diff --git a/src/caosdb/common/administration.py b/src/caosdb/common/administration.py
index 984912acbd12a36caf547482c00111c1ee1fc377..d767f77b8d73a8eaa69ccbb7c090fa2c040d9ce1 100644
--- a/src/caosdb/common/administration.py
+++ b/src/caosdb/common/administration.py
@@ -171,7 +171,6 @@ def _update_user(name, realm=None, password=None, status=None,
                         - at least 1 lower case character
                         - at least 1 upper case character
                         - at least 1 special character"""
-        print(e.msg)
         raise
 
 
diff --git a/src/caosdb/utils/caosdb_admin.py b/src/caosdb/utils/caosdb_admin.py
index 9c18f8962b3561999950059f23453d05edc0584d..9fb94f57683036f5432a40198cc4ae98893665fb 100755
--- a/src/caosdb/utils/caosdb_admin.py
+++ b/src/caosdb/utils/caosdb_admin.py
@@ -131,11 +131,17 @@ def do_create_user(args):
 
 
 def do_activate_user(args):
-    admin._update_user(name=args.user_name, status="ACTIVE")
+    try:
+        admin._update_user(name=args.user_name, status="ACTIVE")
+    except HTTPClientError as e:
+        print(e.msg)
 
 
 def do_deactivate_user(args):
-    admin._update_user(name=args.user_name, status="INACTIVE")
+    try:
+        admin._update_user(name=args.user_name, status="INACTIVE")
+    except HTTPClientError as e:
+        print(e.msg)
 
 
 def do_set_user_password(args):
@@ -143,7 +149,10 @@ def do_set_user_password(args):
         password = _promt_for_pw()
     else:
         password = args.user_password
-    admin._update_user(name=args.user_name, password=password)
+    try:
+        admin._update_user(name=args.user_name, password=password)
+    except HTTPClientError as e:
+        print(e.msg)
 
 
 def do_add_user_roles(args):