diff --git a/merge-recursive.c b/merge-recursive.c
index 99c963558b..ec50932210 100644
--- a/merge-recursive.c
+++ b/merge-recursive.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 
 static void flush_output(struct merge_options *o)
 {
-	if (o->obuf.len) {
+	if (o->buffer_output < 2 && o->obuf.len) {
 		fputs(o->obuf.buf, stdout);
 		strbuf_reset(&o->obuf);
 	}
@@ -35,12 +35,21 @@ static int err(struct merge_options *o, const char *err, ...)
 {
 	va_list params;
 
-	flush_output(o);
+	if (o->buffer_output < 2)
+		flush_output(o);
+	else {
+		strbuf_complete(&o->obuf, '\n');
+		strbuf_addstr(&o->obuf, "error: ");
+	}
 	va_start(params, err);
 	strbuf_vaddf(&o->obuf, err, params);
 	va_end(params);
-	error("%s", o->obuf.buf);
-	strbuf_reset(&o->obuf);
+	if (o->buffer_output > 1)
+		strbuf_addch(&o->obuf, '\n');
+	else {
+		error("%s", o->obuf.buf);
+		strbuf_reset(&o->obuf);
+	}
 
 	return -1;
 }
diff --git a/merge-recursive.h b/merge-recursive.h
index d415724aea..735343b413 100644
--- a/merge-recursive.h
+++ b/merge-recursive.h
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ struct merge_options {
 		MERGE_RECURSIVE_THEIRS
 	} recursive_variant;
 	const char *subtree_shift;
-	unsigned buffer_output : 1;
+	unsigned buffer_output; /* 1: output at end, 2: keep buffered */
 	unsigned renormalize : 1;
 	long xdl_opts;
 	int verbosity;