diff --git a/apps/systemcmds/eeprom/24xxxx_mtd.c b/apps/systemcmds/eeprom/24xxxx_mtd.c
index 5424094a66..b5144512bc 100644
--- a/apps/systemcmds/eeprom/24xxxx_mtd.c
+++ b/apps/systemcmds/eeprom/24xxxx_mtd.c
@@ -151,8 +151,6 @@ static ssize_t at24c_bread(FAR struct mtd_dev_s *dev, off_t startblock,
                            size_t nblocks, FAR uint8_t *buf);
 static ssize_t at24c_bwrite(FAR struct mtd_dev_s *dev, off_t startblock,
                             size_t nblocks, FAR const uint8_t *buf);
-static ssize_t at24c_read(FAR struct mtd_dev_s *dev, off_t offset,
-                          size_t nbytes,FAR uint8_t *buffer);
 static int at24c_ioctl(FAR struct mtd_dev_s *dev, int cmd, unsigned long arg);
 
 /************************************************************************************
@@ -172,7 +170,6 @@ static struct at24c_dev_s g_at24c;
 static int at24c_eraseall(FAR struct at24c_dev_s *priv)
 {
   int startblock = 0;
-  int ret = OK;
   uint8_t buf[AT24XX_PAGESIZE + 2];
 
   struct i2c_msg_s msgv[1] = 
diff --git a/apps/systemcmds/eeprom/eeprom.c b/apps/systemcmds/eeprom/eeprom.c
index ed727cd338..4a641dd0a5 100644
--- a/apps/systemcmds/eeprom/eeprom.c
+++ b/apps/systemcmds/eeprom/eeprom.c
@@ -126,20 +126,21 @@ eeprom_start(void)
 	if (mtd == NULL)
 		errx(1, "failed to initialize EEPROM driver");
 
+	/* driver is started, even if NXFFS fails to mount */
+	started = true;
+
 	/* start NXFFS */
 	ret = nxffs_initialize(mtd);
 
 	if (ret < 0)
-		err(1, "failed to initialize NXFFS");
-
+		errx(1, "failed to initialize NXFFS - erase EEPROM to reformat");
+	
 	/* mount the EEPROM */
 	ret = mount(NULL, "/eeprom", "nxffs", 0, NULL);
 
 	if (ret < 0)
-		err(1, "failed to mount EEPROM");
-
-	started = true;
-
+		errx(1, "failed to mount /eeprom - erase EEPROM to reformat");
+	
 	errx(0, "mounted EEPROM at /eeprom");
 }