diff --git a/common/content/find.js b/common/content/find.js
index 02468f5f..1e31c3b3 100644
--- a/common/content/find.js
+++ b/common/content/find.js
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ function Search() //{{{
             found = fastFind.find(searchString, linksOnly) != Components.interfaces.nsITypeAheadFind.FIND_NOTFOUND;
 
             if (!found)
-                setTimeout(function () liberator.echoerr("E486: Pattern not found: " + searchPattern, commandline.FORCE_SINGLELINE), 0);
+                setTimeout(function () commandline.error = "E486: Pattern not found: " + searchPattern, 0);
 
             return found;
         },
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ function Search() //{{{
 
             if (result == Components.interfaces.nsITypeAheadFind.FIND_NOTFOUND)
             {
-                liberator.echoerr("E486: Pattern not found: " + lastSearchPattern, commandline.FORCE_SINGLELINE);
+                commandline.error = "E486: Pattern not found: " + lastSearchPattern;
             }
             else if (result == Components.interfaces.nsITypeAheadFind.FIND_WRAPPED)
             {
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ function Search() //{{{
             }
             else
             {
-                commandline.echo((up ? "?" : "/") + lastSearchPattern, null, commandline.FORCE_SINGLELINE);
+                commandline.status = (up ? "?" : "/") + lastSearchPattern;
 
                 if (options["hlsearch"])
                     this.highlight(lastSearchString);
diff --git a/common/content/modes.js b/common/content/modes.js
index 203d6198..b9abfaeb 100644
--- a/common/content/modes.js
+++ b/common/content/modes.js
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ const modes = (function () //{{{
             if (!options["showmode"])
                 return;
 
-            commandline.echo(getModeMessage(), "ModeMsg", commandline.DISALLOW_MULTILINE);
+            commandline.status = getModeMessage();
         },
 
         // add/remove always work on the extended mode only
diff --git a/common/content/ui.js b/common/content/ui.js
index 1c000ade..cdb93b51 100644
--- a/common/content/ui.js
+++ b/common/content/ui.js
@@ -954,6 +954,30 @@ function CommandLine() //{{{
             commandlineWidget.collapsed = true;
         },
 
+        get error()
+        {
+            if (lastEcho != messageBox.value && messageBox.getAttributeNS(NS.uri, "highlight") == this.HL_ERRORMSG)
+                return messageBox.value;
+            return null;
+        },
+        set error(status)
+        {
+            lastEcho = null;
+            echoLine(status, this.HL_ERRORMSG, true);
+        },
+
+        get status()
+        {
+            if (lastEcho != messageBox.value && messageBox.getAttributeNS(NS.uri, "highlight") == this.HL_NORMAL)
+                return messageBox.value;
+            return null;
+        },
+        set status(status)
+        {
+            lastEcho = null;
+            echoLine(status, this.HL_NORMAL, true);
+        },
+
         // liberator.echo uses different order of flags as it omits the hightlight group, change v.commandline.echo argument order? --mst
         echo: function echo(str, highlightGroup, flags)
         {
@@ -968,25 +992,17 @@ function CommandLine() //{{{
             // The DOM isn't threadsafe. It must only be accessed from the main thread.
             liberator.callInMainThread(function ()
             {
+                let single = flags & (this.FORCE_SINGLELINE | this.DISALLOW_MULTILINE);
+
                 let action = echoLine;
                 if (!outputContainer.collapsed || messageBox.value == lastEcho)
                     action = echoMultiline;
 
-                let single = flags & (this.FORCE_SINGLELINE | this.DISALLOW_MULTILINE);
+                if ((flags & this.FORCE_MULTILINE) || (/\n/.test(str) || typeof str == "xml") && !(flags & this.FORCE_SINGLELINE))
+                    action = echoMultiline;
 
-                if (flags & this.FORCE_MULTILINE)
-                    action = echoMultiline;
-                else if (flags & this.FORCE_SINGLELINE)
-                    action = echoLine;
-                else if (flags & this.DISALLOW_MULTILINE)
-                {
-                    if (!outputContainer.collapsed)
-                        action = null;
-                    else
-                        action = echoLine;
-                }
-                else if (/\n/.test(str) || typeof str == "xml")
-                    action = echoMultiline;
+                if ((flags & this.DISALLOW_MULTILINE) && !outputContainer.collapsed)
+                    return;
 
                 if (single)
                     lastEcho = null;
diff --git a/common/content/util.js b/common/content/util.js
index 098c94f3..05bbd6d8 100644
--- a/common/content/util.js
+++ b/common/content/util.js
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ const util = { //{{{
         clipboardHelper.copyString(str);
 
         if (verbose)
-            liberator.echo("Yanked " + str, commandline.FORCE_SINGLELINE);
+            commandline.status = "Yanked " + str;
     },
 
     createURI: function createURI(str)