diff --git a/cmd/fdt.c b/cmd/fdt.c
index d7654b2c4fd5de88c935a8cbc4e2e52be8450eb4..955a0088c6ef31f16c77e5befee761a21fdded69 100644
--- a/cmd/fdt.c
+++ b/cmd/fdt.c
@@ -667,11 +667,10 @@ static int do_fdt(cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char * const argv[])
 		if (!fdt_valid(&blob))
 			return CMD_RET_FAILURE;
 
-		ret = fdt_overlay_apply(working_fdt, blob);
-		if (ret) {
-			printf("fdt_overlay_apply(): %s\n", fdt_strerror(ret));
+		/* apply method prints messages on error */
+		ret = fdt_overlay_apply_verbose(working_fdt, blob);
+		if (ret)
 			return CMD_RET_FAILURE;
-		}
 	}
 #endif
 	/* resize the fdt */