diff --git a/addons/ot/src/cli.c b/addons/ot/src/cli.c
index f9feeca15..9132fe907 100644
--- a/addons/ot/src/cli.c
+++ b/addons/ot/src/cli.c
@@ -38,15 +38,17 @@
  */
 static void cmn_cli_set_msg(struct appctx *appctx, char *err, char *msg, int cli_state)
 {
+	struct cli_print_ctx *ctx = applet_reserve_svcctx(appctx, sizeof(*ctx));
+
 	FLT_OT_FUNC("%p, %p, %p, %d", appctx, err, msg, cli_state);
 
 	if ((appctx == NULL) || ((err == NULL) && (msg == NULL)))
 		FLT_OT_RETURN();
 
-	appctx->ctx.cli.err = (err == NULL) ? msg : err;
-	appctx->st0         = (appctx->ctx.cli.err == NULL) ? CLI_ST_PROMPT : cli_state;
+	ctx->err    = (err == NULL) ? msg : err;
+	appctx->st0 = (ctx->err == NULL) ? CLI_ST_PROMPT : cli_state;
 
-	FLT_OT_DBG(1, "err(%d): \"%s\"", appctx->st0, appctx->ctx.cli.err);
+	FLT_OT_DBG(1, "err(%d): \"%s\"", appctx->st0, ctx->err);
 
 	FLT_OT_RETURN();
 }
diff --git a/include/haproxy/applet-t.h b/include/haproxy/applet-t.h
index f2dfc6dbe..678742ce3 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/applet-t.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/applet-t.h
@@ -98,20 +98,29 @@ struct appctx {
 			void *shadow;          /* shadow of svcctx above, do not use! */
 			char storage[APPLET_MAX_SVCCTX]; /* storage of svcctx above */
 		} svc;                         /* generic storage for most commands */
-		union {
+
+		/* The "ctx" part below is kept only to help smooth transition
+		 * of legacy code and will disappear after 2.6. It ensures that
+		 * ctx.cli may safely map to a clean representation of the
+		 * "cli_print_ctx" struct mapped in "svc.storage" above.
+		 */
+		struct {
+			void *shadow;                   /* shadow of svcctx above for alignment, do not use! */
 			struct {
+				/* these 3 first fields must match EXACTLY "struct cli_print_ctx" */
 				const char *msg;        /* pointer to a persistent message to be returned in CLI_ST_PRINT state */
-				int severity;           /* severity of the message to be returned according to (syslog) rfc5424 */
 				char *err;              /* pointer to a 'must free' message to be returned in CLI_ST_PRINT_FREE state */
+				int severity;           /* severity of the message to be returned according to (syslog) rfc5424 */
+
 				/* WARNING: the entries below are only kept for compatibility
 				 * with possible external code but will disappear in 2.7, you
 				 * must use the cleaner svcctx now (look at "show fd" for an
 				 * example).
 				 */
-				 __attribute__((deprecated)) void *p0, *p1, *p2;
-				 __attribute__((deprecated)) size_t o0, o1;
-				 __attribute__((deprecated)) int i0, i1;
-			} cli;                          /* context used by the CLI */
+				 void *p0, *p1, *p2;
+				 size_t o0, o1;
+				 int i0, i1;
+			} cli __attribute__((deprecated)); /* context used by the CLI */
 		} ctx;					/* context-specific variables used by any applet */
 	}; /* end of anon union */
 };
diff --git a/include/haproxy/cli-t.h b/include/haproxy/cli-t.h
index 4f5e358de..3a61656ce 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/cli-t.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/cli-t.h
@@ -69,6 +69,12 @@ enum {
 	CLI_SEVERITY_STRING,        /* prepend informational cli messages with a severity as string */
 };
 
+/* CLI context for printing command responses. */
+struct cli_print_ctx {
+	const char *msg;        /* pointer to a persistent message to be returned in CLI_ST_PRINT state */
+	char *err;              /* pointer to a 'must free' message to be returned in CLI_ST_PRINT_FREE state */
+	int severity;           /* severity of the message to be returned according to (syslog) rfc5424 */
+};
 
 struct cli_kw {
 	const char *str_kw[CLI_PREFIX_KW_NB]; /* keywords ended by NULL, limited to CLI_PREFIX_KW_NB
diff --git a/include/haproxy/cli.h b/include/haproxy/cli.h
index f202a4f43..444c09b66 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/cli.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/cli.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #ifndef _HAPROXY_CLI_H
 #define _HAPROXY_CLI_H
 
-#include <haproxy/applet-t.h>
+#include <haproxy/applet.h>
 #include <haproxy/channel-t.h>
 #include <haproxy/cli-t.h>
 #include <haproxy/global.h>
@@ -57,8 +57,10 @@ int pcli_wait_for_response(struct stream *s, struct channel *rep, int an_bit);
  */
 static inline int cli_msg(struct appctx *appctx, int severity, const char *msg)
 {
-	appctx->ctx.cli.severity = severity;
-	appctx->ctx.cli.msg = msg;
+	struct cli_print_ctx *ctx = applet_reserve_svcctx(appctx, sizeof(*ctx));
+
+	ctx->severity = severity;
+	ctx->msg = msg;
 	appctx->st0 = CLI_ST_PRINT;
 	return 1;
 }
@@ -69,7 +71,9 @@ static inline int cli_msg(struct appctx *appctx, int severity, const char *msg)
  */
 static inline int cli_err(struct appctx *appctx, const char *err)
 {
-	appctx->ctx.cli.msg = err;
+	struct cli_print_ctx *ctx = applet_reserve_svcctx(appctx, sizeof(*ctx));
+
+	ctx->msg = err;
 	appctx->st0 = CLI_ST_PRINT_ERR;
 	return 1;
 }
@@ -80,8 +84,10 @@ static inline int cli_err(struct appctx *appctx, const char *err)
  */
 static inline int cli_dynmsg(struct appctx *appctx, int severity, char *msg)
 {
-	appctx->ctx.cli.severity = severity;
-	appctx->ctx.cli.err = msg;
+	struct cli_print_ctx *ctx = applet_reserve_svcctx(appctx, sizeof(*ctx));
+
+	ctx->severity = severity;
+	ctx->err = msg;
 	appctx->st0 = CLI_ST_PRINT_DYN;
 	return 1;
 }
@@ -93,11 +99,12 @@ static inline int cli_dynmsg(struct appctx *appctx, int severity, char *msg)
  */
 static inline int cli_dynerr(struct appctx *appctx, char *err)
 {
-	appctx->ctx.cli.err = err;
+	struct cli_print_ctx *ctx = applet_reserve_svcctx(appctx, sizeof(*ctx));
+
+	ctx->err = err;
 	appctx->st0 = CLI_ST_PRINT_FREE;
 	return 1;
 }
 
 
 #endif /* _HAPROXY_CLI_H */
-
diff --git a/src/cli.c b/src/cli.c
index 7853a5b1b..1618aaec5 100644
--- a/src/cli.c
+++ b/src/cli.c
@@ -308,10 +308,7 @@ static char *cli_gen_usage_msg(struct appctx *appctx, char * const *args)
 	chunk_dup(&out, tmp);
 	dynamic_usage_msg = out.area;
 
-	appctx->ctx.cli.severity = LOG_INFO;
-	appctx->ctx.cli.msg = dynamic_usage_msg;
-	appctx->st0 = CLI_ST_PRINT;
-
+	cli_msg(appctx, LOG_INFO, dynamic_usage_msg);
 	return dynamic_usage_msg;
 }
 
@@ -1057,6 +1054,7 @@ static void cli_io_handler(struct appctx *appctx)
 			req->flags |= CF_READ_DONTWAIT; /* we plan to read small requests */
 		}
 		else {	/* output functions */
+			struct cli_print_ctx *ctx;
 			const char *msg;
 			int sev;
 
@@ -1067,15 +1065,17 @@ static void cli_io_handler(struct appctx *appctx)
 			case CLI_ST_PRINT_ERR:   /* print const error in msg */
 			case CLI_ST_PRINT_DYN:   /* print dyn message in msg, free */
 			case CLI_ST_PRINT_FREE:  /* print dyn error in err, free */
+				/* the message is in the svcctx */
+				ctx = applet_reserve_svcctx(appctx, sizeof(*ctx));
 				if (appctx->st0 == CLI_ST_PRINT || appctx->st0 == CLI_ST_PRINT_ERR) {
 					sev = appctx->st0 == CLI_ST_PRINT_ERR ?
-						LOG_ERR : appctx->ctx.cli.severity;
-					msg = appctx->ctx.cli.msg;
+						LOG_ERR : ctx->severity;
+					msg = ctx->msg;
 				}
 				else if (appctx->st0 == CLI_ST_PRINT_DYN || appctx->st0 == CLI_ST_PRINT_FREE) {
 					sev = appctx->st0 == CLI_ST_PRINT_FREE ?
-						LOG_ERR : appctx->ctx.cli.severity;
-					msg = appctx->ctx.cli.err;
+						LOG_ERR : ctx->severity;
+					msg = ctx->err;
 					if (!msg) {
 						sev = LOG_ERR;
 						msg = "Out of memory.\n";
@@ -1089,7 +1089,7 @@ static void cli_io_handler(struct appctx *appctx)
 				if (cli_output_msg(res, msg, sev, cli_get_severity_output(appctx)) != -1) {
 					if (appctx->st0 == CLI_ST_PRINT_FREE ||
 					    appctx->st0 == CLI_ST_PRINT_DYN) {
-						ha_free(&appctx->ctx.cli.err);
+						ha_free(&ctx->err);
 					}
 					appctx->st0 = CLI_ST_PROMPT;
 				}
@@ -1212,7 +1212,9 @@ static void cli_release_handler(struct appctx *appctx)
 		appctx->io_release = NULL;
 	}
 	else if (appctx->st0 == CLI_ST_PRINT_FREE || appctx->st0 == CLI_ST_PRINT_DYN) {
-		ha_free(&appctx->ctx.cli.err);
+		struct cli_print_ctx *ctx = applet_reserve_svcctx(appctx, sizeof(*ctx));
+
+		ha_free(&ctx->err);
 	}
 }