diff --git a/cmd/commit.go b/cmd/commit.go
index e959dd067..6bf840e6d 100644
--- a/cmd/commit.go
+++ b/cmd/commit.go
@@ -4,13 +4,15 @@ import (
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
-	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 
 	"github.com/devstream-io/devstream/internal/log"
 	"github.com/devstream-io/devstream/internal/pkg/commit"
 	"github.com/devstream-io/devstream/internal/response"
 )
 
+// commit message got from the command line by -m flag
+var message string
+
 // commitCmd represents the commit command
 var commitCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "commit",
@@ -22,9 +24,11 @@ e.g.
 1. dtm commit -m "commit message"
 `,
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-		message := viper.GetString("message")
 		if message == "" {
-			log.Error("message is required")
+			errStr := "message is required"
+			log.Error(errStr)
+			r := response.New(response.StatusError, response.MessageError, errStr)
+			r.Print(OutputFormat)
 			os.Exit(1)
 		}
 		err := commit.Commit(message)
@@ -41,5 +45,5 @@ e.g.
 
 func init() {
 	rootCmd.AddCommand(commitCmd)
-	commitCmd.Flags().StringP("message", "m", "", "commit message")
+	commitCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&message, "message", "m", "", "commit message")
 }
diff --git a/cmd/patch.go b/cmd/patch.go
index 0083ac163..d03ebd325 100644
--- a/cmd/patch.go
+++ b/cmd/patch.go
@@ -26,7 +26,10 @@ e.g.
 `,
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		if len(args) != 1 {
-			log.Error("Incorrect number of arguments")
+			errMsg := "Incorrect number of arguments"
+			log.Error(errMsg)
+			r := response.New(response.StatusError, response.MessageError, errMsg)
+			r.Print(OutputFormat)
 			os.Exit(1)
 		}
 		err := patch.Patch(args[0])
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 1322424c7..5f01a3954 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -5,12 +5,10 @@ import (
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
-
-	"github.com/devstream-io/devstream/internal/log"
-
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 
+	"github.com/devstream-io/devstream/internal/log"
 	"github.com/devstream-io/devstream/internal/option"
 )