diff --git a/tests/rptest/clients/kubectl.py b/tests/rptest/clients/kubectl.py
index 4862bc0183ab9..78ab5a9b853bd 100644
--- a/tests/rptest/clients/kubectl.py
+++ b/tests/rptest/clients/kubectl.py
@@ -142,12 +142,12 @@ def logger(self) -> Logger:
     def _local_cmd(self, cmd: list[str], timeout=900):
         """Run the given command locally and return the stdout as bytes.
            Logs stdout and stderr on failure.
-           
+
            cmd: list[str]: command to run
-           
+
            throws CalledProcessError on non-zero exit code
-           thwows 
-           
+           thwows
+
            returns: stdout as string if not empty, else stderr
         """
         def _prepare_output(sout: str, serr: str) -> str:
@@ -174,9 +174,6 @@ def _prepare_output(sout: str, serr: str) -> str:
             s_out, s_err = process.communicate()
             raise subprocess.TimeoutExpired(cmd, timeout, s_out, s_err)
 
-        # Log all collected strings, including JSONs collected
-        self.logger.debug(_prepare_output(s_out, s_err))
-
         # TODO: Handle s_err output
         # It will be hard to detect errors as a lot of apps and utils
         # just uses stderr as normal output. For example, tsh (teleport tunnel)
@@ -187,6 +184,9 @@ def _prepare_output(sout: str, serr: str) -> str:
                              f"{_prepare_output(s_out, s_err)}")
             raise subprocess.CalledProcessError(process.returncode, cmd, s_out,
                                                 s_err)
+        else:
+            # Log all collected strings, including JSONs collected
+            self.logger.debug(_prepare_output(s_out, s_err))
 
         # Most of the time stdout will hold valuable data
         # In rare occasions when return code is 0, and and stderr is not empty