diff --git a/kconfiglib.py b/kconfiglib.py
index e325cd7..a735964 100644
--- a/kconfiglib.py
+++ b/kconfiglib.py
@@ -1444,12 +1444,18 @@ def write_autoconf(self, filename=None, header=None):
           KCONFIG_AUTOHEADER_HEADER had when the Kconfig instance was created
           will be used if it was set, and no header otherwise. See the
           Kconfig.header_header attribute.
+
+        Returns a string with a message saying that the header got saved, or
+        that there were no changes to it. This is meant to reduce boilerplate
+        in tools, which can do e.g. print(kconf.write_autoconf()).
         """
         if filename is None:
             filename = os.getenv("KCONFIG_AUTOHEADER",
                                  "include/generated/autoconf.h")
 
-        self._write_if_changed(filename, self._autoconf_contents(header))
+        if self._write_if_changed(filename, self._autoconf_contents(header)):
+            return "Kconfig header saved to '{}'".format(filename)
+        return "No change to Kconfig header in '{}'".format(filename)
 
     def _autoconf_contents(self, header):
         # write_autoconf() helper. Returns the contents to write as a string,
@@ -1564,7 +1570,7 @@ def write_config(self, filename=None, header=None, save_old=True,
 
         contents = self._config_contents(header)
         if self._contents_eq(filename, contents):
-            return "No change to '{}'".format(filename)
+            return "No change to configuration in '{}'".format(filename)
 
         if save_old:
             _save_old(filename)
@@ -1677,18 +1683,14 @@ def write_min_config(self, filename, header=None):
           be used if it was set, and no header otherwise. See the
           Kconfig.config_header attribute.
 
-        Returns a string with a message saying which file got saved. This is
-        meant to reduce boilerplate in tools, which can do e.g.
+        Returns a string with a message saying the minimal configuration got
+        saved, or that there were no changes to it. This is meant to reduce
+        boilerplate in tools, which can do e.g.
         print(kconf.write_min_config()).
         """
-        contents = self._min_config_contents(header)
-        if self._contents_eq(filename, contents):
-            return "No change to '{}'".format(filename)
-
-        with self._open(filename, "w") as f:
-            f.write(contents)
-
-        return "Minimal configuration saved to '{}'".format(filename)
+        if self._write_if_changed(filename, self._min_config_contents(header)):
+            return "Minimal configuration saved to '{}'".format(filename)
+        return "No change to minimal configuration in '{}'".format(filename)
 
     def _min_config_contents(self, header):
         # write_min_config() helper. Returns the contents to write as a string,
@@ -2264,10 +2266,15 @@ def _write_if_changed(self, filename, contents):
         # differs, but it breaks stuff like write_config("/dev/null"), which is
         # used out there to force evaluation-related warnings to be generated.
         # This simple version is pretty failsafe and portable.
+        #
+        # Returns True if the file has changed and is updated, and False
+        # otherwise.
 
-        if not self._contents_eq(filename, contents):
-            with self._open(filename, "w") as f:
-                f.write(contents)
+        if self._contents_eq(filename, contents):
+            return False
+        with self._open(filename, "w") as f:
+            f.write(contents)
+        return True
 
     def _contents_eq(self, filename, contents):
         # Returns True if the contents of 'filename' is 'contents' (a string),