diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/crosvm-runner.sh b/.gitlab-ci/crosvm-runner.sh
index 038d6032055..c47b76197ba 100755
--- a/.gitlab-ci/crosvm-runner.sh
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/crosvm-runner.sh
@@ -102,7 +102,12 @@ CROSVM_KERN_ARGS="${CROSVM_KERN_ARGS} init=${SCRIPTS_DIR}/crosvm-init.sh -- ${VS
 [ "${CROSVM_GALLIUM_DRIVER:-}" = "llvmpipe" ] && \
     CROSVM_LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=true || CROSVM_LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=false
 
-set +e -x
+set +e
+
+if [ "${INSIDE_DEQP_RUNNER:-}" != "true" ]
+then
+  set -x
+fi
 
 # We aren't testing the host driver here, so we don't need to validate NIR on the host
 NIR_DEBUG="novalidate" \
@@ -129,7 +134,7 @@ CROSVM_RET=$?
 
 # Show crosvm output on error to help with debugging
 [ ${CROSVM_RET} -eq 0 ] || {
-    set +x
+    { set +x; } 2>/dev/null
     echo "Dumping crosvm output.." >&2
     cat ${VM_TEMP_DIR}/crosvm >&2
     set -x
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/ci/deqp-virgl-gl.toml b/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/ci/deqp-virgl-gl.toml
index cdef2737877..1d780ce2a87 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/ci/deqp-virgl-gl.toml
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/ci/deqp-virgl-gl.toml
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ deqp_args = [
 timeout = 360.0 # Starting 8 Crosvm instances simultaneously can take some time
 version_check = "GL ES 3.2.*git"
 renderer_check = "virgl.*LLVMPIPE"
+[deqp.env]
+INSIDE_DEQP_RUNNER = "true"
 
 [[deqp]]
 deqp = "/install/crosvm-runner.sh"
@@ -25,6 +27,8 @@ deqp_args = [
     "--deqp-visibility=hidden"
 ]
 timeout = 360.0 # Starting 8 Crosvm instances simultaneously can take some time
+[deqp.env]
+INSIDE_DEQP_RUNNER = "true"
 
 [[deqp]]
 deqp = "/install/crosvm-runner.sh"
@@ -38,6 +42,8 @@ deqp_args = [
     "--deqp-visibility=hidden"
 ]
 timeout = 360.0 # Starting 8 Crosvm instances simultaneously can take some time
+[deqp.env]
+INSIDE_DEQP_RUNNER = "true"
 
 [[deqp]]
 deqp = "/install/crosvm-runner.sh"
@@ -53,3 +59,5 @@ deqp_args = [
     "--deqp-visibility=hidden"
 ]
 timeout = 360.0 # Starting 8 Crosvm instances simultaneously can take some time
+[deqp.env]
+INSIDE_DEQP_RUNNER = "true"
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/ci/deqp-virgl-gles.toml b/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/ci/deqp-virgl-gles.toml
index cdef2737877..1d780ce2a87 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/ci/deqp-virgl-gles.toml
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/ci/deqp-virgl-gles.toml
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ deqp_args = [
 timeout = 360.0 # Starting 8 Crosvm instances simultaneously can take some time
 version_check = "GL ES 3.2.*git"
 renderer_check = "virgl.*LLVMPIPE"
+[deqp.env]
+INSIDE_DEQP_RUNNER = "true"
 
 [[deqp]]
 deqp = "/install/crosvm-runner.sh"
@@ -25,6 +27,8 @@ deqp_args = [
     "--deqp-visibility=hidden"
 ]
 timeout = 360.0 # Starting 8 Crosvm instances simultaneously can take some time
+[deqp.env]
+INSIDE_DEQP_RUNNER = "true"
 
 [[deqp]]
 deqp = "/install/crosvm-runner.sh"
@@ -38,6 +42,8 @@ deqp_args = [
     "--deqp-visibility=hidden"
 ]
 timeout = 360.0 # Starting 8 Crosvm instances simultaneously can take some time
+[deqp.env]
+INSIDE_DEQP_RUNNER = "true"
 
 [[deqp]]
 deqp = "/install/crosvm-runner.sh"
@@ -53,3 +59,5 @@ deqp_args = [
     "--deqp-visibility=hidden"
 ]
 timeout = 360.0 # Starting 8 Crosvm instances simultaneously can take some time
+[deqp.env]
+INSIDE_DEQP_RUNNER = "true"