diff --git a/scripts/dts/gen_defines.py b/scripts/dts/gen_defines.py
index cc15ca88b80d..a6d58e89d574 100755
--- a/scripts/dts/gen_defines.py
+++ b/scripts/dts/gen_defines.py
@@ -74,11 +74,12 @@ def main():
 
     write_flash(edt)
 
-    print("Devicetree configuration written to " + args.conf_out)
-
     conf_file.close()
     header_file.close()
 
+    print(f"Devicetree header saved to '{args.header_out}'")
+
+
 def parse_args():
     # Returns parsed command-line arguments
 
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/guiconfig.py b/scripts/kconfig/guiconfig.py
index dbb753de75db..d4bd30812a95 100755
--- a/scripts/kconfig/guiconfig.py
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/guiconfig.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 
 # Copyright (c) 2019, Nordic Semiconductor ASA and Ulf Magnusson
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: ISC
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/kconfig.py b/scripts/kconfig/kconfig.py
index 91e3c145c4ba..e4ac8dcbda4a 100755
--- a/scripts/kconfig/kconfig.py
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/kconfig.py
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ def main():
 
     # Write the merged configuration and the C header
     print(kconf.write_config(args.config_out))
-    kconf.write_autoconf(args.header_out)
+    print(kconf.write_autoconf(args.header_out))
 
     # Write the list of parsed Kconfig files to a file
     write_kconfig_filenames(kconf, args.kconfig_list_out)
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/kconfiglib.py b/scripts/kconfig/kconfiglib.py
index c0a5b2ab6973..c67895ced6b3 100644
--- a/scripts/kconfig/kconfiglib.py
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/kconfiglib.py
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ def my_other_fn(kconf, name, arg_1, arg_2, ...):
 from os.path import dirname, exists, expandvars, islink, join, realpath
 
 
-VERSION = (13, 7, 1)
+VERSION = (14, 1, 0)
 
 
 # File layout:
@@ -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),
diff --git a/scripts/kconfig/menuconfig.py b/scripts/kconfig/menuconfig.py
index 38f54f14f9cf..9b159eb087c0 100755
--- a/scripts/kconfig/menuconfig.py
+++ b/scripts/kconfig/menuconfig.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 
 # Copyright (c) 2018-2019, Nordic Semiconductor ASA and Ulf Magnusson
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: ISC