diff --git a/cmd/core/pkgcmd/cmd_remove.go b/cmd/core/pkgcmd/cmd_remove.go
index 8a45e0f..d901c4e 100644
--- a/cmd/core/pkgcmd/cmd_remove.go
+++ b/cmd/core/pkgcmd/cmd_remove.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ package pkgcmd
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
@@ -71,11 +72,11 @@ func runPkgRemove(name string, force bool) error {
 	if !force {
 		blocked, reasons := checkRepoSafety(repoPath)
 		if blocked {
-			fmt.Printf("%s Cannot remove %s:\n", errorStyle.Render("Blocked:"), repoNameStyle.Render(name))
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%s Cannot remove %s:\n", errorStyle.Render("Blocked:"), repoNameStyle.Render(name))
 			for _, r := range reasons {
-				fmt.Printf("  %s %s\n", errorStyle.Render("·"), r)
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  %s %s\n", errorStyle.Render("·"), r)
 			}
-			fmt.Printf("\nResolve the issues above or use --force to override.\n")
+			fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "\nResolve the issues above or use --force to override.")
 			return errors.New("package has unresolved changes")
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/core/pkgcmd/cmd_remove_test.go b/cmd/core/pkgcmd/cmd_remove_test.go
index 262b3b9..2c131a3 100644
--- a/cmd/core/pkgcmd/cmd_remove_test.go
+++ b/cmd/core/pkgcmd/cmd_remove_test.go
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 package pkgcmd
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
+	"io"
 	"os"
-	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -13,24 +14,52 @@ import (
 
 func setupTestRepo(t *testing.T, dir, name string) string {
 	t.Helper()
+
 	repoPath := filepath.Join(dir, name)
 	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(repoPath, 0755))
 
-	cmds := [][]string{
-		{"git", "init"},
-		{"git", "config", "user.email", "test@test.com"},
-		{"git", "config", "user.name", "Test"},
-		{"git", "commit", "--allow-empty", "-m", "initial"},
-	}
-	for _, c := range cmds {
-		cmd := exec.Command(c[0], c[1:]...)
-		cmd.Dir = repoPath
-		out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
-		require.NoError(t, err, "cmd %v failed: %s", c, string(out))
-	}
+	gitCommand(t, repoPath, "init")
+	gitCommand(t, repoPath, "config", "user.email", "test@test.com")
+	gitCommand(t, repoPath, "config", "user.name", "Test")
+	gitCommand(t, repoPath, "commit", "--allow-empty", "-m", "initial")
+
 	return repoPath
 }
 
+func capturePkgStreams(t *testing.T, fn func()) (string, string) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	oldStdout := os.Stdout
+	oldStderr := os.Stderr
+
+	rOut, wOut, err := os.Pipe()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	rErr, wErr, err := os.Pipe()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	os.Stdout = wOut
+	os.Stderr = wErr
+
+	defer func() {
+		os.Stdout = oldStdout
+		os.Stderr = oldStderr
+	}()
+
+	fn()
+
+	require.NoError(t, wOut.Close())
+	require.NoError(t, wErr.Close())
+
+	var stdout bytes.Buffer
+	var stderr bytes.Buffer
+	_, err = io.Copy(&stdout, rOut)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	_, err = io.Copy(&stderr, rErr)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	return stdout.String(), stderr.String()
+}
+
 func TestCheckRepoSafety_Clean(t *testing.T) {
 	tmp := t.TempDir()
 	repoPath := setupTestRepo(t, tmp, "clean-repo")
@@ -56,24 +85,17 @@ func TestCheckRepoSafety_Stash(t *testing.T) {
 	tmp := t.TempDir()
 	repoPath := setupTestRepo(t, tmp, "stash-repo")
 
-	// Create a file, add, stash
 	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(repoPath, "stash.txt"), []byte("data"), 0644))
-	cmd := exec.Command("git", "add", ".")
-	cmd.Dir = repoPath
-	require.NoError(t, cmd.Run())
-
-	cmd = exec.Command("git", "stash")
-	cmd.Dir = repoPath
-	require.NoError(t, cmd.Run())
+	gitCommand(t, repoPath, "add", ".")
+	gitCommand(t, repoPath, "stash")
 
 	blocked, reasons := checkRepoSafety(repoPath)
 	assert.True(t, blocked)
+
 	found := false
 	for _, r := range reasons {
-		if assert.ObjectsAreEqual("stashed", "") || len(r) > 0 {
-			if contains(r, "stash") {
-				found = true
-			}
+		if strings.Contains(r, "stash") {
+			found = true
 		}
 	}
 	assert.True(t, found, "expected stash warning in reasons: %v", reasons)
@@ -116,15 +138,37 @@ repos:
 	assert.Contains(t, string(updated), "core-beta")
 }
 
-func contains(s, substr string) bool {
-	return len(s) >= len(substr) && (s == substr || len(s) > 0 && containsStr(s, substr))
-}
+func TestRunPkgRemove_Bad_BlockedWarningsGoToStderr(t *testing.T) {
+	tmp := t.TempDir()
 
-func containsStr(s, substr string) bool {
-	for i := 0; i <= len(s)-len(substr); i++ {
-		if s[i:i+len(substr)] == substr {
-			return true
-		}
-	}
-	return false
+	registry := strings.TrimSpace(`
+org: host-uk
+base_path: .
+repos:
+  core-alpha:
+    type: foundation
+    description: Alpha package
+`) + "\n"
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(tmp, "repos.yaml"), []byte(registry), 0644))
+
+	repoPath := filepath.Join(tmp, "core-alpha")
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(repoPath, 0755))
+	gitCommand(t, repoPath, "init")
+	gitCommand(t, repoPath, "config", "user.email", "test@test.com")
+	gitCommand(t, repoPath, "config", "user.name", "Test")
+	commitGitRepo(t, repoPath, "file.txt", "v1\n", "initial")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(repoPath, "file.txt"), []byte("v2\n"), 0644))
+
+	withWorkingDir(t, tmp)
+
+	stdout, stderr := capturePkgStreams(t, func() {
+		err := runPkgRemove("core-alpha", false)
+		require.Error(t, err)
+		assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "unresolved changes")
+	})
+
+	assert.Empty(t, stdout)
+	assert.Contains(t, stderr, "Cannot remove core-alpha")
+	assert.Contains(t, stderr, "uncommitted changes")
+	assert.Contains(t, stderr, "Resolve the issues above or use --force to override.")
 }