diff --git a/commands/bake.go b/commands/bake.go
index 2266545d..2fbb264f 100644
--- a/commands/bake.go
+++ b/commands/bake.go
@@ -75,7 +75,10 @@ func runBake(dockerCli command.Cli, targets []string, in bakeOptions) (err error
 
 	ctx2, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.TODO())
 	defer cancel()
-	printer := progress.NewPrinter(ctx2, os.Stderr, os.Stderr, in.progress)
+	printer, err := progress.NewPrinter(ctx2, os.Stderr, os.Stderr, in.progress)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	defer func() {
 		if printer != nil {
diff --git a/commands/build.go b/commands/build.go
index 42be0690..ddcdbb09 100644
--- a/commands/build.go
+++ b/commands/build.go
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ func runBuild(dockerCli command.Cli, in buildOptions) (err error) {
 		return errors.Errorf("--no-cache and --no-cache-filter cannot currently be used together")
 	}
 
-	if in.quiet && in.progress != "auto" && in.progress != "quiet" {
+	if in.quiet && in.progress != progress.PrinterModeAuto && in.progress != progress.PrinterModeQuiet {
 		return errors.Errorf("progress=%s and quiet cannot be used together", in.progress)
 	} else if in.quiet {
 		in.progress = "quiet"
@@ -284,7 +284,10 @@ func buildTargets(ctx context.Context, dockerCli command.Cli, opts map[string]bu
 	ctx2, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.TODO())
 	defer cancel()
 
-	printer := progress.NewPrinter(ctx2, os.Stderr, os.Stderr, progressMode)
+	printer, err := progress.NewPrinter(ctx2, os.Stderr, os.Stderr, progressMode)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", nil, err
+	}
 
 	var mu sync.Mutex
 	var idx int
diff --git a/commands/imagetools/create.go b/commands/imagetools/create.go
index 1f67b974..2d86ffef 100644
--- a/commands/imagetools/create.go
+++ b/commands/imagetools/create.go
@@ -182,7 +182,10 @@ func runCreate(dockerCli command.Cli, in createOptions, args []string) error {
 
 	ctx2, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.TODO())
 	defer cancel()
-	printer := progress.NewPrinter(ctx2, os.Stderr, os.Stderr, in.progress)
+	printer, err := progress.NewPrinter(ctx2, os.Stderr, os.Stderr, in.progress)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	eg, _ := errgroup.WithContext(ctx)
 	pw := progress.WithPrefix(printer, "internal", true)
diff --git a/commands/util.go b/commands/util.go
index 38777420..7fe5a6eb 100644
--- a/commands/util.go
+++ b/commands/util.go
@@ -460,7 +460,10 @@ func boot(ctx context.Context, ngi *nginfo) (bool, error) {
 		return false, nil
 	}
 
-	printer := progress.NewPrinter(context.TODO(), os.Stderr, os.Stderr, "auto")
+	printer, err := progress.NewPrinter(context.TODO(), os.Stderr, os.Stderr, progress.PrinterModeAuto)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
 
 	baseCtx := ctx
 	eg, _ := errgroup.WithContext(ctx)
@@ -477,7 +480,7 @@ func boot(ctx context.Context, ngi *nginfo) (bool, error) {
 		}(idx)
 	}
 
-	err := eg.Wait()
+	err = eg.Wait()
 	err1 := printer.Wait()
 	if err == nil {
 		err = err1
diff --git a/util/progress/printer.go b/util/progress/printer.go
index e7dde141..1247a7aa 100644
--- a/util/progress/printer.go
+++ b/util/progress/printer.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/client"
 	"github.com/moby/buildkit/util/progress/progressui"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/go-digest"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ func (p *Printer) ClearLogSource(v interface{}) {
 	}
 }
 
-func NewPrinter(ctx context.Context, w io.Writer, out console.File, mode string) *Printer {
+func NewPrinter(ctx context.Context, w io.Writer, out console.File, mode string) (*Printer, error) {
 	statusCh := make(chan *client.SolveStatus)
 	doneCh := make(chan struct{})
 
@@ -83,21 +84,26 @@ func NewPrinter(ctx context.Context, w io.Writer, out console.File, mode string)
 		mode = v
 	}
 
-	go func() {
-		var c console.Console
-		switch mode {
-		case PrinterModeQuiet:
-			w = io.Discard
-		case PrinterModeAuto, PrinterModeTty:
-			if cons, err := console.ConsoleFromFile(out); err == nil {
-				c = cons
+	var c console.Console
+	switch mode {
+	case PrinterModeQuiet:
+		w = io.Discard
+	case PrinterModeAuto, PrinterModeTty:
+		if cons, err := console.ConsoleFromFile(out); err == nil {
+			c = cons
+		} else {
+			if mode == PrinterModeTty {
+				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to get console")
 			}
 		}
+	}
+
+	go func() {
 		resumeLogs := logutil.Pause(logrus.StandardLogger())
 		// not using shared context to not disrupt display but let is finish reporting errors
 		pw.warnings, pw.err = progressui.DisplaySolveStatus(ctx, "", c, w, statusCh)
 		resumeLogs()
 		close(doneCh)
 	}()
-	return pw
+	return pw, nil
 }