diff --git a/src/uu/date/src/date.rs b/src/uu/date/src/date.rs
index 3510c783e5f..e577d081c49 100644
--- a/src/uu/date/src/date.rs
+++ b/src/uu/date/src/date.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ use jiff::{Timestamp, Zoned};
 use std::borrow::Cow;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::fs::File;
-use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader, BufWriter, Read, Write};
+use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader, BufWriter, Read, Write, stderr};
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::sync::OnceLock;
 use uucore::display::Quotable;
@@ -436,7 +436,10 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
                     format!("{date_part} 00:00 {offset}")
                 };
                 if settings.debug {
-                    eprintln!("date: warning: using midnight as starting time: 00:00:00");
+                    let _ = writeln!(
+                        stderr(),
+                        "date: warning: using midnight as starting time: 00:00:00"
+                    );
                 }
                 parse_date(composed, &now, DebugOptions::new(settings.debug, false))
             } else if let Some((total_hours, day_delta)) = military_tz_with_offset {
@@ -895,22 +898,25 @@ fn parse_date<S: AsRef<str> + Clone>(
     let input_str = s.as_ref();
 
     if dbg_opts.debug {
-        eprintln!("date: input string: {input_str}");
+        let _ = writeln!(stderr(), "date: input string: {input_str}");
     }
 
     // First, try to parse any timezone abbreviations
     if let Some(zoned) = try_parse_with_abbreviation(input_str, now) {
         if dbg_opts.debug {
-            eprintln!(
+            let mut err = stderr().lock();
+            let _ = writeln!(
+                err,
                 "date: parsed date part: (Y-M-D) {}",
                 strtime::format("%Y-%m-%d", &zoned).unwrap_or_default()
             );
-            eprintln!(
+            let _ = writeln!(
+                err,
                 "date: parsed time part: {}",
                 strtime::format("%H:%M:%S", &zoned).unwrap_or_default()
             );
             let tz_display = zoned.time_zone().iana_name().unwrap_or("system default");
-            eprintln!("date: input timezone: {tz_display}");
+            let _ = writeln!(err, "date: input timezone: {tz_display}");
         }
         return Ok(zoned);
     }
@@ -922,17 +928,20 @@ fn parse_date<S: AsRef<str> + Clone>(
             let result = date.timestamp().to_zoned(now.time_zone().clone());
             if dbg_opts.debug {
                 // Show final parsed date and time
-                eprintln!(
+                let mut err = stderr().lock();
+                let _ = writeln!(
+                    err,
                     "date: parsed date part: (Y-M-D) {}",
                     strtime::format("%Y-%m-%d", &result).unwrap_or_default()
                 );
-                eprintln!(
+                let _ = writeln!(
+                    err,
                     "date: parsed time part: {}",
                     strtime::format("%H:%M:%S", &result).unwrap_or_default()
                 );
 
                 // Show timezone information
-                eprintln!("date: input timezone: system default");
+                let _ = writeln!(err, "date: input timezone: system default");
 
                 // Check if time component was specified, if not warn about midnight usage
                 // Only warn for date-only inputs (no time specified), but not for epoch formats (@N)
@@ -941,7 +950,10 @@ fn parse_date<S: AsRef<str> + Clone>(
                     // Input likely didn't specify a time, so midnight was assumed
                     let time_str = strtime::format("%H:%M:%S", &result).unwrap_or_default();
                     if time_str == "00:00:00" {
-                        eprintln!("date: warning: using midnight as starting time: 00:00:00");
+                        let _ = writeln!(
+                            err,
+                            "date: warning: using midnight as starting time: 00:00:00"
+                        );
                     }
                 }
             }