diff --git a/utils/genrandconfig b/utils/genrandconfig
index 79916fef2c..a35c86f65e 100755
--- a/utils/genrandconfig
+++ b/utils/genrandconfig
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ import os
 from random import randint
 import subprocess
 import sys
-from time import localtime, strftime
 from distutils.version import StrictVersion
 import platform
 
@@ -48,12 +47,6 @@ else:
         return e
 
 
-def log_write(logf, msg):
-    logf.write("[%s] %s\n" % (strftime("%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S", localtime()),
-                              msg))
-    logf.flush()
-
-
 class SystemInfo:
     DEFAULT_NEEDED_PROGS = ["make", "git", "gcc", "timeout"]
     DEFAULT_OPTIONAL_PROGS = ["bzr", "java", "javac", "jar"]
@@ -180,6 +173,8 @@ def is_toolchain_usable(outputdir, config):
     # Check that the toolchain configuration is still present
     for toolchainline in config:
         if toolchainline not in configlines:
+            print("WARN: toolchain can't be used", file=sys.stderr)
+            print("      Missing: %s" % toolchainline.strip(), file=sys.stderr)
             return False
 
     # The latest Linaro toolchains on x86-64 hosts requires glibc
@@ -191,7 +186,7 @@ def is_toolchain_usable(outputdir, config):
             ldd_version_output = subprocess.check_output(['ldd', '--version'])
             glibc_version = ldd_version_output.splitlines()[0].split()[-1]
             if StrictVersion('2.14') > StrictVersion(glibc_version):
-                log_write(log, "WARN: ignoring the Linaro ARM toolchains because too old host glibc")
+                print("WARN: ignoring the Linaro ARM toolchains because too old host glibc", file=sys.stderr)
                 return False
 
     return True
@@ -342,13 +337,8 @@ def gen_config(args):
     outputdir = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(idir, "output"))
     srcdir = os.path.join(idir, "buildroot")
 
-    log_write(args.log, "INFO: generate the configuration")
-
     # Select a random toolchain configuration
-    try:
-        configs = get_toolchain_configs(args.toolchains_url)
-    except Exception:
-        return -1
+    configs = get_toolchain_configs(args.toolchains_url)
 
     i = randint(0, len(configs) - 1)
     config = configs[i]
@@ -374,17 +364,11 @@ def gen_config(args):
     with open(os.path.join(outputdir, ".config"), "w+") as configf:
         configf.writelines(configlines)
 
-    devnull = open(os.devnull, "w")
-
-    ret = subprocess.call(["make", "O=%s" % outputdir, "-C", srcdir,
-                           "olddefconfig"],
-                          stdout=devnull, stderr=devnull)
-    if ret != 0:
-        log_write(args.log, "ERROR: cannot oldconfig")
-        return -1
+    subprocess.check_call(["make", "O=%s" % outputdir, "-C", srcdir,
+                           "olddefconfig"])
 
     if not is_toolchain_usable(outputdir, config):
-        return -1
+        return 2
 
     # Now, generate the random selection of packages, and fixup
     # things if needed.
@@ -393,32 +377,22 @@ def gen_config(args):
     bounded_loop = 100
     while True:
         if bounded_loop == 0:
-            log_write(args.log, "ERROR: cannot generate random configuration after 100 iterations")
-            return -1
+            print("ERROR: cannot generate random configuration after 100 iterations",
+                  file=sys.stderr)
+            return 1
         bounded_loop -= 1
-        ret = subprocess.call(["make", "O=%s" % outputdir, "-C", srcdir,
+        subprocess.check_call(["make", "O=%s" % outputdir, "-C", srcdir,
                                "KCONFIG_PROBABILITY=%d" % randint(1, 30),
-                               "randpackageconfig"],
-                              stdout=devnull, stderr=devnull)
-        if ret != 0:
-            log_write(args.log, "ERROR: cannot generate random configuration")
-            return -1
+                               "randpackageconfig"])
+
         if fixup_config(outputdir):
             break
 
-    ret = subprocess.call(["make", "O=%s" % outputdir, "-C", srcdir,
-                           "olddefconfig"],
-                          stdout=devnull, stderr=devnull)
-    if ret != 0:
-        log_write(args.log, "ERROR: cannot oldconfig")
-        return -1
+    subprocess.check_call(["make", "O=%s" % outputdir, "-C", srcdir,
+                           "olddefconfig"])
 
-    ret = subprocess.call(["make", "O=%s" % outputdir, "-C", srcdir,
-                           "savedefconfig"],
-                          stdout=devnull, stderr=devnull)
-    if ret != 0:
-        log_write(args.log, "ERROR: cannot savedefconfig")
-        return -1
+    subprocess.check_call(["make", "O=%s" % outputdir, "-C", srcdir,
+                           "savedefconfig"])
 
     return 0
 
@@ -435,9 +409,6 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
                         default="http://autobuild.buildroot.org/toolchains/configs/toolchain-configs.csv")
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
-    # Arguments expected by gen_config for which we just set a default here
-    args.log = sys.stdout
-
     # Output directory is already created by autobuild-run so emulate it here
     idir = "instance-%d" % args.instance
     if not os.path.exists(idir):
@@ -446,7 +417,9 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         # gen_config expects "buildroot" directory under idir
         os.symlink("..", os.path.join(idir, "buildroot"))
 
-    ret = gen_config(args)
-
-    if ret != 0:
+    try:
+        ret = gen_config(args)
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(str(e), file=sys.stderr)
         parser.exit(1)
+    parser.exit(ret)