diff --git a/cmd/restic/integration_helpers_test.go b/cmd/restic/integration_helpers_test.go
index 136ec6fe0..0069e27a9 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/integration_helpers_test.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/integration_helpers_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -75,14 +76,13 @@ func sameModTime(fi1, fi2 os.FileInfo) bool {
 	return fi1.ModTime().Equal(fi2.ModTime())
 }
 
-// directoriesEqualContents checks if both directories contain exactly the same
-// contents.
-func directoriesEqualContents(dir1, dir2 string) bool {
+// directoriesContentsDiff returns a diff between both directories. If these
+// contain exactly the same contents, then the diff is an empty string.
+func directoriesContentsDiff(dir1, dir2 string) string {
+	var out bytes.Buffer
 	ch1 := walkDir(dir1)
 	ch2 := walkDir(dir2)
 
-	changes := false
-
 	var a, b *dirEntry
 	for {
 		var ok bool
@@ -106,36 +106,27 @@ func directoriesEqualContents(dir1, dir2 string) bool {
 		}
 
 		if ch1 == nil {
-			fmt.Printf("+%v\n", b.path)
-			changes = true
+			fmt.Fprintf(&out, "+%v\n", b.path)
 		} else if ch2 == nil {
-			fmt.Printf("-%v\n", a.path)
-			changes = true
-		} else if !a.equals(b) {
+			fmt.Fprintf(&out, "-%v\n", a.path)
+		} else if !a.equals(&out, b) {
 			if a.path < b.path {
-				fmt.Printf("-%v\n", a.path)
-				changes = true
+				fmt.Fprintf(&out, "-%v\n", a.path)
 				a = nil
 				continue
 			} else if a.path > b.path {
-				fmt.Printf("+%v\n", b.path)
-				changes = true
+				fmt.Fprintf(&out, "+%v\n", b.path)
 				b = nil
 				continue
 			} else {
-				fmt.Printf("%%%v\n", a.path)
-				changes = true
+				fmt.Fprintf(&out, "%%%v\n", a.path)
 			}
 		}
 
 		a, b = nil, nil
 	}
 
-	if changes {
-		return false
-	}
-
-	return true
+	return out.String()
 }
 
 type dirStat struct {
diff --git a/cmd/restic/integration_helpers_unix_test.go b/cmd/restic/integration_helpers_unix_test.go
index 2a06db63d..1130d2638 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/integration_helpers_unix_test.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/integration_helpers_unix_test.go
@@ -4,25 +4,26 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"syscall"
 )
 
-func (e *dirEntry) equals(other *dirEntry) bool {
+func (e *dirEntry) equals(out io.Writer, other *dirEntry) bool {
 	if e.path != other.path {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v: path does not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, e.path, other.path)
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "%v: path does not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, e.path, other.path)
 		return false
 	}
 
 	if e.fi.Mode() != other.fi.Mode() {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v: mode does not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, e.fi.Mode(), other.fi.Mode())
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "%v: mode does not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, e.fi.Mode(), other.fi.Mode())
 		return false
 	}
 
 	if !sameModTime(e.fi, other.fi) {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v: ModTime does not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, e.fi.ModTime(), other.fi.ModTime())
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "%v: ModTime does not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, e.fi.ModTime(), other.fi.ModTime())
 		return false
 	}
 
@@ -30,17 +31,17 @@ func (e *dirEntry) equals(other *dirEntry) bool {
 	stat2, _ := other.fi.Sys().(*syscall.Stat_t)
 
 	if stat.Uid != stat2.Uid {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v: UID does not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, stat.Uid, stat2.Uid)
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "%v: UID does not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, stat.Uid, stat2.Uid)
 		return false
 	}
 
 	if stat.Gid != stat2.Gid {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v: GID does not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, stat.Gid, stat2.Gid)
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "%v: GID does not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, stat.Gid, stat2.Gid)
 		return false
 	}
 
 	if stat.Nlink != stat2.Nlink {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v: Number of links do not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, stat.Nlink, stat2.Nlink)
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "%v: Number of links do not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, stat.Nlink, stat2.Nlink)
 		return false
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/restic/integration_helpers_windows_test.go b/cmd/restic/integration_helpers_windows_test.go
index 9e3fbac9b..85285efb7 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/integration_helpers_windows_test.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/integration_helpers_windows_test.go
@@ -4,23 +4,24 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 )
 
-func (e *dirEntry) equals(other *dirEntry) bool {
+func (e *dirEntry) equals(out io.Writer, other *dirEntry) bool {
 	if e.path != other.path {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v: path does not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, e.path, other.path)
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "%v: path does not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, e.path, other.path)
 		return false
 	}
 
 	if e.fi.Mode() != other.fi.Mode() {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v: mode does not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, e.fi.Mode(), other.fi.Mode())
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "%v: mode does not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, e.fi.Mode(), other.fi.Mode())
 		return false
 	}
 
 	if !sameModTime(e.fi, other.fi) {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v: ModTime does not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, e.fi.ModTime(), other.fi.ModTime())
+		fmt.Fprintf(out, "%v: ModTime does not match (%v != %v)\n", e.path, e.fi.ModTime(), other.fi.ModTime())
 		return false
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/restic/integration_test.go b/cmd/restic/integration_test.go
index f162fb634..43cf8ed41 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/integration_test.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/integration_test.go
@@ -314,8 +314,8 @@ func TestBackup(t *testing.T) {
 		restoredir := filepath.Join(env.base, fmt.Sprintf("restore%d", i))
 		t.Logf("restoring snapshot %v to %v", snapshotID.Str(), restoredir)
 		testRunRestore(t, env.gopts, restoredir, snapshotIDs[0])
-		rtest.Assert(t, directoriesEqualContents(env.testdata, filepath.Join(restoredir, "testdata")),
-			"directories are not equal")
+		diff := directoriesContentsDiff(env.testdata, filepath.Join(restoredir, "testdata"))
+		rtest.Assert(t, diff == "", "directories are not equal: %v", diff)
 	}
 
 	testRunCheck(t, env.gopts)
@@ -856,8 +856,8 @@ func TestRestore(t *testing.T) {
 	restoredir := filepath.Join(env.base, "restore")
 	testRunRestoreLatest(t, env.gopts, restoredir, nil, nil)
 
-	rtest.Assert(t, directoriesEqualContents(env.testdata, filepath.Join(restoredir, filepath.Base(env.testdata))),
-		"directories are not equal")
+	diff := directoriesContentsDiff(env.testdata, filepath.Join(restoredir, filepath.Base(env.testdata)))
+	rtest.Assert(t, diff == "", "directories are not equal %v", diff)
 }
 
 func TestRestoreLatest(t *testing.T) {
@@ -1276,8 +1276,8 @@ func TestHardLink(t *testing.T) {
 		restoredir := filepath.Join(env.base, fmt.Sprintf("restore%d", i))
 		t.Logf("restoring snapshot %v to %v", snapshotID.Str(), restoredir)
 		testRunRestore(t, env.gopts, restoredir, snapshotIDs[0])
-		rtest.Assert(t, directoriesEqualContents(env.testdata, filepath.Join(restoredir, "testdata")),
-			"directories are not equal")
+		diff := directoriesContentsDiff(env.testdata, filepath.Join(restoredir, "testdata"))
+		rtest.Assert(t, diff == "", "directories are not equal %v", diff)
 
 		linkResults := createFileSetPerHardlink(filepath.Join(restoredir, "testdata"))
 		rtest.Assert(t, linksEqual(linkTests, linkResults),