diff --git a/commands/installrg.go b/commands/installrg.go
index daca6d8a04..141ef0fd86 100644
--- a/commands/installrg.go
+++ b/commands/installrg.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kpt/pkg/live"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions"
 	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/util"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/util/i18n"
@@ -53,6 +54,17 @@ func (ir *InstallRGRunner) Run(reader io.Reader, args []string) error {
 	if len(args) > 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("too many arguments; install-resource-group takes no arguments")
 	}
-	// Apply the ResourceGroup CRD to the cluster, ignoring if it already exists.
-	return live.ApplyResourceGroupCRD(ir.factory)
+	fmt.Fprint(ir.ioStreams.Out, "installing ResourceGroup custom resource definition...")
+	// Apply the ResourceGroup CRD to the cluster, swallowing an "AlreadyExists" error.
+	err := live.ApplyResourceGroupCRD(ir.factory)
+	if apierrors.IsAlreadyExists(err) {
+		fmt.Fprint(ir.ioStreams.Out, "already installed...")
+		err = nil
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintln(ir.ioStreams.Out, "failed")
+	} else {
+		fmt.Fprintln(ir.ioStreams.Out, "success")
+	}
+	return err
 }
diff --git a/commands/migratecmd.go b/commands/migratecmd.go
index bbbe1b4bf3..975746386a 100644
--- a/commands/migratecmd.go
+++ b/commands/migratecmd.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/GoogleContainerTools/kpt/pkg/live"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions"
 	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/util"
@@ -149,11 +150,19 @@ func (mr *MigrateRunner) applyCRD() error {
 	var err error
 	// Simply return early if this is a dry run
 	if mr.dryRun {
-		fmt.Fprint(mr.ioStreams.Out, "success\n")
+		fmt.Fprintln(mr.ioStreams.Out, "success")
 		return nil
 	}
-	if err = live.ApplyResourceGroupCRD(mr.cmProvider.Factory()); err == nil {
-		fmt.Fprint(mr.ioStreams.Out, "success\n")
+	// Apply the ResourceGroup CRD to the cluster, swallowing an "AlreadyExists" error.
+	err = live.ApplyResourceGroupCRD(mr.cmProvider.Factory())
+	if apierrors.IsAlreadyExists(err) {
+		fmt.Fprint(mr.ioStreams.Out, "already installed...")
+		err = nil
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintln(mr.ioStreams.Out, "failed")
+	} else {
+		fmt.Fprintln(mr.ioStreams.Out, "success")
 	}
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/e2e/live/end-to-end-test.sh b/e2e/live/end-to-end-test.sh
index 6e024345cc..ea38dca362 100755
--- a/e2e/live/end-to-end-test.sh
+++ b/e2e/live/end-to-end-test.sh
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ cp -f e2e/live/testdata/inventory-template.yaml e2e/live/testdata/migrate-error
 echo "Testing kpt live migrate with no objects in cluster"
 echo "kpt live migrate e2e/live/testdata/migrate-error"
 ${BIN_DIR}/kpt live migrate e2e/live/testdata/migrate-error > $OUTPUT_DIR/status 2>&1
-assertContains "ensuring ResourceGroup CRD exists in cluster...success"
+assertContains "ensuring ResourceGroup CRD exists in cluster...already installed...success"
 assertContains "updating Kptfile inventory values...values already exist...success"
 assertContains "retrieve the current ConfigMap inventory...success (0 inventory objects)"
 assertContains "deleting inventory template file:"
@@ -549,6 +549,7 @@ kubectl get resourcegroups.kpt.dev > $OUTPUT_DIR/status 2>&1
 assertContains "error: the server doesn't have a resource type \"resourcegroups\""
 # Next, add the ResourceGroup CRD
 ${BIN_DIR}/kpt live install-resource-group > $OUTPUT_DIR/status
+assertContains "installing ResourceGroup custom resource definition...success"
 kubectl get resourcegroups.kpt.dev > $OUTPUT_DIR/status 2>&1
 assertContains "No resources found"
 # Add a simple ResourceGroup custom resource, and verify it exists in the cluster.
@@ -557,8 +558,8 @@ assertContains "resourcegroup.kpt.dev/example-inventory created"
 kubectl get resourcegroups.kpt.dev --no-headers > $OUTPUT_DIR/status
 assertContains "example-inventory"
 # Finally, add the ResourceGroup CRD again, and check it says it already exists.
-${BIN_DIR}/kpt live install-resource-group -v=4 > $OUTPUT_DIR/status 2>&1
-assertContains "ResourceGroup CRD already exists"
+${BIN_DIR}/kpt live install-resource-group > $OUTPUT_DIR/status 2>&1
+assertContains "...already installed...success"
 printResult
 
 # Clean-up the k8s cluster
diff --git a/pkg/live/inventoryrg.go b/pkg/live/inventoryrg.go
index bd56d9cc5f..366e26a991 100644
--- a/pkg/live/inventoryrg.go
+++ b/pkg/live/inventoryrg.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 
-	apierrors "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/errors"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/schema"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/resource"
@@ -215,8 +214,8 @@ var crdGroupKind = schema.GroupKind{
 
 // ApplyResourceGroupCRD applies the custom resource definition for the
 // ResourceGroup. The apiextensions version applied is based on the RESTMapping
-// returned by the RESTMapper. Returns an error if one occurs; "Already Exists"
-// error is changed to nil error.
+// returned by the RESTMapper. Returns an error if one occurs, including an
+// "Already Exists" error.
 func ApplyResourceGroupCRD(factory cmdutil.Factory) error {
 	// Create the mapping from the CustomResourceDefinision GroupKind.
 	mapper, err := factory.ToRESTMapper()
@@ -255,15 +254,7 @@ func ApplyResourceGroupCRD(factory cmdutil.Factory) error {
 	helper := resource.NewHelper(client, mapping)
 	klog.V(4).Infoln("applying ResourceGroup CRD...")
 	_, err = helper.Create(emptyNamespace, clearResourceVersion, crd)
-	if err != nil {
-		if apierrors.IsAlreadyExists(err) {
-			klog.V(4).Infoln("ResourceGroup CRD already exists")
-			return nil
-		}
-		return err
-	}
-	klog.V(4).Infoln("ResourceGroup CRD successfully applied")
-	return nil
+	return err
 }
 
 // stringToUnstructured transforms a single resource represented by