diff --git a/make/projects-dir.mk b/make/projects-dir.mk
index 6cafc19e..19d8ff76 100644
--- a/make/projects-dir.mk
+++ b/make/projects-dir.mk
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ pull-all: purge git-get git-pull-all
 	touch pull.done
 
 diff-all diff: $(SSH_WRAPPER_SH)
-	$(PGIT_SH) diff
+	$(PGIT_SH) --porcelain diff
 
 get-official: git-get-official
 get-maintainer: git-get-maintainer
@@ -321,10 +321,10 @@ git-push-all: $(SSH_WRAPPER_SH)
 	$(PGIT_SH) push $(PGIT_SH_OPTS_NETWORK) --all --recurse-submodules=on-demand
 
 git-diff: $(SSH_WRAPPER_SH)
-	$(PGIT_SH) diff
+	$(PGIT_SH) --porcelain diff
 
 git-short-diff: $(SSH_WRAPPER_SH)
-	$(PGIT_SH) diff --shortstat
+	$(PGIT_SH) --porcelain diff --shortstat
 
 git-status:
 	$(PGIT_SH) status -uno
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ git-get-%: $(SSH_WRAPPER_SH)
 	$(PGIT_SH_GET) $(PGIT_SH_OPTS_NETWORK) --refspec "$*:master:current-branch"
 
 git-show-non-master-branches:
-	$(Q)$(PGIT_SH) branch 2>&1 | \
+	$(Q)$(PGIT_SH) --porcelain branch 2>&1 | \
 		sed '/^#\|^*/!d; s/.*git -C //; s/ *branch *//; s/ *\* *//' | \
 		while read p; do \
 			read b ;\
diff --git a/scripts/pgit.sh b/scripts/pgit.sh
index d26e544f..9a178940 100644
--- a/scripts/pgit.sh
+++ b/scripts/pgit.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,13 @@
 
 log()
 {
-	echo "$myname $*"
+	local prefix="| "
+	[ "$porcelain" = 0 ] || prefix=""	
+	if [ "$1" ]; then
+		echo "$prefix$*" >&2
+	else
+		sed "s/^/$prefix/" >&2
+	fi
 }
 
 err()
@@ -38,6 +44,26 @@ fat_marker()
 	log "# ====================================================$(counter) $@"
 }
 
+log_start_stop()
+{
+	[ "$porcelain" = 1 ] || return
+	local b e
+	if [ "$1" = start ]; then
+		b=","
+		e=">"
+	else
+		b="\`"
+		e="<"
+	fi
+	shift
+	echo "$b----------------------------------------------- Running $cmdline --$e--" >&2
+}
+
+goodbye()
+{
+	log_start_stop stop
+}
+
 #
 # Guess and set the following global variables:
 #
@@ -72,7 +98,11 @@ set_global_variables()
 run_git()
 {
 	marker git "$@"
-	git "$@"
+	if [ "$porcelain" = 1 ]; then
+		git "$@"
+	else
+		git "$@" 2>&1 | log
+	fi
 }
 
 # ----------------- Commands
@@ -194,7 +224,7 @@ cmd_get()
 
 	if [ -z "$projects" ]; then
 		projects=`$jw_projects projects list-repos --from-owner $from_user $remote_base`
-		[ "$?" != 0 ] && exit 1
+		[ "$?" != 0 ] && fatal "Failed to enumerate repositories"
 	fi
 
 	if [ "$remote_user" ]; then
@@ -224,7 +254,7 @@ cmd_get()
 		[ "$refspec_arg" -a "$refspec_arg" != "$from_user:$from_ref:$to_ref" ] && log_refspec="$log_refspec ($refspec_arg)"
 		fat_marker "Getting project $project_name from $log_refspec"
 		if [ -d $project_dir ]; then
-			run_git -C $project_dir remote | grep -q "^$remote_name$" || {
+			git -C $project_dir remote | grep -q "^$remote_name$" || {
 				run_git -C $project_dir remote add $remote_name $pull_url
 				[ "$from_user" = "$remote_user" ] || run_git -C $project_dir remote set-url --push $remote_name no_push
 			}
@@ -265,7 +295,9 @@ cmd_diff()
 )
 
 myname=${0##*/}
-log "Running $0 $@"
+cmdline="$myname $*"
+porcelain=0
+log_start_stop start
 log "GIT_SSH=$GIT_SSH"
 log "JW_PKG_SSH_EXTRA_OPTS=$JW_PKG_SSH_EXTRA_OPTS"
 
@@ -280,6 +312,9 @@ while [ "${1:0:1}" = - ]; do
 			global_remote_base="$2"
 			shift
 			;;
+		'--porcelain')
+			porcelain=1
+			;;
 	esac
 	shift
 done
@@ -299,12 +334,13 @@ while [ "${1:0:1}" = - ]; do
 	case $1 in
 		'--login')
 			remote_user="$2"
-			shift 2
+			shift
 			;;
 		*)
 			break
 			;;
 	esac
+	shift
 done
 
 case $cmd in