diff --git a/runsc/main.go b/runsc/main.go
index 472839bf0..4f89312b3 100644
--- a/runsc/main.go
+++ b/runsc/main.go
@@ -192,7 +192,13 @@ func main() {
 			cmd.Fatalf("error dup'ing fd %d to stderr: %v", f.Fd(), err)
 		}
 
-		e = log.MultiEmitter{e, newEmitter(*debugLogFormat, f)}
+		if logFile == os.Stderr {
+			// Suppress logging to stderr when debug log is enabled. Otherwise all
+			// messages will be duplicated in the debug log (see Dup2() call above).
+			e = newEmitter(*debugLogFormat, f)
+		} else {
+			e = log.MultiEmitter{e, newEmitter(*debugLogFormat, f)}
+		}
 	} else if *debugLog != "" {
 		f, err := specutils.DebugLogFile(*debugLog, subcommand)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/test/syscalls/syscall_test_runner.go b/test/syscalls/syscall_test_runner.go
index 9fe801b26..c4af28103 100644
--- a/test/syscalls/syscall_test_runner.go
+++ b/test/syscalls/syscall_test_runner.go
@@ -202,6 +202,11 @@ func runTestCaseRunsc(testBin string, tc gtest.TestCase, t *testing.T) {
 		debugLogDir += "/"
 		log.Infof("runsc logs: %s", debugLogDir)
 		args = append(args, "-debug-log", debugLogDir)
+
+		// Default -log sends messages to stderr which makes reading the test log
+		// difficult. Instead, drop them when debug log is enabled given it's a
+		// better place for these messages.
+		args = append(args, "-log=/dev/null")
 	}
 
 	// Current process doesn't have CAP_SYS_ADMIN, create user namespace and run