diff --git a/src/smap/configure_functions.c b/src/smap/configure_functions.c
index aa007fb49805b84f2154365ad5ec25ecd52d2bff..2ed2da3529cd7791ab2aed9669ef13217b487490 100644
--- a/src/smap/configure_functions.c
+++ b/src/smap/configure_functions.c
@@ -1400,6 +1400,9 @@ void get_command(void)
 		xfree(cluster_name);
 	}
 
+	/* make sure we don't get any noisy debug */
+	ba_configure_set_ba_debug_flags(0);
+
 	bg_configure_ba_setup_wires();
 
 	color_count = 0;
@@ -1410,9 +1413,6 @@ void get_command(void)
 		snprintf(com, sizeof(com), "%s", params.command);
 		goto run_command;
 	} else {
-		/* make sure we don't get any noisy debug */
-		ba_configure_set_ba_debug_flags(0);
-
 		text_width = text_win->_maxx;
 		text_startx = text_win->_begx;
 		command_win = newwin(3, text_width - 1, LINES - 4,
diff --git a/src/smap/opts.c b/src/smap/opts.c
index facb25b3997d4c010326175d47c64b507630ba6d..9a7d87b39f6ea457a16872da14c712790c1e46fa 100644
--- a/src/smap/opts.c
+++ b/src/smap/opts.c
@@ -273,6 +273,9 @@ extern char *resolve_mp(char *desc, node_info_msg_t *node_info_ptr)
 		return ret_str;
 	}
 
+	/* Quite any errors that could come our way here. */
+	ba_configure_set_ba_debug_flags(0);
+
 	bg_configure_ba_setup_wires();
 
 	if (desc[0] != 'R') {