diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-sysroot-deploy.c b/src/libostree/ostree-sysroot-deploy.c
index 4efaae6e86..d52eecf3de 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-sysroot-deploy.c
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-sysroot-deploy.c
@@ -2629,8 +2629,9 @@ auto_early_prune_old_deployments (OstreeSysroot *self, GPtrArray *new_deployment
            *
            * An alternative is working with the block size instead, which would
            * be easier to handle. */
-          g_printerr ("bootcsum %s size exceeds %u; disabling auto-prune optimization\n", bootdir,
-                      G_MAXUINT);
+          ot_journal_print (LOG_WARNING,
+                            "bootcsum %s size exceeds %u; disabling auto-prune optimization",
+                            bootdir, G_MAXUINT);
           return TRUE;
         }
 
@@ -2663,8 +2664,9 @@ auto_early_prune_old_deployments (OstreeSysroot *self, GPtrArray *new_deployment
       /* see similar logic in previous loop */
       if (bootdir_size > G_MAXUINT)
         {
-          g_printerr (
-              "deployment %s kernel layout size exceeds %u; disabling auto-prune optimization\n",
+          ot_journal_print (
+              LOG_WARNING,
+              "deployment %s kernel layout size exceeds %u; disabling auto-prune optimization",
               ostree_deployment_get_csum (deployment), G_MAXUINT);
           return TRUE;
         }
@@ -2686,12 +2688,13 @@ auto_early_prune_old_deployments (OstreeSysroot *self, GPtrArray *new_deployment
      * and old bootdirs? */
     if (bootfs_has_space)
       {
-        g_printerr ("bootfs is sufficient for calculated new size: %s\n", net_new_formatted);
+        ot_journal_print (LOG_INFO, "bootfs is sufficient for calculated new size: %s",
+                          net_new_formatted);
         return TRUE; /* nothing to do! */
       }
   }
 
-  g_printerr ("bootfs requires additional space: %s\n", net_new_formatted);
+  ot_journal_print (LOG_INFO, "bootfs requires additional space: %s", net_new_formatted);
   /* OK, we would fail if we tried to write the new bootdirs. Is it salvageable?
    * First, calculate how much space we could save with the bootcsums scheduled
    * for removal. */
@@ -2704,7 +2707,7 @@ auto_early_prune_old_deployments (OstreeSysroot *self, GPtrArray *new_deployment
 
   {
     g_autofree char *to_remove_formated = g_format_size (bootcsum_dirs_to_remove_total_size);
-    g_printerr ("Size to prune from bootfs: %s\n", to_remove_formated);
+    ot_journal_print (LOG_INFO, "Size to prune from bootfs: %s", to_remove_formated);
   }
 
   if (net_new_bootcsum_dirs_total_size > bootcsum_dirs_to_remove_total_size)
@@ -2721,12 +2724,14 @@ auto_early_prune_old_deployments (OstreeSysroot *self, GPtrArray *new_deployment
         {
           /* Even if we auto-pruned, the new bootdirs wouldn't fit. Just let the
            * code continue and let it hit ENOSPC. */
-          g_printerr ("Disabling auto-prune optimization; insufficient space left in bootfs\n");
+          ot_journal_print (LOG_WARNING,
+                            "Disabling auto-prune optimization; insufficient space left in bootfs");
           return TRUE;
         }
     }
 
-  g_printerr ("Insufficient space left in bootfs; updating bootloader in two steps\n");
+  ot_journal_print (LOG_INFO,
+                    "Insufficient space left in bootfs; updating bootloader in two steps");
 
   /* Auto-pruning can salvage the situation. Calculate the set of deployments in common. */
   g_autoptr (GPtrArray) common_deployments = g_ptr_array_new ();
diff --git a/src/switchroot/ostree-prepare-root.c b/src/switchroot/ostree-prepare-root.c
index 7d1b8ac822..70bf78f630 100644
--- a/src/switchroot/ostree-prepare-root.c
+++ b/src/switchroot/ostree-prepare-root.c
@@ -574,8 +574,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
           /* Bind-mount /etc (at deploy path), and remount as writable. */
           if (mount ("etc", tmp_sysroot_etc, NULL, MS_BIND | MS_SILENT, NULL) < 0)
             err (EXIT_FAILURE, "failed to prepare /etc bind-mount at /sysroot.tmp/etc");
-          if (mount (tmp_sysroot_etc, tmp_sysroot_etc, NULL, MS_BIND | MS_REMOUNT | MS_SILENT,
-                     NULL)
+          if (mount (tmp_sysroot_etc, tmp_sysroot_etc, NULL, MS_BIND | MS_REMOUNT | MS_SILENT, NULL)
               < 0)
             err (EXIT_FAILURE, "failed to make writable /etc bind-mount at /sysroot.tmp/etc");
         }
diff --git a/tests/kolainst/destructive/auto-prune.sh b/tests/kolainst/destructive/auto-prune.sh
index 5081275e07..03d60e4155 100755
--- a/tests/kolainst/destructive/auto-prune.sh
+++ b/tests/kolainst/destructive/auto-prune.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,34 @@ set -xeuo pipefail
 
 . ${KOLA_EXT_DATA}/libinsttest.sh
 
+journal_cursor() {
+    journalctl -o json -n 1 | jq -r '.["__CURSOR"]'
+}
+
+assert_journal_grep() {
+    local cursor re
+    cursor=$1
+    shift
+    re=$1
+    shift
+
+    if ! journalctl -t ostree --after-cursor "${cursor}" --grep="$re" "$@" >/dev/null; then
+        fatal "failed to find in journal: $re"; exit 1
+    fi
+}
+
+assert_not_journal_grep() {
+    local cursor re
+    cursor=$1
+    shift
+    re=$1
+    shift
+
+    if journalctl -t ostree --after-cursor "${cursor}" --grep="$re" "$@"; then
+        fatal "found in journal: $re"; exit 1
+    fi
+}
+
 # make two fake ostree commits with modified kernels of about the same size
 cd /root
 mkdir -p rootfs/usr/lib/modules/`uname -r`
@@ -44,12 +72,13 @@ assert_bootfs_has_n_bootcsum_dirs 1
 # the booted deployment is never pruned, so this is a hopeless case and auto-pruning can't save us
 consume_bootfs_space
 rpm-ostree rebase :modkernel1
-if ostree admin finalize-staged |& tee out.txt; then
+cursor=$(journal_cursor)
+rm -vf err.txt
+if ostree admin finalize-staged 2>err.txt; then
     assert_not_reached "successfully wrote to filled up bootfs"
 fi
-assert_file_has_content out.txt "Disabling auto-prune optimization; insufficient space left in bootfs"
-assert_file_has_content out.txt "No space left on device"
-rm out.txt
+assert_journal_grep "$cursor" "Disabling auto-prune optimization; insufficient space left in bootfs"
+assert_file_has_content err.txt "No space left on device"
 unconsume_bootfs_space
 rpm-ostree cleanup -bpr
 
@@ -58,9 +87,9 @@ rpm-ostree cleanup -bpr
 assert_bootfs_has_n_bootcsum_dirs 1
 
 rpm-ostree rebase :modkernel1
-ostree admin finalize-staged |& tee out.txt
-assert_not_file_has_content out.txt "updating bootloader in two steps"
-rm out.txt
+cursor=$(journal_cursor)
+ostree admin finalize-staged
+assert_not_journal_grep "$cursor" "updating bootloader in two steps"
 
 # and put it in rollback position; this is the deployment that'll get auto-pruned
 rpm-ostree rollback
@@ -71,11 +100,12 @@ bootloader_orig=$(sha256sum /boot/loader/entries/*)
 # now try to deploy a third deployment without early pruning; we should hit ENOSPC
 consume_bootfs_space
 rpm-ostree rebase :modkernel2
-if OSTREE_SYSROOT_OPTS=no-early-prune ostree admin finalize-staged |& tee out.txt; then
+cursor=$(journal_cursor)
+rm -vf err.txt
+if OSTREE_SYSROOT_OPTS=no-early-prune ostree admin finalize-staged 2>err.txt; then
     assert_not_reached "successfully wrote kernel without auto-pruning"
 fi
-assert_file_has_content out.txt "No space left on device"
-rm out.txt
+assert_file_has_content err.txt "No space left on device"
 
 # there's 3 bootcsums now because it'll also have the partially written
 # bootcsum dir we were creating when we hit ENOSPC; this verifies that all the
@@ -86,9 +116,9 @@ assert_streq "$bootloader_orig" "$(sha256sum /boot/loader/entries/*)"
 
 # now, try again but with auto-pruning enabled
 rpm-ostree rebase :modkernel2
-ostree admin finalize-staged |& tee out.txt
-assert_file_has_content out.txt "updating bootloader in two steps"
-rm out.txt
+cursor=$(journal_cursor)
+ostree admin finalize-staged
+assert_journal_grep "$cursor" "updating bootloader in two steps"
 
 assert_bootfs_has_n_bootcsum_dirs 2
 assert_not_streq "$bootloader_orig" "$(sha256sum /boot/loader/entries/*)"
@@ -121,18 +151,19 @@ unshare -m bash -c \
 consume_bootfs_space "$((free_blocks_kernel_and_initrd))"
 
 rpm-ostree rebase :modkernel1
+cursor=$(journal_cursor)
 # Disable auto-pruning to verify we reproduce the bug
-if OSTREE_SYSROOT_OPTS=no-early-prune ostree admin finalize-staged |& tee out.txt; then
+rm -vf err.txt
+if OSTREE_SYSROOT_OPTS=no-early-prune ostree admin finalize-staged 2>err.txt; then
     assert_not_reached "successfully wrote kernel without auto-pruning"
 fi
-assert_file_has_content out.txt "No space left on device"
-rm out.txt
+assert_file_has_content err.txt "No space left on device" 
 
 # now, try again but with (now default) auto-pruning enabled
 rpm-ostree rebase :modkernel1
-ostree admin finalize-staged |& tee out.txt
-assert_file_has_content out.txt "updating bootloader in two steps"
-rm out.txt
+cursor=$(journal_cursor)
+ostree admin finalize-staged
+assert_journal_grep "$cursor" "updating bootloader in two steps"
 
 # Below, we test that the size estimator is blocksize aware. This catches the
 # case where the dtb contains many small files such that there's a lot of wasted
@@ -149,17 +180,18 @@ ostree commit --base modkernel1 -P --tree=dir=rootfs -b modkernel3
 consume_bootfs_space "$((free_blocks_kernel_and_initrd - 10000))"
 
 rpm-ostree rebase :modkernel3
+cursor=$(journal_cursor)
 # Disable auto-pruning to verify we reproduce the bug
-if OSTREE_SYSROOT_OPTS=no-early-prune ostree admin finalize-staged |& tee out.txt; then
+rm -vf err.txt
+if OSTREE_SYSROOT_OPTS=no-early-prune ostree admin finalize-staged 2>err.txt; then
     assert_not_reached "successfully wrote kernel without auto-pruning"
 fi
-assert_file_has_content out.txt "No space left on device"
-rm out.txt
+assert_file_has_content err.txt "No space left on device" 
 
 # now, try again but with (now default) auto-pruning enabled
 rpm-ostree rebase :modkernel3
-ostree admin finalize-staged |& tee out.txt
-assert_file_has_content out.txt "updating bootloader in two steps"
-rm out.txt
+cursor=$(journal_cursor)
+ostree admin finalize-staged
+assert_journal_grep "$cursor" "updating bootloader in two steps"
 
 echo "ok bootfs auto-prune"