diff --git a/docs/ngcpcfg.txt b/docs/ngcpcfg.txt
index 8b58ad73..08b79eb8 100644
--- a/docs/ngcpcfg.txt
+++ b/docs/ngcpcfg.txt
@@ -277,6 +277,11 @@ some initial files have to be generated from templates before ngcpcfg final setu
 
 Ignore schema validation results for YAML files (syntax check is still performed).
 
+  **--summary-only** <action> [<further_options>]::
+
+Hide all the output except the last summary line.
+Useful for integration of ngcpcfg in other scripts/tools.
+
   **--validate** <action> [<further_options>]::
 
 Force schema validation for YAML files even if validation is disabled in config.
diff --git a/functions/logs b/functions/logs
index 7b71a5e9..e593019d 100644
--- a/functions/logs
+++ b/functions/logs
@@ -21,35 +21,40 @@ console_output() {
 # }}}
 
 ## logging functions {{{
-log_info() {
+log_only() {
   logger -t ngcpcfg --id="${NGCPCFG_PID}" -- "$*"
+}
+
+log_info() {
+  log_only "$*"
   console_output "$*\n"
 }
 
 # info without ending newline
 log_info_n() {
-  logger -t ngcpcfg --id="${NGCPCFG_PID}" -- "$*"
+  log_only "$*"
   console_output "$*"
 }
 
 log_warn() {
-  logger -t ngcpcfg --id="${NGCPCFG_PID}" -- "Warning: $*"
+  log_only "Warning: $*"
   console_output "Warning: $*\n"
 }
 
+# warning without ending newline
 log_warn_n() {
-  logger -t ngcpcfg --id="${NGCPCFG_PID}" -- "Warning: $*"
+  log_only "Warning: $*"
   console_output "Warning: $*"
 }
 
 log_error() {
-  logger -t ngcpcfg --id="${NGCPCFG_PID}" -- "Error: $*"
+  log_only "Error: $*"
   console_output "Error: $*\n" >&2
 }
 
 log_debug() {
   if [ -n "${DEBUG:-}" ] ; then
-    logger -t ngcpcfg --id="${NGCPCFG_PID}" -- "Debug: $*"
+    log_only "Debug: $*"
     console_output "DEBUG: $*\n" >&2
   fi
 }
diff --git a/sbin/ngcpcfg b/sbin/ngcpcfg
index 15e7b408..f98fc79b 100755
--- a/sbin/ngcpcfg
+++ b/sbin/ngcpcfg
@@ -33,10 +33,30 @@ ngcpcfg_restore_perms() {
 }
 
 action() {
+  local rc=0
   ACTION="$1"
   shift
-  log_debug "${SCRIPTS}/${ACTION} $*"
-  "${SCRIPTS}/${ACTION}" "$@"
+
+  [ -z "${SUMMARY_ONLY:-}" ] && SUMMARY_ONLY=0
+
+  if [ "${SUMMARY_ONLY}" == "1" ]; then
+    log_debug "${SCRIPTS}/${ACTION} $* >/dev/null 2>&1"
+    "${SCRIPTS}/${ACTION}" "$@" >/dev/null 2>&1 || rc=$?
+  else
+    log_debug "${SCRIPTS}/${ACTION} $*"
+    "${SCRIPTS}/${ACTION}" "$@" || rc=$?
+  fi
+
+  if [ "${rc}" == "0" ]; then
+    local msg="Successfully executed '${ACTION}' on '${HNAME}'"
+    [ "${SUMMARY_ONLY}" == "1" ] || log_only "${msg}"
+    [ "${SUMMARY_ONLY}" == "0" ] || log_info "${msg}"
+  else
+    local msg="Failed to call action '${ACTION}' on '${HNAME}' (see logs on '${HNAME}')"
+    [ "${SUMMARY_ONLY}" == "1" ] || log_only "Error: ${msg}"
+    [ "${SUMMARY_ONLY}" == "0" ] || log_error "${msg}"
+    exit "${rc}"
+  fi
 }
 
 usage() {
@@ -172,6 +192,7 @@ case ${1:-} in
   --no-action-failure) export NO_ACTION_FAILURE=1; shift ; "$0" "$@" ;;
   --no-check-origin) export NO_CHECK_ORIGIN=1; shift ; "$0" "$@" ;;
   --validate)   export VALIDATE=1; shift ; "$0" "$@" ;;
+  --summary-only) export SUMMARY_ONLY=1; shift ; "$0" "$@" ;;
   -h|--help|help)       usage   ; exit 0;;
   -v|--version|version) version ; exit 0;;
   *)          usage 1; exit 1;;