unchanged:
--- a/src/journal.sh
+++ b/src/journal.sh
@@ -922,7 +922,7 @@ __INTERNAL_WriteToMetafile(){
 
     line="$indent${element:+$element }--timestamp=\"${__INTERNAL_TIMESTAMP}\"$line"
     lineraw="$indent${element:+$element }--timestamp=\"${__INTERNAL_TIMESTAMP}\"$lineraw"
-    echo "#${lineraw:1}" >> $__INTERNAL_BEAKERLIB_METAFILE
+    [[ -n "$DEBUG" ]] && echo "#${lineraw:1}" >> $__INTERNAL_BEAKERLIB_METAFILE
     echo "$line" >> $__INTERNAL_BEAKERLIB_METAFILE
 }
 
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/src/test/journalTest.sh
+++ b/src/test/journalTest.sh
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ test_rlJournalStart(){
     assertTrue "journal is well-formed XML" "xmllint $__INTERNAL_BEAKERLIB_JOURNAL >/dev/null"
 
     # existing journal is not overwritten
-    silentIfNotDebug 'rlLog "I am"'
+    silentIfNotDebug 'DEBUG=1 rlLog "I am"'
     rlJournalStart
     assertTrue "existing meta not overwritten" \
             "grep 'I\\\ am' $__INTERNAL_BEAKERLIB_METAFILE"