diff --git a/doc/buffer.h.0.md b/doc/buffer.h.0.md
index d2074f0..d579ac3 100644
--- a/doc/buffer.h.0.md
+++ b/doc/buffer.h.0.md
@@ -17,6 +17,21 @@ This header defines required functions to performed buffered I/O operations.
 ! This header is a complement to skalibs' own [skalibs/buffer.h](0) and thusly
 ! includes said header.
 
+## Constants
+
+The following constants are defined :
+
+: *PUTMSG_ESC*, *ESC*
+:: Can be used as special string given to [buffer_putmsg](3) to toggle escaping
+
+: *PUTMSG_SYS*
+:: Can be used as special string given to [buffer_putmsg](3) to add error
+:: description of `errno`
+
+: *PUTMSG_LFF*
+:: Can be used as special string given to [buffer_putmsg](3) to add a new line
+:: and flush the buffer
+
 ## Functions
 
 The following functions are defined :
@@ -30,3 +45,6 @@ The following functions are defined :
 
 : [buffer_putescs](3)
 :: Similar but for a NUL-terminated string.
+
+: [buffer_putmsg](3)
+:: To write a message, given as an array of NUL-terminated strings
diff --git a/doc/buffer_putmsg.3.md b/doc/buffer_putmsg.3.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3c0271d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/buffer_putmsg.3.md
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+% limb manual
+% buffer_putmsg(3)
+% limb 0.0.1
+% 2023.01.16
+
+# NAME
+
+buffer\_putmsg - write message given as array of strings to a buffer
+
+# SYNOPSIS
+
+    #include <limb/buffer.h>
+
+```pre hl
+void buffer_putmsg(buffer *<em>buf</em>, const char * const *<em>strings</em>, unsigned int <em>nstr</em>)
+```
+
+# DESCRIPTION
+
+The `buffer_putmsg`() function will write the message, composed of `nstr`
+NUL-terminated strings from array `strings`, into buffer `buf`.
+
+Note that it is allowed to give NULL as a string, in which case it will be
+treated as an empty string (i.e. nothing is added to the buffer).
+
+When *PUTMSG_ESC* (or *ESC*) was given as one of the strings, escaping mode is
+toggled. See [[ESCAPING]] below for more.
+
+When *PUTMSG_SYS* was given as one of the strings, in its place is put the error
+description of `errno`, as returned by [strerror](3).
+
+When *PUTMSG_LFF* was given as one of the strings, in its place is added a new
+line and the buffer is flushed.
+
+# ESCAPING
+
+It is possible to pass the special constant *PUTMSG_ESC* (or *ESC*) as one of
+the strings, so that following strings will be escaped using [buffer_putesc](3).
+It can be specified again to stop escaping and return to "normal" processing.
+
+Additionally, a double quote (`"`) will be put in place of each constant.
+
+This escaping can be enabled as many times as needed.
diff --git a/doc/put.3.md b/doc/put.3.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 34cb41d..0000000
--- a/doc/put.3.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,54 +0,0 @@
-% limb manual
-% put(3)
-% limb 0.0.1
-% 2023.01.16
-
-# NAME
-
-put - write text to standard output/error
-
-# SYNOPSIS
-
-    #include <limb/output.h>
-
-```pre hl
-void put(buffer *<em>b</em>, int <em>ret</em>, unsigned int <em>opts</em>, const char * const *<em>as</em>, unsigned int <em>n</em>)
-```
-
-# DESCRIPTION
-
-The `put`() function will write `n` strings, given in the array `as`, either to
-the given buffer `b`.
-
-If `PUT_SYS` was specified, a suffix composed of a colon and a space is added,
-followed by the text return by [strerror](3) for `errno`.
-
-If `PUT_LFF` was specified a new line is always added at the end and the buffer
-is flushed.
-
-If `PUT_DIE` was specified, the program then ends - calling [\_exit](3) with
-the value of `ret`. Note that `PUT_DIE` implies `PUT_LFF`.
-
-# ESCAPING
-
-It is possible to pass the special constant `ESC` as one of the strings, so that
-following strings will be escaped using [buffer_putesc](3). It can be specified
-again to stop escaping and return to "normal" processing.
-
-Additionally, a double quote (`"`) will be put in place of each `ESC` constant.
-
-This escaping can be enabled as many times as needed.
-
-# FLAGS
-
-Values for `opts` are constructed by a bitwise-inclusive OR of flags from the
-following list :
-
-: `PUT_SYS`
-:: Append a colon, a space, and the error string computed from `errno`
-
-: `PUT_LFF`
-:: Append a newline (`\n`) then flush the buffer
-
-: `PUT_DIE`
-:: Terminate the calling process, returning `ret & 0xff` as exit status 
diff --git a/include/limb/buffer.h b/include/limb/buffer.h
index 1b7c4e5..ea8372f 100644
--- a/include/limb/buffer.h
+++ b/include/limb/buffer.h
@@ -6,6 +6,14 @@
 
 #include <skalibs/buffer.h>
 
+/* special values usable as strings for buffer_putmsg() */
+#define PUTMSG_SYS          ((void *) 1)    /* add strerror(errno) */
+#define PUTMSG_LFF          ((void *) 2)    /* add \n and flush buffer */
+#define PUTMSG_ESC          ((void *) 3)    /* toggle escaping */
+
+#define ESC                 PUTMSG_ESC
+
+extern void buffer_putmsg(buffer *b, const char * const *as, unsigned int n);
 extern size_t buffer_putescall(buffer *b, const char *s, size_t len, size_t *pos);
 extern ssize_t buffer_putesc(buffer *b, const char *s, size_t len);
 extern ssize_t buffer_putescs(buffer *b, const char *s);
diff --git a/meta/libs/limb b/meta/libs/limb
index f3c86aa..7e81f6f 100644
--- a/meta/libs/limb
+++ b/meta/libs/limb
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-# ouput.h
-obj/put.o
 # unix-transactional.H
 obj/openc_createat.o
 obj/openc_exclat.o
@@ -26,6 +24,7 @@ obj/sacolptr.o
 obj/buffer_putescall.o
 obj/buffer_putesc.o
 obj/buffer_putescs.o
+obj/buffer_putmsg.o
 # find msb
 obj/msb64.o
 # {,un}pack u64
diff --git a/src/put.c b/src/buffer_putmsg.c
similarity index 62%
rename from src/put.c
rename to src/buffer_putmsg.c
index ba5f8c0..3409038 100644
--- a/src/put.c
+++ b/src/buffer_putmsg.c
@@ -2,37 +2,29 @@
  * Copyright (C) 2023 Olivier Brunel                          jjk@jjacky.com */
 /* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only */
 #include <errno.h>
-#include <unistd.h> /* _exit() */
 #include "limb/buffer.h"
-#include "limb/output.h"
 
 void
-put(buffer *b, int r, unsigned int opts, const char * const *as, unsigned int n)
+buffer_putmsg(buffer *b, const char * const *as, unsigned int n)
 {
     int e = errno;
-
     ssize_t (*puts) (buffer *b, const char *s) = buffer_puts;
+
     for (unsigned i = 0; i < n; ++i) {
-        if (as[i] == ESC) {
+        if (as[i] == PUTMSG_SYS) {
+            puts(b, strerror(e));
+        } else if (as[i] == PUTMSG_ESC) {
             buffer_put(b, "\"", 1);
             if (puts == buffer_puts)
                 puts = buffer_putescs;
             else
                 puts = buffer_puts;
+        } else if (as[i] == PUTMSG_LFF) {
+            buffer_putflush(b, "\n", 1);
         } else if (as[i] && as[i][0]) {
             puts(b, as[i]);
         }
     }
 
-    if (opts & PUT_SYS) {
-        buffer_put(b, ": ", 2);
-        buffer_puts(b, strerror(e));
-    }
-
-    if (opts & (PUT_LFF | PUT_DIE))
-        buffer_putflush(b, "\n", 1);
-
     errno = e;
-    if (opts & PUT_DIE)
-        _exit(r);
 }