diff --git a/src/shell.js b/src/shell.js
index 9aae7e476..88fa86a1a 100644
--- a/src/shell.js
+++ b/src/shell.js
@@ -91,11 +91,13 @@ function sudo(tag, args, options, callback) {
 
     const sudoArgs = [ '-S' ]; // -S makes sudo read stdin for password
     if (options.preserveEnv) sudoArgs.push('-E'); // -E preserves environment
-    if (options.ipc) sudoArgs.push('--close-from=4'); // keep the ipc open. requires closefrom_override in sudoers file
 
     callback = once(callback); // exit may or may not be called after an 'error'
 
-    if (options.ipc) options.stdio = ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe', 'ipc'];
+    if (options.ipc) {
+        sudoArgs.push('--close-from=4'); // keep the ipc open. requires closefrom_override in sudoers file
+        options.stdio = ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe', 'ipc'];
+    }
 
     const spawnArgs = sudoArgs.concat(args);
 
@@ -103,10 +105,10 @@ function sudo(tag, args, options, callback) {
     const cp = child_process.spawn(SUDO, spawnArgs, options);
     let stdoutResult = '';
 
-    if (!options.streamStdout) cp.stdout.on('data', (data) => stdoutResult += data.toString('utf8'));
+    if (options.captureStdout) cp.stdout.on('data', (data) => stdoutResult += data.toString('utf8'));
 
     cp.on('exit', function (code, signal) {
-        if (code === 0) return callback(null, options.streamStdout ? null : stdoutResult);
+        if (code === 0) return callback(null, options.captureStdout ? stdoutResult : null);
         const e = new BoxError(BoxError.SHELL_ERROR, `${tag} exited with code ${code} signal ${signal}`);
         e.code = code;
         e.signal = signal;
diff --git a/src/support.js b/src/support.js
index be3fb0bc7..289ed6ec0 100644
--- a/src/support.js
+++ b/src/support.js
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ function sshInfo() {
 }
 
 async function getRemoteSupport() {
-    const [error, stdoutResult] = await safe(shell.promises.sudo('support', [ AUTHORIZED_KEYS_CMD, 'is-enabled', sshInfo().filePath ], {}));
+    const [error, stdoutResult] = await safe(shell.promises.sudo('support', [ AUTHORIZED_KEYS_CMD, 'is-enabled', sshInfo().filePath ], { captureStdout: true }));
     if (error) throw new BoxError(BoxError.FS_ERROR, error);
 
     return stdoutResult.trim() === 'true';
diff --git a/src/system.js b/src/system.js
index f6cff8730..7810b2fd5 100644
--- a/src/system.js
+++ b/src/system.js
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ const REBOOT_CMD = path.join(__dirname, 'scripts/reboot.sh');
 async function du(file) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof file, 'string');
 
-    const [error, stdoutResult] = await safe(shell.promises.sudo('system', [ DU_CMD, file ], {}));
+    const [error, stdoutResult] = await safe(shell.promises.sudo('system', [ DU_CMD, file ], { captureStdout: true }));
     if (error) throw new BoxError(BoxError.FS_ERROR, error);
 
     return parseInt(stdoutResult.trim(), 10);
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ async function du(file) {
 async function hdparm(file) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof file, 'string');
 
-    const [error, stdoutResult] = await safe(shell.promises.sudo('system', [ HDPARM_CMD, file ], {}));
+    const [error, stdoutResult] = await safe(shell.promises.sudo('system', [ HDPARM_CMD, file ], { captureStdout: true }));
     if (error) throw new BoxError(BoxError.FS_ERROR, error);
 
     const lines = stdoutResult.split('\n');