fix(cli): skip console log/info in headless mode (#22739)

integration-tests/extensions-install.test.ts

@@ -34,16 +34,20 @@ describe('extension install', () => {
     writeFileSync(testServerPath, extension);
     try {
       const result = await rig.runCommand(
-        ['extensions', 'install', `${rig.testDir!}`],
+        ['--debug', 'extensions', 'install', `${rig.testDir!}`],
         { stdin: 'y\n' },
       );
       expect(result).toContain('test-extension-install');
 
-      const listResult = await rig.runCommand(['extensions', 'list']);
+      const listResult = await rig.runCommand([
+        '--debug',
+        'extensions',
+        'list',
+      ]);
       expect(listResult).toContain('test-extension-install');
       writeFileSync(testServerPath, extensionUpdate);
       const updateResult = await rig.runCommand(
-        ['extensions', 'update', `test-extension-install`],
+        ['--debug', 'extensions', 'update', `test-extension-install`],
         { stdin: 'y\n' },
       );
       expect(updateResult).toContain('0.0.2');

integration-tests/extensions-reload.test.ts

@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ describe('extension reloading', () => {
       }
 
       const result = await rig.runCommand(
-        ['extensions', 'install', `${rig.testDir!}`],
+        ['--debug', 'extensions', 'install', `${rig.testDir!}`],
         { stdin: 'y\n' },
       );
       expect(result).toContain('test-extension');

packages/cli/src/gemini.tsx

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import {
   ValidationRequiredError,
   type AdminControlsSettings,
   debugLogger,
+  isHeadlessMode,
 } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
 
 import { loadCliConfig, parseArguments } from './config/config.js';
@@ -296,6 +297,7 @@ export async function main() {
   const isDebugMode = cliConfig.isDebugMode(argv);
   const consolePatcher = new ConsolePatcher({
     stderr: true,
+    interactive: isHeadlessMode() ? false : true,
     debugMode: isDebugMode,
     onNewMessage: (msg) => {
       coreEvents.emitConsoleLog(msg.type, msg.content);

packages/cli/src/nonInteractiveCli.ts

@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ export async function runNonInteractive({
   return promptIdContext.run(prompt_id, async () => {
     const consolePatcher = new ConsolePatcher({
       stderr: true,
+      interactive: false,
       debugMode: config.getDebugMode(),
       onNewMessage: (msg) => {
         coreEvents.emitConsoleLog(msg.type, msg.content);

packages/cli/src/ui/utils/ConsolePatcher.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,236 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+/* eslint-disable no-console */
+
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, afterEach } from 'vitest';
+import { ConsolePatcher } from './ConsolePatcher.js';
+
+describe('ConsolePatcher', () => {
+  let patcher: ConsolePatcher;
+  const onNewMessage = vi.fn();
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (patcher) {
+      patcher.cleanup();
+    }
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it('should patch and restore console methods', () => {
+    const beforeLog = console.log;
+    const beforeWarn = console.warn;
+    const beforeError = console.error;
+    const beforeDebug = console.debug;
+    const beforeInfo = console.info;
+
+    patcher = new ConsolePatcher({ onNewMessage, debugMode: false });
+    patcher.patch();
+
+    expect(console.log).not.toBe(beforeLog);
+    expect(console.warn).not.toBe(beforeWarn);
+    expect(console.error).not.toBe(beforeError);
+    expect(console.debug).not.toBe(beforeDebug);
+    expect(console.info).not.toBe(beforeInfo);
+
+    patcher.cleanup();
+
+    expect(console.log).toBe(beforeLog);
+    expect(console.warn).toBe(beforeWarn);
+    expect(console.error).toBe(beforeError);
+    expect(console.debug).toBe(beforeDebug);
+    expect(console.info).toBe(beforeInfo);
+  });
+
+  describe('Interactive mode', () => {
+    it('should ignore log and info when it is not interactive and debugMode is false', () => {
+      patcher = new ConsolePatcher({
+        onNewMessage,
+        debugMode: false,
+        interactive: false,
+      });
+      patcher.patch();
+
+      console.log('test log');
+      console.info('test info');
+      expect(onNewMessage).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it('should not ignore log and info when it is not interactive and debugMode is true', () => {
+      patcher = new ConsolePatcher({
+        onNewMessage,
+        debugMode: true,
+        interactive: false,
+      });
+      patcher.patch();
+
+      console.log('test log');
+      expect(onNewMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        type: 'log',
+        content: 'test log',
+        count: 1,
+      });
+
+      console.info('test info');
+      expect(onNewMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        type: 'info',
+        content: 'test info',
+        count: 1,
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should not ignore log and info when it is interactive', () => {
+      patcher = new ConsolePatcher({
+        onNewMessage,
+        debugMode: false,
+        interactive: true,
+      });
+      patcher.patch();
+
+      console.log('test log');
+      expect(onNewMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        type: 'log',
+        content: 'test log',
+        count: 1,
+      });
+
+      console.info('test info');
+      expect(onNewMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        type: 'info',
+        content: 'test info',
+        count: 1,
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('when stderr is false', () => {
+    it('should call onNewMessage for log, warn, error, and info', () => {
+      patcher = new ConsolePatcher({
+        onNewMessage,
+        debugMode: false,
+        stderr: false,
+      });
+      patcher.patch();
+
+      console.log('test log');
+      expect(onNewMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        type: 'log',
+        content: 'test log',
+        count: 1,
+      });
+
+      console.warn('test warn');
+      expect(onNewMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        type: 'warn',
+        content: 'test warn',
+        count: 1,
+      });
+
+      console.error('test error');
+      expect(onNewMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        type: 'error',
+        content: 'test error',
+        count: 1,
+      });
+
+      console.info('test info');
+      expect(onNewMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        type: 'info',
+        content: 'test info',
+        count: 1,
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should not call onNewMessage for debug when debugMode is false', () => {
+      patcher = new ConsolePatcher({
+        onNewMessage,
+        debugMode: false,
+        stderr: false,
+      });
+      patcher.patch();
+
+      console.debug('test debug');
+      expect(onNewMessage).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it('should call onNewMessage for debug when debugMode is true', () => {
+      patcher = new ConsolePatcher({
+        onNewMessage,
+        debugMode: true,
+        stderr: false,
+      });
+      patcher.patch();
+
+      console.debug('test debug');
+      expect(onNewMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        type: 'debug',
+        content: 'test debug',
+        count: 1,
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should format multiple arguments using util.format', () => {
+      patcher = new ConsolePatcher({
+        onNewMessage,
+        debugMode: false,
+        stderr: false,
+      });
+      patcher.patch();
+
+      console.log('test %s %d', 'string', 123);
+      expect(onNewMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        type: 'log',
+        content: 'test string 123',
+        count: 1,
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('when stderr is true', () => {
+    it('should redirect warn and error to originalConsoleError', () => {
+      const spyError = vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => {});
+      patcher = new ConsolePatcher({ debugMode: false, stderr: true });
+      patcher.patch();
+
+      console.warn('test warn');
+      expect(spyError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('test warn');
+
+      console.error('test error');
+      expect(spyError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('test error');
+    });
+
+    it('should redirect log and info to originalConsoleError when debugMode is true', () => {
+      const spyError = vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => {});
+      patcher = new ConsolePatcher({ debugMode: true, stderr: true });
+      patcher.patch();
+
+      console.log('test log');
+      expect(spyError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('test log');
+
+      console.info('test info');
+      expect(spyError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('test info');
+    });
+
+    it('should ignore debug when debugMode is false', () => {
+      const spyError = vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => {});
+      patcher = new ConsolePatcher({ debugMode: false, stderr: true });
+      patcher.patch();
+
+      console.debug('test debug');
+      expect(spyError).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it('should redirect debug to originalConsoleError when debugMode is true', () => {
+      const spyError = vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => {});
+      patcher = new ConsolePatcher({ debugMode: true, stderr: true });
+      patcher.patch();
+
+      console.debug('test debug');
+      expect(spyError).toHaveBeenCalledWith('test debug');
+    });
+  });
+});

packages/cli/src/ui/utils/ConsolePatcher.ts

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ interface ConsolePatcherParams {
   onNewMessage?: (message: Omit<ConsoleMessageItem, 'id'>) => void;
   debugMode: boolean;
   stderr?: boolean;
+  interactive?: boolean;
 }
 
 export class ConsolePatcher {
@@ -49,12 +50,19 @@ export class ConsolePatcher {
   private patchConsoleMethod =
     (type: 'log' | 'warn' | 'error' | 'debug' | 'info') =>
     (...args: unknown[]) => {
-      if (this.params.stderr) {
-        if (type !== 'debug' || this.params.debugMode) {
-          this.originalConsoleError(this.formatArgs(args));
+      // When it is non interactive mode, do not show info logging unless
+      // it is debug mode. default to true if it is undefined.
+      if (this.params.interactive === false) {
+        if ((type === 'info' || type === 'log') && !this.params.debugMode) {
+          return;
         }
-      } else {
-        if (type !== 'debug' || this.params.debugMode) {
+      }
+      // When it is in the debug mode, redirect console output to stderr
+      // depending on if it is stderr only mode.
+      if (type !== 'debug' || this.params.debugMode) {
+        if (this.params.stderr) {
+          this.originalConsoleError(this.formatArgs(args));
+        } else {
           this.params.onNewMessage?.({
             type,
             content: this.formatArgs(args),