diff --git a/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp b/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
--- a/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
+++ b/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
@@ -872,6 +872,40 @@
     return response;
 }
 
+/** Parse UniValue result to update the message to print to std::cout. */
+static void ParseResult(const UniValue &result, std::string &strPrint) {
+    if (result.isNull()) {
+        return;
+    }
+    strPrint = result.isStr() ? result.get_str() : result.write(2);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Parse UniValue error to update the message to print to std::cerr and the
+ * code to return.
+ */
+static void ParseError(const UniValue &error, std::string &strPrint,
+                       int &nRet) {
+    if (error.isObject()) {
+        const UniValue &err_code = find_value(error, "code");
+        const UniValue &err_msg = find_value(error, "message");
+        if (!err_code.isNull()) {
+            strPrint = "error code: " + err_code.getValStr() + "\n";
+        }
+        if (err_msg.isStr()) {
+            strPrint += ("error message:\n" + err_msg.get_str());
+        }
+        if (err_code.isNum() &&
+            err_code.get_int() == RPC_WALLET_NOT_SPECIFIED) {
+            strPrint += "\nTry adding \"-rpcwallet=<filename>\" option to "
+                        "bitcoin-cli command line.";
+        }
+    } else {
+        strPrint = "error: " + error.write();
+    }
+    nRet = abs(error["code"].get_int());
+}
+
 /**
  * GetWalletBalances calls listwallets; if more than one wallet is loaded, it
  * then fetches mine.trusted balances for each loaded wallet and pushes them to
@@ -991,48 +1025,27 @@
             args.erase(args.begin());
         }
 
-        std::optional<std::string> wallet_name{};
-        if (gArgs.IsArgSet("-rpcwallet")) {
-            wallet_name = gArgs.GetArg("-rpcwallet", "");
-        }
-        const UniValue reply =
-            ConnectAndCallRPC(rh.get(), method, args, wallet_name);
-
-        // Parse reply
-        UniValue result = find_value(reply, "result");
-        const UniValue &error = find_value(reply, "error");
-        if (!error.isNull()) {
-            // Error
-            strPrint = "error: " + error.write();
-            nRet = abs(error["code"].get_int());
-            if (error.isObject()) {
-                const UniValue &errCode = find_value(error, "code");
-                const UniValue &errMsg = find_value(error, "message");
-                strPrint = errCode.isNull()
-                               ? ""
-                               : ("error code: " + errCode.getValStr() + "\n");
-
-                if (errMsg.isStr()) {
-                    strPrint += ("error message:\n" + errMsg.get_str());
-                }
-                if (errCode.isNum() &&
-                    errCode.get_int() == RPC_WALLET_NOT_SPECIFIED) {
-                    strPrint += "\nTry adding \"-rpcwallet=<filename>\" option "
-                                "to bitcoin-cli command line.";
-                }
-            }
-        } else {
-            if (gArgs.IsArgSet("-getinfo") && !gArgs.IsArgSet("-rpcwallet")) {
-                // fetch multiwallet balances and append to result
-                GetWalletBalances(result);
+        if (nRet == 0) {
+            // Perform RPC call
+            std::optional<std::string> wallet_name{};
+            if (gArgs.IsArgSet("-rpcwallet")) {
+                wallet_name = gArgs.GetArg("-rpcwallet", "");
             }
-            // Result
-            if (result.isNull()) {
-                strPrint = "";
-            } else if (result.isStr()) {
-                strPrint = result.get_str();
+            const UniValue reply =
+                ConnectAndCallRPC(rh.get(), method, args, wallet_name);
+
+            // Parse reply
+            UniValue result = find_value(reply, "result");
+            const UniValue &error = find_value(reply, "error");
+            if (error.isNull()) {
+                if (gArgs.IsArgSet("-getinfo") &&
+                    !gArgs.IsArgSet("-rpcwallet")) {
+                    // fetch multiwallet balances and append to result
+                    GetWalletBalances(result);
+                }
+                ParseResult(result, strPrint);
             } else {
-                strPrint = result.write(2);
+                ParseError(error, strPrint, nRet);
             }
         }
     } catch (const std::exception &e) {