diff --git a/cmdline/device.c b/cmdline/device.c
index e8c36465..0b03d1b2 100644
--- a/cmdline/device.c
+++ b/cmdline/device.c
@@ -395,8 +395,8 @@ static void state_smart(int verbose, unsigned n, tommy_list* low)
 			printf("%8" PRIu64, devinfo->smart[SMART_ERROR]);
 		else if (flag & (SMARTCTL_FLAG_ERROR | SMARTCTL_FLAG_ERROR_LOGGED))
 			printf("   ERROR");
-		else if (flag & (SMARTCTL_FLAG_OPEN | SMARTCTL_FLAG_COMMAND))
-			printf("     n/a");
+		else if (flag & (SMARTCTL_FLAG_UNSUPPORTED | SMARTCTL_FLAG_OPEN | SMARTCTL_FLAG_COMMAND))
+			printf("       -");
 		else if (devinfo->smart[SMART_ERROR] == 0)
 			printf("       0");
 		else
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ static void state_smart(int verbose, unsigned n, tommy_list* low)
 		if (flag & (SMARTCTL_FLAG_FAIL | SMARTCTL_FLAG_PREFAIL | SMARTCTL_FLAG_PREFAIL_LOGGED))
 			make_it_fail = 1;
 
-		if (flag & (SMARTCTL_FLAG_OPEN | SMARTCTL_FLAG_COMMAND)) {
+		if (flag & (SMARTCTL_FLAG_UNSUPPORTED | SMARTCTL_FLAG_OPEN | SMARTCTL_FLAG_COMMAND)) {
 			/* if error running smartctl, skip AFR estimation */
 			afr = 0;
 			printf("    -");
diff --git a/cmdline/mingw.c b/cmdline/mingw.c
index 35de77e5..3cd99fc9 100644
--- a/cmdline/mingw.c
+++ b/cmdline/mingw.c
@@ -1849,13 +1849,6 @@ static int devsmart(const char* file, uint64_t* smart, char* serial)
 		return -1;
 		/* LCOV_EXCL_STOP */
 	}
-	/* check only first bit, as other bits are used to report other conditions */
-	if ((ret & 1) != 0) {
-		/* LCOV_EXCL_START */
-		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to run smartctl -a on device '%s' with return code %xh.\n", file, ret);
-		return -1;
-		/* LCOV_EXCL_STOP */
-	}
 
 	/* store the return smartctl return value */
 	smart[SMART_FLAGS] = ret;
diff --git a/cmdline/portable.h b/cmdline/portable.h
index 2a2b67f6..7752a85f 100644
--- a/cmdline/portable.h
+++ b/cmdline/portable.h
@@ -328,6 +328,7 @@ int randomize(void* ptr, size_t size);
 /**
  * Flags returned by smartctl.
  */
+#define SMARTCTL_FLAG_UNSUPPORTED (1 << 0) /**< Device not recognized, requiring the -d option. */
 #define SMARTCTL_FLAG_OPEN (1 << 1) /**< Device open failed. */
 #define SMARTCTL_FLAG_COMMAND (1 << 2) /**< Some SMART or other ATA command to the disk failed. */
 #define SMARTCTL_FLAG_FAIL (1 << 3) /**< SMART status check returned "DISK FAILING". */
diff --git a/cmdline/unix.c b/cmdline/unix.c
index 2d6e07fa..36681874 100644
--- a/cmdline/unix.c
+++ b/cmdline/unix.c
@@ -655,13 +655,6 @@ static int devsmart(dev_t device, uint64_t* smart, char* serial)
 		return -1;
 		/* LCOV_EXCL_STOP */
 	}
-	/* check only first bit, as other bits are used to report other conditions */
-	if ((WEXITSTATUS(ret) & 1) != 0) {
-		/* LCOV_EXCL_START */
-		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to run smartctl -a on device '%u:%u' with return code %xh.\n", major(device), minor(device), WEXITSTATUS(ret));
-		return -1;
-		/* LCOV_EXCL_STOP */
-	}
 
 	/* store the return smartctl return value */
 	smart[SMART_FLAGS] = WEXITSTATUS(ret);