diff --git a/tools/gpg-wks-client.c b/tools/gpg-wks-client.c
index 1a53f391e..0f904242d 100644
--- a/tools/gpg-wks-client.c
+++ b/tools/gpg-wks-client.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include "util.h"
+#include "status.h"
 #include "i18n.h"
 #include "sysutils.h"
 #include "init.h"
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ enum cmd_and_opt_values
     oGpgProgram,
     oSend,
     oFakeSubmissionAddr,
+    oStatusFD,
 
     oDummy
   };
@@ -86,6 +88,7 @@ static ARGPARSE_OPTS opts[] = {
   ARGPARSE_s_s (oGpgProgram, "gpg", "@"),
   ARGPARSE_s_n (oSend, "send", "send the mail using sendmail"),
   ARGPARSE_s_s (oOutput, "output", "|FILE|write the mail to FILE"),
+  ARGPARSE_s_i (oStatusFD, "status-fd", N_("|FD|write status info to this FD")),
 
   ARGPARSE_s_s (oFakeSubmissionAddr, "fake-submission-addr", "@"),
 
@@ -197,6 +200,9 @@ parse_arguments (ARGPARSE_ARGS *pargs, ARGPARSE_OPTS *popts)
         case oFakeSubmissionAddr:
           fake_submission_addr = pargs->r.ret_str;
           break;
+        case oStatusFD:
+          wks_set_status_fd (translate_sys2libc_fd_int (pargs->r.ret_int, 1));
+          break;
 
 	case aSupported:
 	case aCreate:
@@ -298,14 +304,21 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
     case aCheck:
       if (argc != 1)
         wrong_args ("--check USER-ID");
-      command_check (argv[0]);
+      err = command_check (argv[0]);
       break;
 
     default:
       usage (1);
+      err = 0;
       break;
     }
 
+  if (err)
+    wks_write_status (STATUS_FAILURE, "- %u", err);
+  else if (log_get_errorcount (0))
+    wks_write_status (STATUS_FAILURE, "- %u", GPG_ERR_GENERAL);
+  else
+    wks_write_status (STATUS_SUCCESS, NULL);
   return log_get_errorcount (0)? 1:0;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/gpg-wks.h b/tools/gpg-wks.h
index 7f347eb3e..62ceb34f9 100644
--- a/tools/gpg-wks.h
+++ b/tools/gpg-wks.h
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ typedef struct policy_flags_s *policy_flags_t;
 
 
 /*-- wks-util.c --*/
+void wks_set_status_fd (int fd);
+void wks_write_status (int no, const char *format, ...) GPGRT_ATTR_PRINTF(2,3);
 gpg_error_t wks_list_key (estream_t key, char **r_fpr, strlist_t *r_mboxes);
 gpg_error_t wks_send_mime (mime_maker_t mime);
 gpg_error_t wks_parse_policy (policy_flags_t flags, estream_t stream,
diff --git a/tools/wks-util.c b/tools/wks-util.c
index f4f44f6b2..e6f6b7acd 100644
--- a/tools/wks-util.c
+++ b/tools/wks-util.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include "util.h"
+#include "status.h"
 #include "ccparray.h"
 #include "exectool.h"
 #include "mbox-util.h"
@@ -30,6 +31,65 @@
 #include "send-mail.h"
 #include "gpg-wks.h"
 
+/* The stream to output the status information.  Output is disabled if
+   this is NULL.  */
+static estream_t statusfp;
+
+
+
+/* Set the status FD.  */
+void
+wks_set_status_fd (int fd)
+{
+  static int last_fd = -1;
+
+  if (fd != -1 && last_fd == fd)
+    return;
+
+  if (statusfp && statusfp != es_stdout && statusfp != es_stderr)
+    es_fclose (statusfp);
+  statusfp = NULL;
+  if (fd == -1)
+    return;
+
+  if (fd == 1)
+    statusfp = es_stdout;
+  else if (fd == 2)
+    statusfp = es_stderr;
+  else
+    statusfp = es_fdopen (fd, "w");
+  if (!statusfp)
+    {
+      log_fatal ("can't open fd %d for status output: %s\n",
+                 fd, gpg_strerror (gpg_error_from_syserror ()));
+    }
+  last_fd = fd;
+}
+
+
+/* Write a status line with code NO followed by the outout of the
+ * printf style FORMAT.  The caller needs to make sure that LFs and
+ * CRs are not printed.  */
+void
+wks_write_status (int no, const char *format, ...)
+{
+  va_list arg_ptr;
+
+  if (!statusfp)
+    return;  /* Not enabled.  */
+
+  es_fputs ("[GNUPG:] ", statusfp);
+  es_fputs (get_status_string (no), statusfp);
+  if (format)
+    {
+      es_putc (' ', statusfp);
+      va_start (arg_ptr, format);
+      es_vfprintf (statusfp, format, arg_ptr);
+      va_end (arg_ptr);
+    }
+  es_putc ('\n', statusfp);
+}
+
 
 
 /* Helper for wks_list_key.  */