diff --git a/event.go b/event.go
index c538ecb..5101479 100644
--- a/event.go
+++ b/event.go
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ example:
 		if relayUrls := c.Args().Slice(); len(relayUrls) > 0 {
 			_, relays = connectToAllRelays(c.Context, relayUrls)
 			if len(relays) == 0 {
-				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "failed to connect to any of the given relays.\n")
+				log("failed to connect to any of the given relays.\n")
 				os.Exit(3)
 			}
 		}
@@ -218,16 +218,16 @@ example:
 				fmt.Println(evt.String())
 				os.Stdout.Sync()
 				for _, relay := range relays {
-					fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "publishing to %s... ", relay.URL)
+					log("publishing to %s... ", relay.URL)
 					if relay, err := nostr.RelayConnect(c.Context, relay.URL); err != nil {
-						fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "failed to connect: %s\n", err)
+						log("failed to connect: %s\n", err)
 					} else {
 						ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(c.Context, 10*time.Second)
 						defer cancel()
 						if status, err := relay.Publish(ctx, evt); err != nil {
-							fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "failed: %s\n", err)
+							log("failed: %s\n", err)
 						} else {
-							fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%s.\n", status)
+							log("%s.\n", status)
 						}
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/helpers.go b/helpers.go
index 0be6c38..94fce32 100644
--- a/helpers.go
+++ b/helpers.go
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ const (
 	LINE_PROCESSING_ERROR = iota
 )
 
+var log = func(msg string, args ...any) {
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, msg, args...)
+}
+
 func isPiped() bool {
 	stat, _ := os.Stdin.Stat()
 	return stat.Mode()&os.ModeCharDevice == 0
@@ -104,12 +108,12 @@ func connectToAllRelays(ctx context.Context, relayUrls []string) (*nostr.SimpleP
 	relays := make([]*nostr.Relay, 0, len(relayUrls))
 	pool := nostr.NewSimplePool(ctx)
 	for _, url := range relayUrls {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "connecting to %s... ", url)
+		log("connecting to %s... ", url)
 		if relay, err := pool.EnsureRelay(url); err == nil {
 			relays = append(relays, relay)
-			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "ok.\n")
+			log("ok.\n")
 		} else {
-			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, err.Error()+"\n")
+			log(err.Error() + "\n")
 		}
 	}
 	return pool, relays
@@ -117,7 +121,7 @@ func connectToAllRelays(ctx context.Context, relayUrls []string) (*nostr.SimpleP
 
 func lineProcessingError(c *cli.Context, msg string, args ...any) {
 	c.Context = context.WithValue(c.Context, LINE_PROCESSING_ERROR, true)
-	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, msg+"\n", args...)
+	log(msg+"\n", args...)
 }
 
 func exitIfLineProcessingError(c *cli.Context) {
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index b07350b..56c8192 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -19,6 +19,19 @@ var app = &cli.App{
 		encode,
 		verify,
 	},
+	Flags: []cli.Flag{
+		&cli.BoolFlag{
+			Name:    "silent",
+			Usage:   "do not print logs and info messages to stderr",
+			Aliases: []string{"s"},
+			Action: func(ctx *cli.Context, b bool) error {
+				if b {
+					log = func(msg string, args ...any) {}
+				}
+				return nil
+			},
+		},
+	},
 }
 
 func main() {
diff --git a/req.go b/req.go
index cbc11e9..b75cfb9 100644
--- a/req.go
+++ b/req.go
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ example:
 			var relays []*nostr.Relay
 			pool, relays = connectToAllRelays(c.Context, relayUrls)
 			if len(relays) == 0 {
-				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "failed to connect to any of the given relays.\n")
+				log("failed to connect to any of the given relays.\n")
 				os.Exit(3)
 			}
 			relayUrls = make([]string, len(relays))