diff --git a/shell/src/main/java/org/apache/sqoop/shell/HelpCommand.java b/shell/src/main/java/org/apache/sqoop/shell/HelpCommand.java
index 3921b104..e8d531fe 100644
--- a/shell/src/main/java/org/apache/sqoop/shell/HelpCommand.java
+++ b/shell/src/main/java/org/apache/sqoop/shell/HelpCommand.java
@@ -107,8 +107,12 @@ private void list() {
 
       String description = command.getDescription();
 
-      print("  ");
-      println(resource.getString(Constants.RES_HELP_CMD_DESCRIPTION), paddedName, paddedShortcut, description);
+      StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
+      sb.append("  ")
+         .append(MessageFormat.format(resource.getString(Constants
+             .RES_HELP_CMD_DESCRIPTION), paddedName,
+             paddedShortcut, description));
+      println(sb.toString());
     }
 
     println();
diff --git a/shell/src/main/java/org/apache/sqoop/shell/ShellEnvironment.java b/shell/src/main/java/org/apache/sqoop/shell/ShellEnvironment.java
index e0924c12..8be2e544 100644
--- a/shell/src/main/java/org/apache/sqoop/shell/ShellEnvironment.java
+++ b/shell/src/main/java/org/apache/sqoop/shell/ShellEnvironment.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 import java.net.MalformedURLException;
 import java.net.URL;
+import java.text.MessageFormat;
 import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.ResourceBundle;
 
@@ -173,11 +174,11 @@ public static void printlnResource(String resourceName) {
   }
 
   public static void printlnResource(String resourceName, Object... values) {
-    io.out.printf(resourceString(resourceName), values);
+    io.out.println(MessageFormat.format(resourceString(resourceName), values));
   }
 
   public static void println(String str, Object ... values) {
-    io.out.printf(str, values);
+    io.out.println(MessageFormat.format(str, values));
   }
 
   public static void println(String str) {