diff --git a/src/tools/common/sss_tools.c b/src/tools/common/sss_tools.c
index 236a7498ad9..c043c5e445f 100644
--- a/src/tools/common/sss_tools.c
+++ b/src/tools/common/sss_tools.c
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ errno_t sss_tool_confdb_init(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx, struct confdb_ctx **_confdb)
     ret = stat(path, &statbuf);
     if (ret != 0) {
         ret = errno;
-        DEBUG(SSSDBG_FATAL_FAILURE,
+        DEBUG(SSSDBG_OP_FAILURE,
               "Can't access '%s', probably SSSD isn't configured\n", path);
         return ret;
     }
diff --git a/src/tools/sss_cache.c b/src/tools/sss_cache.c
index 94af3c3cf19..d8e872135b2 100644
--- a/src/tools/sss_cache.c
+++ b/src/tools/sss_cache.c
@@ -650,7 +650,8 @@ static errno_t init_domains(struct cache_tool_ctx *ctx,
 
     ret = sss_tool_confdb_init(ctx, &ctx->confdb);
     if (ret != EOK) {
-        ERROR("Can't find configuration db, was SSSD configured and run?\n");
+        DEBUG(SSSDBG_OP_FAILURE,
+              "Can't find configuration db, was SSSD configured and run?\n");
         return ERR_NO_DOMAIN_ENABLED;
     }