diff --git a/lib/cli.py b/lib/cli.py
index e4e0fe8087cf02e719f64d42d4ba7eed03c67e4d..2e0a23c7ef2653ab55d87fab02069184ce6be4bb 100644
--- a/lib/cli.py
+++ b/lib/cli.py
@@ -1665,8 +1665,10 @@ class _RunWhileClusterStoppedHelper:
         # All daemons are shut down now
         try:
           return fn(self, *args)
-        except Exception:
+        except Exception, err:
+          _, errmsg = FormatError(err)
           logging.exception("Caught exception")
+          self.feedback_fn(errmsg)
           raise
       finally:
         # Start cluster again, master node last
diff --git a/scripts/gnt-cluster b/scripts/gnt-cluster
index 1a58f11e6b584c0c1e2cc730aa1f84ba436cbc28..50e68fe4fafd52a6765c717113bfc667cb09a83a 100755
--- a/scripts/gnt-cluster
+++ b/scripts/gnt-cluster
@@ -510,9 +510,6 @@ def _RenewCrypto(new_cluster_cert, new_rapi_cert, rapi_cert_filename,
   @param force: Whether to ask user for confirmation
 
   """
-  assert (new_cluster_cert or new_rapi_cert or rapi_cert_filename or
-          new_confd_hmac_key)
-
   if new_rapi_cert and rapi_cert_filename:
     ToStderr("Only one of the --new-rapi-certficate and --rapi-certificate"
              " options can be specified at the same time.")