diff --git a/miscutils/hdparm.c b/miscutils/hdparm.c
index 8c0e47334..aa95b89b0 100644
--- a/miscutils/hdparm.c
+++ b/miscutils/hdparm.c
@@ -1108,7 +1108,7 @@ static void identify(uint16_t *val)
 		jj =  val[ERASE_TIME]     & ERASE_BITS;
 		kk =  val[ENH_ERASE_TIME] & ERASE_BITS;
 		if (jj || kk) {
-			printf("\t");
+			bb_putchar('\t');
 			if (jj) printf("%umin for %sSECURITY ERASE UNIT. ", jj==ERASE_BITS ? 508 : jj<<1, "");
 			if (kk) printf("%umin for %sSECURITY ERASE UNIT. ", kk==ERASE_BITS ? 508 : kk<<1, "ENHANCED ");
 			bb_putchar('\n');
@@ -1235,46 +1235,46 @@ static void dump_identity(const struct hd_driveid *id)
 	if (id->capability & 1) {
 		if (id->dma_1word | id->dma_mword) {
 			printf("\n DMA modes:  ");
-			if (id->dma_1word & 0x100) printf("*");
+			if (id->dma_1word & 0x100) bb_putchar('*');
 			if (id->dma_1word & 1) printf("sdma0 ");
-			if (id->dma_1word & 0x200) printf("*");
+			if (id->dma_1word & 0x200) bb_putchar('*');
 			if (id->dma_1word & 2) printf("sdma1 ");
-			if (id->dma_1word & 0x400) printf("*");
+			if (id->dma_1word & 0x400) bb_putchar('*');
 			if (id->dma_1word & 4) printf("sdma2 ");
-			if (id->dma_1word & 0xf800) printf("*");
+			if (id->dma_1word & 0xf800) bb_putchar('*');
 			if (id->dma_1word & 0xf8) printf("sdma? ");
-			if (id->dma_mword & 0x100) printf("*");
+			if (id->dma_mword & 0x100) bb_putchar('*');
 			if (id->dma_mword & 1) printf("mdma0 ");
-			if (id->dma_mword & 0x200) printf("*");
+			if (id->dma_mword & 0x200) bb_putchar('*');
 			if (id->dma_mword & 2) printf("mdma1 ");
-			if (id->dma_mword & 0x400) printf("*");
+			if (id->dma_mword & 0x400) bb_putchar('*');
 			if (id->dma_mword & 4) printf("mdma2 ");
-			if (id->dma_mword & 0xf800) printf("*");
+			if (id->dma_mword & 0xf800) bb_putchar('*');
 			if (id->dma_mword & 0xf8) printf("mdma? ");
 		}
 	}
 	if (((id->capability & 8) || (id->field_valid & 2)) && id->field_valid & 4) {
 		printf("\n UDMA modes: ");
-		if (id->dma_ultra & 0x100) printf("*");
+		if (id->dma_ultra & 0x100) bb_putchar('*');
 		if (id->dma_ultra & 0x001) printf("udma0 ");
-		if (id->dma_ultra & 0x200) printf("*");
+		if (id->dma_ultra & 0x200) bb_putchar('*');
 		if (id->dma_ultra & 0x002) printf("udma1 ");
-		if (id->dma_ultra & 0x400) printf("*");
+		if (id->dma_ultra & 0x400) bb_putchar('*');
 		if (id->dma_ultra & 0x004) printf("udma2 ");
 #ifdef __NEW_HD_DRIVE_ID
 		if (id->hw_config & 0x2000) {
 #else /* !__NEW_HD_DRIVE_ID */
 		if (id->word93 & 0x2000) {
 #endif /* __NEW_HD_DRIVE_ID */
-			if (id->dma_ultra & 0x0800) printf("*");
+			if (id->dma_ultra & 0x0800) bb_putchar('*');
 			if (id->dma_ultra & 0x0008) printf("udma3 ");
-			if (id->dma_ultra & 0x1000) printf("*");
+			if (id->dma_ultra & 0x1000) bb_putchar('*');
 			if (id->dma_ultra & 0x0010) printf("udma4 ");
-			if (id->dma_ultra & 0x2000) printf("*");
+			if (id->dma_ultra & 0x2000) bb_putchar('*');
 			if (id->dma_ultra & 0x0020) printf("udma5 ");
-			if (id->dma_ultra & 0x4000) printf("*");
+			if (id->dma_ultra & 0x4000) bb_putchar('*');
 			if (id->dma_ultra & 0x0040) printf("udma6 ");
-			if (id->dma_ultra & 0x8000) printf("*");
+			if (id->dma_ultra & 0x8000) bb_putchar('*');
 			if (id->dma_ultra & 0x0080) printf("udma7 ");
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/modutils/lsmod.c b/modutils/lsmod.c
index da8663acb..a2330fe98 100644
--- a/modutils/lsmod.c
+++ b/modutils/lsmod.c
@@ -122,11 +122,13 @@ int lsmod_main(int argc ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED, char **argv ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 			if (!(info.flags & NEW_MOD_USED_ONCE))
 				printf(" (unused)");
 		}
-		if (count) printf(" [");
+		if (count)
+			printf(" [");
 		for (j = 0, dn = deps; j < count; dn += strlen(dn) + 1, j++) {
 			printf("%s%s", dn, (j==count-1)? "":" ");
 		}
-		if (count) printf("]");
+		if (count)
+			bb_putchar(']');
 
 		bb_putchar('\n');
 	}
diff --git a/networking/libiproute/ipaddress.c b/networking/libiproute/ipaddress.c
index 4bc87e7b8..3bf854e11 100644
--- a/networking/libiproute/ipaddress.c
+++ b/networking/libiproute/ipaddress.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ typedef struct filter_t {
 
 static void print_link_flags(unsigned flags, unsigned mdown)
 {
-	printf("<");
+	bb_putchar('<');
 	flags &= ~IFF_RUNNING;
 #define _PF(f) if (flags & IFF_##f) { \
 		  flags &= ~IFF_##f; \