diff --git a/src/apps/cli/README.md b/src/apps/cli/README.md
index 99614627..a74107e8 100644
--- a/src/apps/cli/README.md
+++ b/src/apps/cli/README.md
@@ -116,6 +116,11 @@ saved. After correcting the cause, run `sync` again with the same database and
 settings to retry it. Existing partial writes are retained. `fetch --force`
 replaces the local database instead and follows the reconstruction rules below.
 
+A failed `sync` prints `[Error] Command 'sync' failed` and exits with code `1`.
+To inspect the Journal key, failure stage, and diagnostic details, retry with
+`--debug`, for example `livesync-cli ./my-db --debug sync`, retaining the same
+database and settings. Debug diagnostics are written to standard error.
+
 If the Journal cannot be recovered and missing content or history is
 acceptable, run `journal-skip <journal-key>`. The CLI first performs normal
 replication with the retained local database. It skips only when that attempt
diff --git a/src/apps/cli/main.log-handler.unit.spec.ts b/src/apps/cli/main.log-handler.unit.spec.ts
index 5c344a10..20b8037c 100644
--- a/src/apps/cli/main.log-handler.unit.spec.ts
+++ b/src/apps/cli/main.log-handler.unit.spec.ts
@@ -79,15 +79,6 @@ describe("CLI log handler", () => {
     it.each([
         ["NOTICE", LOG_LEVEL_NOTICE],
         ["URGENT", LOG_LEVEL_URGENT],
-    ] as const)("writes Commonlib %s diagnostics to stderr by default", async (name, level) => {
-        const message = `Commonlib ${name} diagnostic`;
-        const standardIo = await invokeGlobalLogger(databasePath, message, level);
-
-        expect(standardIo.writeStderr).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining(`[${level}] ${message}\n`));
-        expect(standardIo.writeStdout).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining(message));
-    });
-
-    it.each([
         ["DEBUG", LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG],
         ["INFO", LOG_LEVEL_INFO],
         ["VERBOSE", LOG_LEVEL_VERBOSE],
@@ -101,6 +92,8 @@ describe("CLI log handler", () => {
 
     it("writes detailed Commonlib diagnostics to stderr in debug mode", async () => {
         const messages = [
+            ["NOTICE", LOG_LEVEL_NOTICE],
+            ["URGENT", LOG_LEVEL_URGENT],
             ["DEBUG", LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG],
             ["INFO", LOG_LEVEL_INFO],
             ["VERBOSE", LOG_LEVEL_VERBOSE],
diff --git a/src/apps/cli/main.ts b/src/apps/cli/main.ts
index 511e015d..6c93dd93 100644
--- a/src/apps/cli/main.ts
+++ b/src/apps/cli/main.ts
@@ -378,10 +378,15 @@ export async function main(
         const writeLine = avoidStdoutNoise ? writeStderrLine : writeStdoutLine;
         writeLine(standardIo, ...values);
     };
-    setGlobalLogFunction((msg, level) => {
-        if (!options.debug && level !== LOG_LEVEL_NOTICE && level !== LOG_LEVEL_URGENT) return;
-        writeStderrLine(standardIo, `[${level}]`, msg);
-    });
+    if (options.debug) {
+        setGlobalLogFunction((msg, level) => {
+            writeStderrLine(standardIo, `[${level}]`, msg);
+        });
+    } else {
+        setGlobalLogFunction((msg, level) => {
+            // NO OP, leave it to logFunction
+        });
+    }
     if (options.command === "init-settings") {
         await createDefaultSettingsFile(options, standardIo);
         return;
diff --git a/test/e2e-cli/test-journal-receive-failure.ts b/test/e2e-cli/test-journal-receive-failure.ts
index c659aab9..cb5f43e2 100644
--- a/test/e2e-cli/test-journal-receive-failure.ts
+++ b/test/e2e-cli/test-journal-receive-failure.ts
@@ -247,9 +247,12 @@ async function runScenario(encrypt: boolean): Promise<void> {
         assert.notEqual(finalRevision, firstRevision);
 
         await withCorruptedJournals(client, minioBucket, [brokenJournalKey, secondBrokenJournalKey], async () => {
-            const failedSync = await tryDefault("--debug", "sync");
-            assert.notEqual(failedSync.code, 0, "Default receive must report failure for a corrupt Journal");
-            assert.match(failedSync.combined, /receive journal error|journal.*failed|replication.*failed/i);
+            const failedSync = await tryDefault("sync");
+            assert.equal(failedSync.code, 1, "Default receive must report failure for a corrupt Journal");
+            assert.match(failedSync.stderr, /\[Error\] Command 'sync' failed/);
+            const debugRetry = await tryDefault("--debug", "sync");
+            assert.equal(debugRetry.code, 1, "Debug retry must still report the corrupt Journal");
+            assert.ok(debugRetry.stderr.includes(`Receive Journal ${brokenJournalKey} failed at `));
 
             const checkpoint = await readReceivedJournalKeys(defaultDatabase);
             assert.ok(checkpoint.has(firstJournalKey), "Completed earlier Journal must remain checkpointed");
@@ -307,14 +310,12 @@ async function runScenario(encrypt: boolean): Promise<void> {
                 `Skipping the first Journal should stop at the next broken Journal: ${firstSkip.combined}`
             );
             assert.ok(firstSkip.combined.includes(brokenJournalKey), "The first skip must identify its Journal key");
+            assert.match(firstSkip.stderr, /\[Error\] Command 'journal-skip' failed/);
+            const nextFailure = await trySkip("--debug", "sync");
+            assert.equal(nextFailure.code, 1, "Debug retry must stop at the next broken Journal");
             assert.ok(
-                firstSkip.combined.includes(secondBrokenJournalKey),
-                "Resumed replication must stop and identify the next broken Journal"
-            );
-            assert.match(
-                firstSkip.combined,
-                /decrypt|inflate|decompress|decode|parse|persist|apply/i,
-                "The first skip attempt must report the failed Journal processing stage"
+                nextFailure.stderr.includes(`Receive Journal ${secondBrokenJournalKey} failed at `),
+                "Debug retry must identify the next broken Journal and its failure stage"
             );
 
             const firstSkipCheckpoint = await readReceivedJournalKeys(skipDatabase);
@@ -331,7 +332,7 @@ async function runScenario(encrypt: boolean): Promise<void> {
             assert.notEqual((await trySkip("cat", secondBrokenPath)).code, 0);
             assert.notEqual((await trySkip("cat", laterPath)).code, 0);
 
-            const secondSkip = await trySkip("journal-skip", secondBrokenJournalKey);
+            const secondSkip = await trySkip("--debug", "journal-skip", secondBrokenJournalKey);
             assert.equal(secondSkip.code, 0, `Explicit second skip should resume replication: ${secondSkip.combined}`);
             assert.ok(secondSkip.combined.includes(secondBrokenJournalKey), "The second skip must identify its key");
             assert.match(