diff --git a/weed/command/shell.go b/weed/command/shell.go
index 4053646ad..f3382a890 100644
--- a/weed/command/shell.go
+++ b/weed/command/shell.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ var (
 	shellOptions      shell.ShellOptions
 	shellInitialFiler *string
 	shellCluster      *string
+	shellDebug      *bool
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ func init() {
 	shellOptions.FilerGroup = cmdShell.Flag.String("filerGroup", "", "filerGroup for the filers")
 	shellInitialFiler = cmdShell.Flag.String("filer", "", "filer host and port for initial connection, e.g. localhost:8888")
 	shellCluster = cmdShell.Flag.String("cluster", "", "cluster defined in shell.toml")
+	shellDebug = cmdShell.Flag.Bool("debug", false, "print informational logs to stderr")
 }
 
 var cmdShell = &Command{
@@ -61,7 +63,10 @@ func runShell(command *Command, args []string) bool {
 		filerAddress = viper.GetString("cluster." + cluster + ".filer")
 	}
 	shellOptions.FilerAddress = pb.ServerAddress(filerAddress)
-	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "master: %s filer: %s\n", *shellOptions.Masters, shellOptions.FilerAddress)
+	shellOptions.Debug = *shellDebug
+	if shellOptions.Debug {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "master: %s filer: %s\n", *shellOptions.Masters, shellOptions.FilerAddress)
+	}
 
 	shell.RunShell(shellOptions)
 
diff --git a/weed/shell/commands.go b/weed/shell/commands.go
index 6679c15c9..9973ee650 100644
--- a/weed/shell/commands.go
+++ b/weed/shell/commands.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ type ShellOptions struct {
 	FilerGroup   *string
 	FilerAddress pb.ServerAddress
 	Directory    string
+	Debug        bool
 }
 
 type CommandEnv struct {
diff --git a/weed/shell/shell_liner.go b/weed/shell/shell_liner.go
index cc17e80f2..aaeaf6ae2 100644
--- a/weed/shell/shell_liner.go
+++ b/weed/shell/shell_liner.go
@@ -18,30 +18,40 @@ import (
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/util/grace"
 
 	"github.com/peterh/liner"
+	flag "github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/util/fla9"
+	"golang.org/x/term"
 )
 
-var (
-	line        *liner.State
-	historyPath = path.Join(os.TempDir(), "weed-shell")
-)
+var historyPath = path.Join(os.TempDir(), "weed-shell")
 
 func RunShell(options ShellOptions) {
 	slices.SortFunc(Commands, func(a, b command) int {
 		return strings.Compare(a.Name(), b.Name())
 	})
-	line = liner.NewLiner()
-	defer line.Close()
-	grace.OnInterrupt(func() {
-		line.Close()
-	})
 
-	line.SetCtrlCAborts(true)
-	line.SetTabCompletionStyle(liner.TabPrints)
+	if !options.Debug {
+		flag.Set("alsologtostderr", "false")
+		flag.Set("logtostderr", "false")
+	}
 
-	setCompletionHandler()
-	loadHistory()
+	interactive := liner.TerminalSupported() && term.IsTerminal(int(os.Stdin.Fd())) && term.IsTerminal(int(os.Stdout.Fd()))
 
-	defer saveHistory()
+	var line *liner.State
+	if interactive {
+		line = liner.NewLiner()
+		defer line.Close()
+		grace.OnInterrupt(func() {
+			line.Close()
+		})
+
+		line.SetCtrlCAborts(true)
+		line.SetTabCompletionStyle(liner.TabPrints)
+
+		setCompletionHandler(line)
+		loadHistory(line)
+
+		defer saveHistory(line)
+	}
 
 	commandEnv := NewCommandEnv(&options)
 
@@ -65,15 +75,19 @@ func RunShell(options ShellOptions) {
 			}
 			return nil
 		})
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "master: %s ", *options.Masters)
 		if len(filers) > 0 {
-			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "filers: %v", filers)
 			commandEnv.option.FilerAddress = filers[rand.IntN(len(filers))]
 		}
-		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr)
+		if options.Debug {
+			if len(filers) > 0 {
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "master: %s filers: %v\n", *options.Masters, filers)
+			} else {
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "master: %s\n", *options.Masters)
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
-	if liner.TerminalSupported() {
+	if interactive {
 		for {
 			cmd, err := line.Prompt("> ")
 			if err != nil {
@@ -228,7 +242,7 @@ func printHelp(cmds []string) {
 	}
 }
 
-func setCompletionHandler() {
+func setCompletionHandler(line *liner.State) {
 	line.SetCompleter(func(line string) (c []string) {
 		for _, i := range Commands {
 			if strings.HasPrefix(i.Name(), strings.ToLower(line)) {
@@ -239,14 +253,14 @@ func setCompletionHandler() {
 	})
 }
 
-func loadHistory() {
+func loadHistory(line *liner.State) {
 	if f, err := os.Open(historyPath); err == nil {
 		line.ReadHistory(f)
 		f.Close()
 	}
 }
 
-func saveHistory() {
+func saveHistory(line *liner.State) {
 	if f, err := os.Create(historyPath); err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Error creating history file: %v\n", err)
 	} else {