Cli, options servicesOptions) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	out := dockerCli.Out()
-
 	// if no services in this stack, print message and exit 0
 	if len(services) == 0 {
-		fmt.Fprintf(out, "Nothing found in stack: %s\n", options.namespace)
+		fmt.Fprintf(dockerCli.Err(), "Nothing found in stack: %s\n", options.namespace)
 		return nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/cli/command/stack/services_test.go b/cli/command/stack/services_test.go
index a87174a14d..88408b4cd3 100644
--- a/cli/command/stack/services_test.go
+++ b/cli/command/stack/services_test.go
@@ -83,17 +83,19 @@ func TestStackServicesErrors(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestStackServicesEmptyServiceList(t *testing.T) {
-	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
-	cmd := newServicesCommand(
-		test.NewFakeCli(&fakeClient{
-			serviceListFunc: func(options types.ServiceListOptions) ([]swarm.Service, error) {
-				return []swarm.Service{}, nil
-			},
-		}, buf),
-	)
+	out := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	stderr := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	fakeCli := test.NewFakeCli(&fakeClient{
+		serviceListFunc: func(options types.ServiceListOptions) ([]swarm.Service, error) {
+			return []swarm.Service{}, nil
+		},
+	}, out)
+	fakeCli.SetErr(stderr)
+	cmd := newServicesCommand(fakeCli)
 	cmd.SetArgs([]string{"foo"})
 	assert.NoError(t, cmd.Execute())
-	testutil.EqualNormalizedString(t, testutil.RemoveSpace, buf.String(), "Nothing found in stack: foo")
+	assert.Equal(t, "", out.String())
+	assert.Equal(t, "Nothing found in stack: foo\n", stderr.String())
 }
 
 func TestStackServicesWithQuietOption(t *testing.T) {