diff --git a/ipalib/cli.py b/ipalib/cli.py
index 5bebc88d5..5dd2c44f2 100644
--- a/ipalib/cli.py
+++ b/ipalib/cli.py
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ class CLI(object):
                         break
                     except errors.ValidationError, e:
                         error = e.error
-        cmd(**kw)
+        cmd.output_for_cli(cmd(**kw))
 
     def parse(self, cmd, argv):
         parser = self.build_parser(cmd)
diff --git a/ipalib/frontend.py b/ipalib/frontend.py
index 65b053e6c..da4fd00b1 100644
--- a/ipalib/frontend.py
+++ b/ipalib/frontend.py
@@ -486,6 +486,7 @@ class Command(plugable.Plugin):
         'params',
         'args_to_kw',
         'kw_to_args',
+        'output_for_cli',
     ))
     takes_options = tuple()
     takes_args = tuple()
@@ -741,6 +742,14 @@ class Command(plugable.Plugin):
                 multivalue = True
             yield arg
 
+    def output_for_cli(self, ret):
+        """
+        Output result of this command to command line interface.
+        """
+        assert type(ret) is dict, 'base output_for_cli() only works with dict'
+        for key in sorted(ret):
+            print '%s = %r' % (key, ret[key])
+
 
 class Object(plugable.Plugin):
     __public__ = frozenset((
diff --git a/ipalib/plugins/f_user.py b/ipalib/plugins/f_user.py
index 22fb8a278..571f6fa8d 100644
--- a/ipalib/plugins/f_user.py
+++ b/ipalib/plugins/f_user.py
@@ -75,12 +75,26 @@ api.register(user)
 
 class user_add(crud.Add):
     'Add a new user.'
-    def execute(self, *args, **kw):
-        """args[0] = uid of the user to add
-           kw{container} is the location in the DIT to add the user, not
-           required
-           kw otherwise contains all the attributes
+
+    def execute(self, uid, **kw):
         """
+        Execute the user-add operation.
+
+        The dn should not be passed as a keyword argument as it is constructed
+        by this method.
+
+        Returns the entry as it will be created in LDAP.
+
+        :param uid: The login name of the user being added.
+        :param kw: Keyword arguments for the other LDAP attributes.
+        """
+        assert 'uid' not in kw
+        assert 'dn' not in kw
+        kw['uid'] = uid
+        kw['dn'] = self.api.Backend.ldap.get_user_dn(uid)
+
+        return kw
+
         # FIXME: ug, really?
         if not kw.get('container'):
             user_container = servercore.DefaultUserContainer
@@ -162,10 +176,6 @@ class user_add(crud.Add):
 
         result = servercore.add_entry(entry)
         return result
-    def forward(self, *args, **kw):
-        result = super(crud.Add, self).forward(*args, **kw)
-        if result:
-            print "User %s added" % args[0]
 
 api.register(user_add)