diff --git a/lib/build_runner.zig b/lib/build_runner.zig
index bb3fb42f0e..603ff770cc 100644
--- a/lib/build_runner.zig
+++ b/lib/build_runner.zig
@@ -364,12 +364,17 @@ fn runStepNames(
         }
     }
 
+    // A proper command line application defaults to silently succeeding.
+    // The user may request verbose mode if they have a different preference.
+    if (failure_count == 0 and !b.verbose) return cleanExit();
+
     const stderr = std.io.getStdErr();
 
     const total_count = success_count + failure_count + pending_count;
     stderr.writer().print("build summary: {d}/{d} steps succeeded; {d} failed\n", .{
         success_count, total_count, failure_count,
     }) catch {};
+
     if (failure_count == 0) return cleanExit();
 
     for (step_stack.items) |s| switch (s.state) {
@@ -493,6 +498,7 @@ fn workerMakeOneStep(
             stderr.writeAll("error: ") catch break;
             ttyconf.setColor(stderr, .Reset) catch break;
             stderr.writeAll(msg) catch break;
+            stderr.writeAll("\n") catch break;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/std/Build.zig b/lib/std/Build.zig
index fc8ec26723..a9d7c31733 100644
--- a/lib/std/Build.zig
+++ b/lib/std/Build.zig
@@ -1154,13 +1154,12 @@ fn allocPrintCmd(ally: Allocator, opt_cwd: ?[]const u8, argv: []const []const u8
     for (argv) |arg| {
         try buf.writer().print("{s} ", .{arg});
     }
-    try buf.append('\n');
     return buf.toOwnedSlice();
 }
 
 fn printCmd(ally: Allocator, cwd: ?[]const u8, argv: []const []const u8) void {
     const text = allocPrintCmd(ally, cwd, argv) catch @panic("OOM");
-    std.debug.print("{s}", .{text});
+    std.debug.print("{s}\n", .{text});
 }
 
 pub fn spawnChildEnvMap(self: *Build, cwd: ?[]const u8, env_map: *const EnvMap, argv: []const []const u8) !void {
@@ -1482,7 +1481,7 @@ pub fn execFromStep(b: *Build, argv: []const []const u8, s: *Step) ![]const u8 {
                         @panic("TODO handle progress message");
                     },
                     .emit_bin_path => {
-                        @panic("TODO handle emit_bin_path message");
+                        result = try b.allocator.dupe(u8, body);
                     },
                     _ => {
                         // Unrecognized message.
@@ -1553,7 +1552,7 @@ fn sendMessage(file: fs.File, tag: std.zig.Client.Message.Tag) !void {
 /// a helpful message.
 pub fn exec(b: *Build, argv: []const []const u8) []u8 {
     if (!process.can_spawn) {
-        std.debug.print("unable to spawn the following command: cannot spawn child process\n{s}", .{
+        std.debug.print("unable to spawn the following command: cannot spawn child process\n{s}\n", .{
             try allocPrintCmd(b.allocator, null, argv),
         });
         process.exit(1);
@@ -1562,7 +1561,7 @@ pub fn exec(b: *Build, argv: []const []const u8) []u8 {
     var code: u8 = undefined;
     return b.execAllowFail(argv, &code, .Inherit) catch |err| {
         const printed_cmd = allocPrintCmd(b.allocator, null, argv) catch @panic("OOM");
-        std.debug.print("unable to spawn the following command: {s}\n{s}", .{
+        std.debug.print("unable to spawn the following command: {s}\n{s}\n", .{
             @errorName(err), printed_cmd,
         });
         process.exit(1);
diff --git a/lib/std/Build/CompileStep.zig b/lib/std/Build/CompileStep.zig
index c5c2b2a440..a7d2926770 100644
--- a/lib/std/Build/CompileStep.zig
+++ b/lib/std/Build/CompileStep.zig
@@ -1888,8 +1888,8 @@ fn make(step: *Step) !void {
         try zig_args.append(resolved_args_file);
     }
 
-    const output_dir_nl = try builder.execFromStep(zig_args.items, &self.step);
-    const build_output_dir = mem.trimRight(u8, output_dir_nl, "\r\n");
+    const output_bin_path = try builder.execFromStep(zig_args.items, &self.step);
+    const build_output_dir = fs.path.dirname(output_bin_path).?;
 
     if (self.output_dir) |output_dir| {
         var src_dir = try std.fs.cwd().openIterableDir(build_output_dir, .{});