diff --git a/utils/utils.go b/utils/utils.go
index 9d6e0a844..df54737fc 100644
--- a/utils/utils.go
+++ b/utils/utils.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package utils
 
 import (
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 
 	jww "github.com/spf13/jwalterweatherman"
 )
@@ -21,12 +22,35 @@ func CheckErr(err error, s ...string) {
 func StopOnErr(err error, s ...string) {
 	if err != nil {
 		if len(s) == 0 {
-			jww.CRITICAL.Println(err)
+			newMessage := cutUsageMessage(err.Error())
+
+			// Printing an empty string results in a error with
+			// no message, no bueno.
+			if newMessage != "" {
+				jww.CRITICAL.Println(newMessage)
+			}
 		} else {
 			for _, message := range s {
-				jww.CRITICAL.Println(message)
+				message := cutUsageMessage(message)
+
+				if message != "" {
+					jww.CRITICAL.Println(message)
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		os.Exit(-1)
 	}
 }
+
+// cutUsageMessage splits the incoming string on the beginning of the usage
+// message text. Anything in the first element of the returned slice, trimmed
+// of its Unicode defined spaces, should be returned. The 2nd element of the 
+// slice will have the usage message  that we wish to elide.
+//
+// This is done because Cobra already prints Hugo's usage message; not eliding
+// would result in the usage output being printed twice, which leads to bug 
+// reports, more specifically: https://github.com/spf13/hugo/issues/374
+func cutUsageMessage(s string) string {
+	pieces :=  strings.Split(s, "Usage of") 
+	return strings.TrimSpace(pieces[0])
+}
diff --git a/utils/utils_test.go b/utils/utils_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0bb92dea8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/utils_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+package utils
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	)
+
+
+
+func TestCutUsageMessage(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct{
+		message string
+		cutMessage string
+	}{
+		{"", ""},
+                {" Usage of hugo: \n  -b, --baseUrl=...", ""},
+                {"Some error Usage of hugo: \n", "Some error"},
+                {"Usage of hugo: \n -b --baseU", ""},
+                {"CRITICAL error for usage of hugo ", "CRITICAL error for usage of hugo"},
+                {"Invalid short flag a in -abcde", "Invalid short flag a in -abcde"},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		message := cutUsageMessage(test.message)
+		if message != test.cutMessage {
+			t.Errorf("Expected %#v, got %#v", test.cutMessage, message)
+		}
+	}
+}