diff --git a/scripts/cls2tex.sh b/scripts/cls2tex.sh
index 9119cd6..5461207 100755
--- a/scripts/cls2tex.sh
+++ b/scripts/cls2tex.sh
@@ -54,13 +54,6 @@ printhelp(){
 	echo "      in both the repo and in installed form, so .dtx is not used."
 }
 
-# Usage: printerror MESSAGE...
-printerror(){
-	echo Error: $@
-	echo
-	printusage
-}
-
 # Usage: printmsg TEXT
 printmsg(){
 	# print message...
@@ -88,21 +81,23 @@ while true ; do
 			;;
 		-p|--prefix)
 			PREFIX=$2
-			shift
-			shift
+			shift 2
+			continue
 			;;
 		-s|--strip)
 			STRIP_DOC=1
 			shift
+			continue
 			;;
 		-n|--no-msg)
 			NO_MSG=1
 			shift
+			continue
 			;;
 
 		# handle unknown options...
 		-*|--*)
-			printerror "unknown option \"$1\""
+			echo "Error: unknown option: \"$1\"" >&2
 			exit
 			;;
 
diff --git a/scripts/make-spreads.sh b/scripts/make-spreads.sh
index 1b10fc5..6505e10 100644
--- a/scripts/make-spreads.sh
+++ b/scripts/make-spreads.sh
@@ -177,38 +177,45 @@ while true ; do
 		-a|--annotate)
 			ANOTATE_IMAGE_PATHS=1
 			shift
+			continue
 			;;
 		-c)
 			$CONFIG="$2"
 			[ -e "$CONFIG" ] \
 				&& source "$CONFIG"
 			shift 2
+			continue
 			;;
 
 		--templates)
 			TEMPLATE_DIR=$2
 			shift 2
+			continue
 			;;
 		--single-image-tpl)
 			IMAGE_SPREAD[1]=$2
 			shift 2
+			continue
 			;;
 		--double-image-tpl)
 			IMAGE_SPREAD[2]=$2
 			shift 2
+			continue
 			;;
 		--text-spread-tpl)
 			IMAGE_SPREAD[0]=$2
 			shift 2
+			continue
 			;;
 		--captions)
 			CAPTION_DIR=$2
 			shift 2
+			continue
 			;;
 
 		# handle unknown options...
 		-*|--*)
-			echo "Error: unknown option \"$1\""
+			echo "Error: unknown option \"$1\"" >&2
 			exit
 			;;