diff --git a/provisioner/ansible/adapter.go b/provisioner/ansible/adapter.go
index 0eb6bcda4..2c622ef1d 100644
--- a/provisioner/ansible/adapter.go
+++ b/provisioner/ansible/adapter.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func newAdapter(done <-chan struct{}, l net.Listener, config *ssh.ServerConfig,
 }
 
 func (c *adapter) Serve() {
-	c.ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("SSH proxy: serving on %s", c.l.Addr()))
+	log.Printf("SSH proxy: serving on %s", c.l.Addr())
 
 	for {
 		// Accept will return if either the underlying connection is closed or if a connection is made.
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func (c *adapter) Serve() {
 }
 
 func (c *adapter) Handle(conn net.Conn, ui packer.Ui) error {
-	c.ui.Message("SSH proxy: accepted connection")
+	log.Print("SSH proxy: accepted connection")
 	_, chans, reqs, err := ssh.NewServerConn(conn, c.config)
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.New("failed to handshake")
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ func (c *adapter) handleSession(newChannel ssh.NewChannel) error {
 						sftpCmd = "/usr/lib/sftp-server -e"
 					}
 
-					c.ui.Say("starting sftp subsystem")
+					log.Print("starting sftp subsystem")
 					go func() {
 						_ = c.remoteExec(sftpCmd, channel, channel, channel.Stderr())
 						close(done)
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ func (c *adapter) handleSession(newChannel ssh.NewChannel) error {
 					req.Reply(false, nil)
 				}
 			default:
-				c.ui.Message(fmt.Sprintf("rejecting %s request", req.Type))
+				log.Printf("rejecting %s request", req.Type)
 				req.Reply(false, nil)
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/provisioner/ansible/provisioner.go b/provisioner/ansible/provisioner.go
index 97623dda7..b57edd829 100644
--- a/provisioner/ansible/provisioner.go
+++ b/provisioner/ansible/provisioner.go
@@ -184,13 +184,11 @@ func (p *Provisioner) Provision(ui packer.Ui, comm packer.Communicator) error {
 	keyChecker := ssh.CertChecker{
 		UserKeyFallback: func(conn ssh.ConnMetadata, pubKey ssh.PublicKey) (*ssh.Permissions, error) {
 			if user := conn.User(); user != p.config.User {
-				ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("%s is not a valid user", user))
-				return nil, errors.New("authentication failed")
+				return nil, errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("authentication failed: %s is not a valid user", user))
 			}
 
 			if !bytes.Equal(k.Marshal(), pubKey.Marshal()) {
-				ui.Say("unauthorized key")
-				return nil, errors.New("authentication failed")
+				return nil, errors.New("authentication failed: unauthorized key")
 			}
 
 			return nil, nil
@@ -199,7 +197,7 @@ func (p *Provisioner) Provision(ui packer.Ui, comm packer.Communicator) error {
 
 	config := &ssh.ServerConfig{
 		AuthLogCallback: func(conn ssh.ConnMetadata, method string, err error) {
-			ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("authentication attempt from %s to %s as %s using %s", conn.RemoteAddr(), conn.LocalAddr(), conn.User(), method))
+			log.Printf("authentication attempt from %s to %s as %s using %s", conn.RemoteAddr(), conn.LocalAddr(), conn.User(), method)
 		},
 		PublicKeyCallback: keyChecker.Authenticate,
 		//NoClientAuth:      true,
@@ -242,7 +240,7 @@ func (p *Provisioner) Provision(ui packer.Ui, comm packer.Communicator) error {
 	p.adapter = newAdapter(p.done, localListener, config, p.config.SFTPCmd, ui, comm)
 
 	defer func() {
-		ui.Say("shutting down the SSH proxy")
+		log.Print("shutting down the SSH proxy")
 		close(p.done)
 		p.adapter.Shutdown()
 	}()
@@ -355,7 +353,7 @@ func (p *Provisioner) executeAnsible(ui packer.Ui, comm packer.Communicator, pri
 	go repeat(stdout)
 	go repeat(stderr)
 
-	ui.Say(fmt.Sprintf("Executing Ansible: %s", strings.Join(cmd.Args, " ")))
+	log.Printf("Executing Ansible: %s", strings.Join(cmd.Args, " "))
 	cmd.Start()
 	wg.Wait()
 	err = cmd.Wait()