diff --git a/icinga-cli.sh b/icinga-cli.sh
index ffeed7d75bc4164244e3920a79ecb49854f1cd1e..bd65875a8abc8f410318096193f0fcd651a894b4 100755
--- a/icinga-cli.sh
+++ b/icinga-cli.sh
@@ -265,19 +265,19 @@ function icingaHostMustExist(){
   _log "check if the host [${myHost}] exists on Icinga ..."
   icingaHost get
   if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
-    http.getResponse
+    _echo $( http.getResponse )
     if [ "$(http.getStatuscode)" = "000" ]; then
       _elog "ERROR: Unable to reach the Icinga node. Stopping script current monitoring actions."
       exit 1
     fi
     _elog "ERROR: host object for ${myHost} is not available on Icinga service (yet) - Status: $(http.getStatuscode)"
-    echo
-    echo "ABORTING"
-    echo
-    echo "To run checks ..."
-    echo "- you must create the host on director (check director-cli.sh --hr)"
-    echo "- the director must deploy the host to icinga daemon"
-    echo
+    _echo
+    _echo "ABORTING"
+    _echo
+    _echo "To run checks ..."
+    _echo "- you must create the host on director (check director-cli.sh --hr)"
+    _echo "- the director must deploy the host to icinga daemon"
+    _echo
     rm -f "${dir_data}"/service__check* 2>/dev/null
     exit 1
   fi
@@ -354,10 +354,10 @@ function processCheck(){
       typeset -i local iTsEnd=`date +%s`
       # outPerfdata=`grep '|' $_outfile | cut -f 2 -d '|'`
       outPerfdata=`grep '|' $_outfile | rev | cut -f 1 -d '|' | rev`
-      echo
-      echo -------- check output:
-      cat $_outfile
-      echo
+      _echo
+      _echo -------- check output:
+      _echo $( cat $_outfile )
+      _echo
       # echo -------- extracted performance data:
       # echo $outPerfdata
       # echo
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ function processCheck(){
       export CFGSTORAGE="${checkName}output"
 
       outputAsText="$(cat $_outfile)"
-      outputAsJson="$(jq -nR --arg data """${outputAsText}""" '$data')"
+      # outputAsJson="$(jq -nR --arg data """${outputAsText}""" '$data')"
       commandAsJson="$(jq -nR --arg data """${myFullscript} $myparams""" '$data')"
       (
         $ch --set      check_source      \"${myHost}\"
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ function processCheck(){
       slot="`_getName4Svcathost ${checkName} | sed 's# #%20#g'`"
 
       _log "${_logPrefix} starting POST of data to monitoring server"
-      echo POST actions/process-check-result?service=${myHost}!${slot} "$data"
+      _echo POST actions/process-check-result?service=${myHost}!${slot} "$data"
       _APIcall POST actions/process-check-result?service=${myHost}!${slot} "$data"
       http.responseExport "$_response"
       if [ ! -w "$_response" ]; then
@@ -408,9 +408,9 @@ function processCheck(){
       else
         _log "${_logPrefix} WARNING: the check response was NOT sent to Icinga"
         _rc=$_rc+1
-        echo
-        echo For Debugging:
-        $ch --show --json
+        _echo
+        _echo For Debugging:
+        _echo "$( $ch --show --json )"
       fi
       $ch --flush 2>/dev/null
 
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ function processCheck(){
   typeset -i local iCheckTime=$iCheckEnd-$iCheckStart
 
   _log "${_logPrefix} finished after $iCheckTime sec with returncode $_rc"
-  test $_rc -eq 0 || (echo; echo "    >>> Check ${checkName} was not OK. See Output block above!"; echo; echo)
+  test $_rc -eq 0 || (_echo; _echo "    >>> Check ${checkName} was not OK. See Output block above!"; _echo; _echo)
 }
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 # help
diff --git a/inc_functions.sh b/inc_functions.sh
index 2f5609fc8e4d08328a0858f51197f1551dead2e2..2b97b6927e6a86a11e1224cdab7fd1744538706c 100644
--- a/inc_functions.sh
+++ b/inc_functions.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 #
 # ======================================================================
 
+  isInteractiveShell=false
+  test -n "$PS1" && isInteractiveShell=true
 
   # ..................................................................
   # write debug output to STDERR
@@ -47,6 +49,12 @@
     _log "$*"
   }
 
+  # echo if there is an interactive shell
+  # params  string(s)  message to log
+  function _echo(){
+    test $isInteractiveShell && echo $*
+  }
+
 # ======================================================================
 #
 # DATE AND TIME FUNCTIONS