diff --git a/src/bin/pg_basebackup/pg_basebackup.c b/src/bin/pg_basebackup/pg_basebackup.c
index a5d9c2e6520f9f3d81119d05917ef5d072e942a4..b689abb116e0b57afe011ecc00ac5cc4a88af2d2 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_basebackup/pg_basebackup.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_basebackup/pg_basebackup.c
@@ -118,23 +118,23 @@ xmalloc0(int size)
 static void
 usage(void)
 {
-	printf(_("%s takes base backups of running PostgreSQL servers\n\n"),
+	printf(_("%s takes a base backup of a running PostgreSQL server.\n\n"),
 		   progname);
 	printf(_("Usage:\n"));
 	printf(_("  %s [OPTION]...\n"), progname);
 	printf(_("\nOptions controlling the output:\n"));
-	printf(_("  -D, --pgdata=directory    receive base backup into directory\n"));
-	printf(_("  -F, --format=p|t          output format (plain, tar)\n"));
-	printf(_("  -x, --xlog                include required WAL files in backup\n"));
-	printf(_("  -Z, --compress=0-9        compress tar output\n"));
+	printf(_("  -D, --pgdata=DIRECTORY   receive base backup into directory\n"));
+	printf(_("  -F, --format=p|t         output format (plain, tar)\n"));
+	printf(_("  -x, --xlog               include required WAL files in backup\n"));
+	printf(_("  -Z, --compress=0-9       compress tar output\n"));
 	printf(_("\nGeneral options:\n"));
 	printf(_("  -c, --checkpoint=fast|spread\n"
-		  "                            set fast or spread checkpointing\n"));
-	printf(_("  -l, --label=label         set backup label\n"));
-	printf(_("  -P, --progress            show progress information\n"));
-	printf(_("  -v, --verbose             output verbose messages\n"));
-	printf(_("  -?, --help                show this help, then exit\n"));
-	printf(_("  -V, --version             output version information, then exit\n"));
+			 "                           set fast or spread checkpointing\n"));
+	printf(_("  -l, --label=LABEL        set backup label\n"));
+	printf(_("  -P, --progress           show progress information\n"));
+	printf(_("  -v, --verbose            output verbose messages\n"));
+	printf(_("  --help                   show this help, then exit\n"));
+	printf(_("  --version                output version information, then exit\n"));
 	printf(_("\nConnection options:\n"));
 	printf(_("  -h, --host=HOSTNAME      database server host or socket directory\n"));
 	printf(_("  -p, --port=PORT          database server port number\n"));
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ ReceiveTarFile(PGconn *conn, PGresult *res, int rownum)
 	res = PQgetResult(conn);
 	if (PQresultStatus(res) != PGRES_COPY_OUT)
 	{
-		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not get COPY data stream: %s\n"),
+		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not get COPY data stream: %s"),
 				progname, PQerrorMessage(conn));
 		disconnect_and_exit(1);
 	}
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ ReceiveTarFile(PGconn *conn, PGresult *res, int rownum)
 		}
 		else if (r == -2)
 		{
-			fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not read COPY data: %s\n"),
+			fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not read COPY data: %s"),
 					progname, PQerrorMessage(conn));
 			disconnect_and_exit(1);
 		}
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ ReceiveAndUnpackTarFile(PGconn *conn, PGresult *res, int rownum)
 	res = PQgetResult(conn);
 	if (PQresultStatus(res) != PGRES_COPY_OUT)
 	{
-		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not get COPY data stream: %s\n"),
+		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not get COPY data stream: %s"),
 				progname, PQerrorMessage(conn));
 		disconnect_and_exit(1);
 	}
@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@ ReceiveAndUnpackTarFile(PGconn *conn, PGresult *res, int rownum)
 		}
 		else if (r == -2)
 		{
-			fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not read COPY data: %s\n"),
+			fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not read COPY data: %s"),
 					progname, PQerrorMessage(conn));
 			disconnect_and_exit(1);
 		}
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@ ReceiveAndUnpackTarFile(PGconn *conn, PGresult *res, int rownum)
 			 */
 			if (r != 512)
 			{
-				fprintf(stderr, _("%s: Invalid tar block header size: %i\n"),
+				fprintf(stderr, _("%s: invalid tar block header size: %i\n"),
 						progname, r);
 				disconnect_and_exit(1);
 			}
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ ReceiveAndUnpackTarFile(PGconn *conn, PGresult *res, int rownum)
 
 			if (sscanf(copybuf + 124, "%11o", &current_len_left) != 1)
 			{
-				fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not parse file size!\n"),
+				fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not parse file size\n"),
 						progname);
 				disconnect_and_exit(1);
 			}
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ ReceiveAndUnpackTarFile(PGconn *conn, PGresult *res, int rownum)
 			/* Set permissions on the file */
 			if (sscanf(&copybuf[100], "%07o ", &filemode) != 1)
 			{
-				fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not parse file mode!\n"),
+				fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not parse file mode\n"),
 						progname);
 				disconnect_and_exit(1);
 			}
@@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ ReceiveAndUnpackTarFile(PGconn *conn, PGresult *res, int rownum)
 				}
 				else
 				{
-					fprintf(stderr, _("%s: unknown link indicator \"%c\"\n"),
+					fprintf(stderr, _("%s: unrecognized link indicator \"%c\"\n"),
 							progname, copybuf[156]);
 					disconnect_and_exit(1);
 				}
@@ -659,7 +659,7 @@ ReceiveAndUnpackTarFile(PGconn *conn, PGresult *res, int rownum)
 
 	if (file != NULL)
 	{
-		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: last file was never finished!\n"), progname);
+		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: last file was never finished\n"), progname);
 		disconnect_and_exit(1);
 	}
 
@@ -740,7 +740,7 @@ GetConnection(void)
 
 		if (PQstatus(tmpconn) != CONNECTION_OK)
 		{
-			fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not connect to server: %s\n"),
+			fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not connect to server: %s"),
 					progname, PQerrorMessage(tmpconn));
 			exit(1);
 		}
@@ -780,7 +780,7 @@ BaseBackup(void)
 
 	if (PQsendQuery(conn, current_path) == 0)
 	{
-		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not start base backup: %s\n"),
+		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not start base backup: %s"),
 				progname, PQerrorMessage(conn));
 		disconnect_and_exit(1);
 	}
@@ -791,13 +791,13 @@ BaseBackup(void)
 	res = PQgetResult(conn);
 	if (PQresultStatus(res) != PGRES_TUPLES_OK)
 	{
-		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not initiate base backup: %s\n"),
+		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not initiate base backup: %s"),
 				progname, PQerrorMessage(conn));
 		disconnect_and_exit(1);
 	}
 	if (PQntuples(res) != 1)
 	{
-		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: no start point returned from server.\n"),
+		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: no start point returned from server\n"),
 				progname);
 		disconnect_and_exit(1);
 	}
@@ -813,13 +813,13 @@ BaseBackup(void)
 	res = PQgetResult(conn);
 	if (PQresultStatus(res) != PGRES_TUPLES_OK)
 	{
-		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not get backup header: %s\n"),
+		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not get backup header: %s"),
 				progname, PQerrorMessage(conn));
 		disconnect_and_exit(1);
 	}
 	if (PQntuples(res) < 1)
 	{
-		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: no data returned from server.\n"), progname);
+		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: no data returned from server\n"), progname);
 		disconnect_and_exit(1);
 	}
 
@@ -847,7 +847,7 @@ BaseBackup(void)
 	 */
 	if (format == 't' && strcmp(basedir, "-") == 0 && PQntuples(res) > 1)
 	{
-		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: can only write single tablespace to stdout, database has %i.\n"),
+		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: can only write single tablespace to stdout, database has %i\n"),
 				progname, PQntuples(res));
 		disconnect_and_exit(1);
 	}
@@ -876,13 +876,13 @@ BaseBackup(void)
 	res = PQgetResult(conn);
 	if (PQresultStatus(res) != PGRES_TUPLES_OK)
 	{
-		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not get end xlog position from server.\n"),
+		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: could not get end xlog position from server\n"),
 				progname);
 		disconnect_and_exit(1);
 	}
 	if (PQntuples(res) != 1)
 	{
-		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: no end point returned from server.\n"),
+		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: no end point returned from server\n"),
 				progname);
 		disconnect_and_exit(1);
 	}
@@ -894,7 +894,7 @@ BaseBackup(void)
 	res = PQgetResult(conn);
 	if (PQresultStatus(res) != PGRES_COMMAND_OK)
 	{
-		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: final receive failed: %s\n"),
+		fprintf(stderr, _("%s: final receive failed: %s"),
 				progname, PQerrorMessage(conn));
 		disconnect_and_exit(1);
 	}
@@ -905,7 +905,7 @@ BaseBackup(void)
 	PQfinish(conn);
 
 	if (verbose)
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s: base backup completed.\n", progname);
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s: base backup completed\n", progname);
 }