diff --git a/src/lym/lym/lymMacroCollection.cc b/src/lym/lym/lymMacroCollection.cc
index 5f9a1e12c..3316ef036 100644
--- a/src/lym/lym/lymMacroCollection.cc
+++ b/src/lym/lym/lymMacroCollection.cc
@@ -281,18 +281,18 @@ MacroCollection::add_folder (const std::string &description, const std::string &
       if (! force_create) {
 
         if (tl::verbosity () >= 20) {
-          tl::log << "Folder does not exist - skipping: " << fp;
+          tl::log << tl::to_string (tr ("Folder does not exist - skipping: ")) << fp;
         }
         return 0;
 
       } else {
 
         if (tl::verbosity () >= 20) {
-          tl::log << "Folder does not exist yet - trying to create it: " << fp;
+          tl::log << tl::to_string (tr ("Folder does not exist yet - trying to create it: ")) << fp;
         }
         if (! tl::mkpath (fp)) {
-          if (tl::verbosity () >= 10) {
-            tl::error << "Unable to create folder path: " << fp;
+          if (tl::verbosity () >= 20) {
+            tl::error << tl::to_string (tr ("Unable to create folder path: ")) << fp;
           }
           return 0;
         }
@@ -301,8 +301,8 @@ MacroCollection::add_folder (const std::string &description, const std::string &
     }
 
     if (! tl::is_dir (fp)) {
-      if (tl::verbosity () >= 10) {
-        tl::error << "Folder is not a directory: " << fp;
+      if (tl::verbosity () >= 20) {
+        tl::error << tl::to_string (tr ("Folder is not a directory - skipping: ")) << fp;
       }
       return 0;
     }
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ MacroCollection::add_folder (const std::string &description, const std::string &
     if (! readonly && ! tl::is_writable (fp)) {
       readonly = true;
       if (tl::verbosity () >= 20) {
-        tl::log << "Folder is read-only: " << fp;
+        tl::log << tl::to_string (tr ("Folder is read-only: ")) << fp;
       }
     }
 
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ void MacroCollection::scan ()
   std::string p = path ();
 
   if (tl::verbosity () >= 20) {
-    tl::info << "Scanning macro path " << p << " (readonly=" << m_readonly << ")";
+    tl::info << tl::to_string (tr ("Scanning macro path ")) << p << " (readonly=" << m_readonly << ")";
   }
 
   if (! p.empty () && p[0] == ':') {
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ MacroCollection::create_entry (const std::string &path)
     }
 
   } catch (tl::Exception &ex) {
-    tl::error << "Reading " << path << ": " << ex.msg ();
+    tl::error << tl::to_string (tr ("Reading ")) << path << ": " << ex.msg ();
   }
 }
 
@@ -578,7 +578,7 @@ void MacroCollection::save ()
 bool MacroCollection::rename (const std::string &n)
 {
   if (tl::verbosity () >= 20) {
-    tl::info << "Renaming macro folder " << path () << " to " << n;
+    tl::info << tl::to_string (tr ("Renaming macro folder ")) << path () << " to " << n;
   }
   begin_changes ();
   if (! tl::rename_file (path (), n)) {
diff --git a/src/tl/tl/tlFileUtils.cc b/src/tl/tl/tlFileUtils.cc
index 19cce3c2e..a084c6b51 100644
--- a/src/tl/tl/tlFileUtils.cc
+++ b/src/tl/tl/tlFileUtils.cc
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@
 
 #include <cctype>
 
+// Use this define to print debug output
+// #define FILE_UTILS_VERBOSE
+
 #if defined(_MSC_VER)
 
 #  include <sys/types.h>
@@ -448,7 +451,9 @@ bool mkpath (const std::string &p)
     front += parts[i++];
     if (! file_exists (front)) {
       if (! mkdir (front)) {
+#if defined(FILE_UTILS_VERBOSE)
         tl::error << tr ("Unable to create directory: ") << front;
+#endif
         return false;
       }
     }
@@ -511,13 +516,17 @@ bool rm_dir_recursive (const std::string &p)
   for (std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator e = entries.begin (); e != entries.end (); ++e) {
     std::string tc = tl::combine_path (path, *e);
     if (! rm_file (tc)) {
+#if defined(FILE_UTILS_VERBOSE)
       tl::error << tr ("Unable to remove file: ") << tc;
+#endif
       return false;
     }
   }
 
   if (! rm_dir (path)) {
+#if defined(FILE_UTILS_VERBOSE)
     tl::error << tr ("Unable to remove directory: ") << path;
+#endif
     return false;
   }
 
@@ -535,7 +544,9 @@ cp_dir_recursive (const std::string &source, const std::string &target)
   for (std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator e = entries.begin (); e != entries.end (); ++e) {
     std::string tc = tl::combine_path (path_to, *e);
     if (! mkpath (tc)) {
+#if defined(FILE_UTILS_VERBOSE)
       tl::error << tr ("Unable to create target directory: ") << tc;
+#endif
       return false;
     }
     if (! cp_dir_recursive (tl::combine_path (path, *e), tc)) {
@@ -558,8 +569,10 @@ cp_dir_recursive (const std::string &source, const std::string &target)
       is.copy_to (os);
 
     } catch (tl::Exception &ex) {
+#if defined(FILE_UTILS_VERBOSE)
       tl::error << tr ("Unable to copy file ") << tl::combine_path (path_to, *e) << tr (" to ") << tl::combine_path (path, *e)
                 << tr ("(Error ") << ex.msg () << ")";
+#endif
       return false;
     }