diff --git a/app/Console/Command/AdminShell.php b/app/Console/Command/AdminShell.php
index a68d747c0..b65326a64 100644
--- a/app/Console/Command/AdminShell.php
+++ b/app/Console/Command/AdminShell.php
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ App::uses('JsonTool', 'Tools');
  * @property Feed $Feed
  * @property Warninglist $warninglist
  * @property AdminSetting $AdminSetting
+ * @property Taxonomy $Taxonomy
  */
 class AdminShell extends AppShell
 {
@@ -23,6 +24,9 @@ class AdminShell extends AppShell
         $parser->addSubcommand('updateWarningLists', array(
             'help' => __('Update the JSON definition of warninglists.'),
         ));
+        $parser->addSubcommand('updateTaxonomies', array(
+            'help' => __('Update the JSON definition of taxonomies.'),
+        ));
         $parser->addSubcommand('setSetting', [
             'help' => __('Set setting in PHP config file.'),
             'parser' => [
@@ -282,22 +286,27 @@ class AdminShell extends AppShell
 
     public function updateTaxonomies()
     {
-        $this->ConfigLoad->execute();
         $result = $this->Taxonomy->update();
-        $successes = count(!empty($result['success']) ? $result['success'] : []);
-        $fails = count(!empty($result['fails']) ? $result['fails'] : []);
-        $message = '';
-        if ($successes == 0 && $fails == 0) {
-            $message = __('All taxonomies are up to date already.');
-        } elseif ($successes == 0 && $fails > 0) {
+        $successes = empty($result['success']) ? 0 : count($result['success']);
+        $fails = empty($result['fails']) ? 0 : count($result['fails']);
+
+        if ($successes === 0 && $fails === 0) {
+            $message =  __('All taxonomies are up to date already.');
+        } elseif ($successes === 0 && $fails > 0) {
             $message = __('Could not update any of the taxonomies.');
-        } elseif ($successes > 0 ) {
+        } else {
             $message = __('Successfully updated %s taxonomies.', $successes);
-            if ($fails != 0) {
+            if ($fails !== 0) {
                 $message .= __(' However, could not update %s taxonomies.', $fails);
             }
         }
-        echo $message . PHP_EOL;
+        $this->out($message);
+        if ($fails) {
+            $this->out(__('Fails:'));
+            foreach ($result['fails'] as $fail) {
+                $this->out("{$fail['namespace']}: {$fail['fail']}");
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     public function enableTaxonomyTags()
diff --git a/app/Controller/TaxonomiesController.php b/app/Controller/TaxonomiesController.php
index 43c4ce1b2..d4dec12c2 100644
--- a/app/Controller/TaxonomiesController.php
+++ b/app/Controller/TaxonomiesController.php
@@ -270,9 +270,9 @@ class TaxonomiesController extends AppController
             $message = __('Could not update any of the taxonomy libraries');
         } else {
             $flashType = 'success';
-            $message = __('Successfully updated ') . $successes . __(' taxonomy libraries.');
+            $message = __('Successfully updated %s taxonomy libraries.', $successes);
             if ($fails != 0) {
-                $message .= __(' However, could not update ') . $fails . __(' taxonomy libraries.');
+                $message .= __(' However, could not update %s taxonomy libraries.', $fails);
             }
         }
         if ($this->_isRest()) {
diff --git a/app/Model/Taxonomy.php b/app/Model/Taxonomy.php
index 1f0c479f6..415ca795b 100644
--- a/app/Model/Taxonomy.php
+++ b/app/Model/Taxonomy.php
@@ -49,14 +49,15 @@ class Taxonomy extends AppModel
                 continue;
             }
 
-            $file = new File(APP . 'files' . DS . 'taxonomies' . DS . $dir . DS . 'machinetag.json');
-            if (!$file->exists()) {
+            $machineTagPath = APP . 'files' . DS . 'taxonomies' . DS . $dir . DS . 'machinetag.json';
+            if (!file_exists($machineTagPath)) {
                 continue;
             }
+
             try {
-                $vocab = $this->jsonDecode($file->read());
+                $vocab = FileAccessTool::readJsonFromFile($machineTagPath);
             } catch (Exception $e) {
-                $updated['fails'][] = array('namespace' => $dir, 'fail' => "File machinetag.json is not valid JSON.");
+                $updated['fails'][] = ['namespace' => $dir, 'fail' => $e->getMessage()];
                 continue;
             }