diff --git a/test/cql-pytest/run b/test/cql-pytest/run
index cce4318c80..fe2f78f1c6 100755
--- a/test/cql-pytest/run
+++ b/test/cql-pytest/run
@@ -31,8 +31,6 @@ if "-h" in sys.argv or "--help" in sys.argv:
     run.run_pytest(sys.path[0], sys.argv)
     exit(0)
 
-run.omit_scylla_output = "--omit-scylla-output" in sys.argv
-
 pid = run.run_with_temporary_dir(cmd)
 ip = run.pid_to_ip(pid)
 
diff --git a/test/cql-pytest/run.py b/test/cql-pytest/run.py
index 07cd8dcb56..4326aaf4a7 100755
--- a/test/cql-pytest/run.py
+++ b/test/cql-pytest/run.py
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ def abort_run_with_dir(pid, tmpdir):
 def abort_run_with_temporary_dir(pid):
     return abort_run_with_dir(pid, pid_to_dir(pid))
 
-omit_scylla_output = False
+omit_scylla_output = "--omit-scylla-output" in sys.argv
 summary=''
 run_pytest_pids = set()