diff --git a/box.js b/box.js
index ef8838b1f..7d81066ff 100755
--- a/box.js
+++ b/box.js
@@ -5,9 +5,8 @@
 require('supererror')({ splatchError: true });
 
 // remove timestamp from debug() based output
-require('debug').formatArgs = function formatArgs() {
-    arguments[0] = this.namespace + ' ' + arguments[0];
-    return arguments;
+require('debug').formatArgs = function formatArgs(args) {
+    args[0] = this.namespace + ' ' + args[0];
 };
 
 var appHealthMonitor = require('./src/apphealthmonitor.js'),
diff --git a/src/apptask.js b/src/apptask.js
index b95bc37d0..0c16365be 100644
--- a/src/apptask.js
+++ b/src/apptask.js
@@ -22,9 +22,8 @@ exports = module.exports = {
 require('supererror')({ splatchError: true });
 
 // remove timestamp from debug() based output
-require('debug').formatArgs = function formatArgs() {
-    arguments[0] = this.namespace + ' ' + arguments[0];
-    return arguments;
+require('debug').formatArgs = function formatArgs(args) {
+    args[0] = this.namespace + ' ' + args[0];
 };
 
 var addons = require('./addons.js'),