diff --git a/functions-common b/functions-common
index a3b8b92..f2e7076 100644
--- a/functions-common
+++ b/functions-common
@@ -1137,6 +1137,10 @@
 # the command.
 # _run_process service "command-line" [group]
 function _run_process {
+    # disable tracing through the exec redirects, it's just confusing in the logs.
+    xtrace=$(set +o | grep xtrace)
+    set +o xtrace
+
     local service=$1
     local command="$2"
     local group=$3
@@ -1160,6 +1164,9 @@
         export PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
     fi
 
+    # reenable xtrace before we do *real* work
+    $xtrace
+
     # Run under ``setsid`` to force the process to become a session and group leader.
     # The pid saved can be used with pkill -g to get the entire process group.
     if [[ -n "$group" ]]; then