diff --git a/packages/kbn-test/src/mocha/__tests__/junit_report_generation.js b/packages/kbn-test/src/mocha/__tests__/junit_report_generation.js
index 7472e271bd1e9..6edd0a551ebd0 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-test/src/mocha/__tests__/junit_report_generation.js
+++ b/packages/kbn-test/src/mocha/__tests__/junit_report_generation.js
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ describe('dev/mocha/junit report generation', () => {
         name: 'SUITE SUB_SUITE never runs',
         'metadata-json': '{}',
       },
-      'system-out': testFail['system-out'],
+      'system-out': ['-- logs are only reported for failed tests --'],
       skipped: [''],
     });
   });
diff --git a/packages/kbn-test/src/mocha/junit_report_generation.js b/packages/kbn-test/src/mocha/junit_report_generation.js
index 95e84117106a4..b56741b48d367 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-test/src/mocha/junit_report_generation.js
+++ b/packages/kbn-test/src/mocha/junit_report_generation.js
@@ -126,13 +126,15 @@ export function setupJUnitReportGeneration(runner, options = {}) {
 
     [...results, ...skippedResults].forEach(result => {
       const el = addTestcaseEl(result.node);
-      el.ele('system-out').dat(escapeCdata(getSnapshotOfRunnableLogs(result.node) || ''));
 
       if (result.failed) {
+        el.ele('system-out').dat(escapeCdata(getSnapshotOfRunnableLogs(result.node) || ''));
         el.ele('failure').dat(escapeCdata(inspect(result.error)));
         return;
       }
 
+      el.ele('system-out').dat('-- logs are only reported for failed tests --');
+
       if (result.skipped) {
         el.ele('skipped');
       }