diff --git a/tools/uhyve.c b/tools/uhyve.c
index cbede660c..0ca9189f8 100644
--- a/tools/uhyve.c
+++ b/tools/uhyve.c
@@ -139,8 +139,6 @@
 #define PAGE_MAP_BITS	9
 #define PAGE_LEVELS		4
 
-#define CHECKPOINT_VERBOSE	1
-
 #define kvm_ioctl(fd, cmd, arg) ({ \
 	const int ret = ioctl(fd, cmd, arg); \
 	if(ret == -1) \
@@ -1027,9 +1025,8 @@ int uhyve_init(char *path)
 		fscanf(f, "memory size: 0x%zx\n", &guest_size);
 		fscanf(f, "checkpoint number: %u\n", &no_checkpoint);
 		fscanf(f, "entry point: 0x%zx", &elf_entry);
-#if CHECKPOINT_VERBOSE
-		printf("Restart from checkpoint %u (ncores %d, mem size 0x%zx)\n", no_checkpoint, ncores, guest_size);
-#endif
+		if (verbose)
+			fprintf(stderr, "Restart from checkpoint %u (ncores %d, mem size 0x%zx)\n", no_checkpoint, ncores, guest_size);
 		fclose(f);
 	} else {
 		const char* hermit_memory = getenv("HERMIT_MEM");
@@ -1147,11 +1144,10 @@ static void timer_handler(int signum)
 	struct stat st = {0};
 	const size_t flag = no_checkpoint > 0 ? PG_DIRTY : PG_ACCESSED;
 	char fname[MAX_FNAME];
-#if CHECKPOINT_VERBOSE
 	struct timeval begin, end;
 
-	gettimeofday(&begin, NULL);
-#endif
+	if (verbose)
+		gettimeofday(&begin, NULL);
 
 	if (stat("checkpoint", &st) == -1)
 		mkdir("checkpoint", 0700);
@@ -1249,12 +1245,13 @@ static void timer_handler(int signum)
 
 	fclose(f);
 
-#if CHECKPOINT_VERBOSE
-	gettimeofday(&end, NULL);
-	size_t msec = (end.tv_sec - begin.tv_sec) * 1000;
-	msec += (end.tv_usec - begin.tv_usec) / 1000;
-	printf("Create checkpoint %u in %zd ms\n", no_checkpoint, msec);
-#endif
+	if (verbose) {
+		gettimeofday(&end, NULL);
+		size_t msec = (end.tv_sec - begin.tv_sec) * 1000;
+		msec += (end.tv_usec - begin.tv_usec) / 1000;
+		fprintf(stderr, "Create checkpoint %u in %zd ms\n", no_checkpoint, msec);
+	}
+
 	no_checkpoint++;
 }