diff --git a/ci/setup-cfengine-build-host.sh b/ci/setup-cfengine-build-host.sh
index 3a4523c6f..087cae49c 100755
--- a/ci/setup-cfengine-build-host.sh
+++ b/ci/setup-cfengine-build-host.sh
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ function cleanup() {
     set -e
     set -x
     [ -f /var/log/messages ] && tail /var/log/messages
-    command -v journalctl >/dev/null && journalctl | grep -P '(error|fail)'
+    command -v journalctl >/dev/null && journalctl | grep -P '(error|fail)' || true
     if command -v apt >/dev/null 2>&1; then
         # workaround for CFE-4544, remove scriptlets call systemctl even when systemctl is-system-running returns false
         # Replace systemctl with a no-op stub that always succeeds. We can't