diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/worker/WorkRequestHandler.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/worker/WorkRequestHandler.java
index ea896aaa39d29b..e5a1dc3f17cc49 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/worker/WorkRequestHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/worker/WorkRequestHandler.java
@@ -522,14 +522,11 @@ private void maybePerformGc() {
   public static class WorkerIO implements AutoCloseable {
 
     private final PrintStream originalOutputStream;
-    private final PrintStream originalErrorStream;
     private final AutoCloseable restore;
 
     @VisibleForTesting
-    WorkerIO(
-        PrintStream originalOutputStream, PrintStream originalErrorStream, AutoCloseable restore) {
+    WorkerIO(PrintStream originalOutputStream, AutoCloseable restore) {
       this.originalOutputStream = originalOutputStream;
-      this.originalErrorStream = originalErrorStream;
       this.restore = restore;
     }
 
@@ -542,13 +539,11 @@ public static class WorkerIO implements AutoCloseable {
     public static WorkerIO redirectSystemStreams() throws IOException {
       // Save the original streams
       PrintStream originalOutputStream = System.out;
-      PrintStream originalErrorStream = System.err;
 
       // Redirect System.out to System.err
-      System.setOut(originalErrorStream);
+      System.setOut(System.err);
 
-      return new WorkerIO(
-          originalOutputStream, originalErrorStream, () -> System.setOut(originalOutputStream));
+      return new WorkerIO(originalOutputStream, () -> System.setOut(originalOutputStream));
     }
 
     /** Returns the original output stream most commonly provided by {@link System#out} */
@@ -557,12 +552,6 @@ PrintStream getOriginalOutputStream() {
       return originalOutputStream;
     }
 
-    /** Returns the original error stream most commonly provided by {@link System#err} */
-    @VisibleForTesting
-    PrintStream getOriginalErrorStream() {
-      return originalErrorStream;
-    }
-
     @Override
     public void close() throws Exception {
       restore.close();
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/worker/WorkRequestHandlerTest.java b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/worker/WorkRequestHandlerTest.java
index 84a819f7675030..0e4a0fa08f95e1 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/worker/WorkRequestHandlerTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/worker/WorkRequestHandlerTest.java
@@ -459,7 +459,6 @@ public void testWorkerIO_doesWrapSystemStreams() throws Exception {
       assertThat(io.getOriginalOutputStream()).isSameInstanceAs(outputBuffer);
       assertThat(System.out).isSameInstanceAs(errorBuffer);
 
-      assertThat(io.getOriginalErrorStream()).isSameInstanceAs(errorBuffer);
       assertThat(System.err).isSameInstanceAs(errorBuffer);
     } finally {
       // Swap back in the original streams