diff --git a/gtests/net/packetdrill/net_utils.c b/gtests/net/packetdrill/net_utils.c
index 401a9877..6978bea9 100644
--- a/gtests/net/packetdrill/net_utils.c
+++ b/gtests/net/packetdrill/net_utils.c
@@ -29,17 +29,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 #include "logging.h"
-
-static void verbose_system(const char *command)
-{
-	int result;
-
-	DEBUGP("running: '%s'\n", command);
-	result = system(command);
-	DEBUGP("result: %d\n", result);
-	if (result != 0)
-		DEBUGP("error executing command '%s'\n", command);
-}
+#include "system.h"
 
 /* Configure a local IPv4 address and netmask for the device */
 static void net_add_ipv4_address(const char *dev_name,
diff --git a/gtests/net/packetdrill/netdev.c b/gtests/net/packetdrill/netdev.c
index fb0edd71..1fabbbab 100644
--- a/gtests/net/packetdrill/netdev.c
+++ b/gtests/net/packetdrill/netdev.c
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
 #include "packet.h"
 #include "packet_parser.h"
 #include "packet_socket.h"
+#include "system.h"
 #include "tcp.h"
 #include "tun.h"
 
@@ -92,9 +93,6 @@ static void cleanup_old_device(struct config *config,
 {
 #if defined(__NetBSD__)
 	char *cleanup_command = NULL;
-#ifdef DEBUG
-	int result;
-#endif
 
 	if ((config->tun_device == NULL) || config->persistent_tun_device) {
 		return;
@@ -102,13 +100,7 @@ static void cleanup_old_device(struct config *config,
 	asprintf(&cleanup_command,
 		 "/sbin/ifconfig %s down delete > /dev/null 2>&1",
 		 config->tun_device);
-	DEBUGP("running: '%s'\n", cleanup_command);
-#ifdef DEBUG
-	result = system(cleanup_command);
-#else
-	system(cleanup_command);
-#endif
-	DEBUGP("result: %d\n", result);
+	verbose_system(cleanup_command);
 	free(cleanup_command);
 #endif  /* defined(__NetBSD__) */
 }
@@ -166,7 +158,7 @@ static void create_device(struct config *config, struct local_netdev *netdev)
 	DEBUGP("utun index: '%d'\n", netdev->index);
 	if (config->mtu != TUN_DRIVER_DEFAULT_MTU) {
 		asprintf(&command, "ifconfig %s mtu %d", netdev->name, config->mtu);
-		if (system(command) < 0)
+		if (verbose_system(command) != STATUS_OK)
 			die("Error executing %s\n", command);
 		free(command);
 	}
@@ -199,7 +191,7 @@ static void create_device(struct config *config, struct local_netdev *netdev)
 	tun_fd = open(tun_path, O_RDWR);
 #if defined(__FreeBSD__)
 	if ((tun_fd < 0) && (errno == ENOENT)) {
-		if (system("kldload -q if_tun") < 0) {
+		if (verbose_system("kldload -q if_tun") != STATUS_OK) {
 			die_perror("kldload -q if_tun");
 		}
 		tun_fd = open(tun_path, O_RDWR);
@@ -275,8 +267,8 @@ static void create_device(struct config *config, struct local_netdev *netdev)
 		char *command;
 		asprintf(&command, "ethtool -s %s speed %u autoneg off",
 			 netdev->name, config->speed);
-		if (system(command) < 0)
-			die("Error executing %s\n", command);
+		if (verbose_system(command) != STATUS_OK)
+            die("Error executing %s\n", command);
 		free(command);
 
 		/* Need to bring interface down and up so the interface speed
@@ -284,7 +276,7 @@ static void create_device(struct config *config, struct local_netdev *netdev)
 		 * used by TCP's cwnd bound. */
 		asprintf(&command, "ifconfig %s down; sleep 1; ifconfig %s up; "
 			      "sleep 1", netdev->name, netdev->name);
-		if (system(command) < 0)
+		if (verbose_system(command) != STATUS_OK)
 			die("Error executing %s\n", command);
 		free(command);
 	}
@@ -293,8 +285,8 @@ static void create_device(struct config *config, struct local_netdev *netdev)
 		char *command;
 		asprintf(&command, "ifconfig %s mtu %d",
 			 netdev->name, config->mtu);
-		if (system(command) < 0)
-			die("Error executing %s\n", command);
+		if (verbose_system(command) != STATUS_OK)
+            die("Error executing route command '%s'\n", command);
 		free(command);
 	}
 #endif
@@ -377,11 +369,8 @@ static void route_traffic_to_device(struct config *config,
 		assert(!"bad wire protocol");
 	}
 #endif /* defined(linux) */
-	int result = system(route_command);
-	if ((result == -1) || (WEXITSTATUS(result) != 0)) {
-		die("error executing route command '%s'\n",
-		    route_command);
-	}
+    if (verbose_system(command) != STATUS_OK)
+        die("Error executing %s\n", command);
 	free(route_command);
 }
 
@@ -433,7 +422,7 @@ static void local_netdev_free(struct netdev *a_netdev)
 			asprintf(&cleanup_command,
 			         "/sbin/ifconfig %s destroy > /dev/null 2>&1",
 			         netdev->name);
-			system(cleanup_command);
+			verbose_system(cleanup_command);
 			free(cleanup_command);
 		}
 #endif
diff --git a/gtests/net/packetdrill/system.c b/gtests/net/packetdrill/system.c
index 1b17abe5..fe219468 100644
--- a/gtests/net/packetdrill/system.c
+++ b/gtests/net/packetdrill/system.c
@@ -31,21 +31,41 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 
-int safe_system(const char *command, char **error)
+#include "logging.h"
+
+static void checked_system(const char *command, char **error)
 {
-	int status = system(command);
+	int status;
+    status = system(command);
 	if (status == -1) {
 		asprintf(error, "%s", strerror(errno));
-		return STATUS_ERR;
-	}
-	if (WIFSIGNALED(status) &&
-	    (WTERMSIG(status) == SIGINT || WTERMSIG(status) == SIGQUIT)) {
+	} else if (WIFSIGNALED(status) &&
+			   (WTERMSIG(status) == SIGINT || WTERMSIG(status) == SIGQUIT)) {
 		asprintf(error, "got signal %d (%s)",
-			 WTERMSIG(status), strsignal(WTERMSIG(status)));
-		return STATUS_ERR;
-	}
-	if (WEXITSTATUS(status) != 0) {
+				 WTERMSIG(status), strsignal(WTERMSIG(status)));
+	} else if (WEXITSTATUS(status) != 0) {
 		asprintf(error, "non-zero status %d", WEXITSTATUS(status));
+	} else {
+		*error = NULL;
+	}
+}
+
+int safe_system(const char *command, char **error)
+{
+	checked_system(command, error);
+	if (*error != NULL)
+		return STATUS_ERR;
+	return STATUS_OK;
+}
+
+int verbose_system(const char *command)
+{
+	char *error = NULL;
+
+	DEBUGP("running: '%s'\n", command);
+	checked_system(command, &error);
+	if (*error != NULL) {
+		DEBUGP("error: %s executing command '%s'\n", error, command);
 		return STATUS_ERR;
 	}
 	return STATUS_OK;
diff --git a/gtests/net/packetdrill/system.h b/gtests/net/packetdrill/system.h
index 1f7564d0..727f1d36 100644
--- a/gtests/net/packetdrill/system.h
+++ b/gtests/net/packetdrill/system.h
@@ -32,4 +32,10 @@
  */
 extern int safe_system(const char *command, char **error);
 
+/* Execute the given command with system(3).
+ * If debug logging is active, logs the command and result or error.
+ * On success, returns STATUS_OK. On error returns STATUS_ERR.
+ */
+extern int verbose_system(const char *command);
+
 #endif /* __SYSTEM_H__ */
diff --git a/gtests/net/packetdrill/wire_client_netdev.c b/gtests/net/packetdrill/wire_client_netdev.c
index 6c580990..05455524 100644
--- a/gtests/net/packetdrill/wire_client_netdev.c
+++ b/gtests/net/packetdrill/wire_client_netdev.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 
 #include "logging.h"
 #include "net_utils.h"
+#include "system.h"
 
 struct wire_client_netdev {
 	struct netdev netdev;		/* "inherit" from netdev */
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ static void route_traffic_to_wire_server(struct config *config,
 	 * since they can happen if there is no previously existing
 	 * route.
 	 */
-	system(route_command);
+	verbose_system(route_command);
 
 	free(route_command);
 }
diff --git a/gtests/net/packetdrill/wire_server_netdev.c b/gtests/net/packetdrill/wire_server_netdev.c
index 5c37898d..63b30718 100644
--- a/gtests/net/packetdrill/wire_server_netdev.c
+++ b/gtests/net/packetdrill/wire_server_netdev.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "packet.h"
 #include "packet_socket.h"
 #include "packet_parser.h"
+#include "system.h"
 
 struct wire_server_netdev {
 	struct netdev netdev;		/* "inherit" from netdev */
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ void wire_server_netdev_init(const char *netdev_name)
 		 netdev_name);
 	/* For now, intentionally ignoring errors. TODO: clean up.
 	 */
-	system(command);
+	verbose_system(command);
 	free(command);
 
 	/* Block outgoing IPv6 "destination unreachable" messages, to
@@ -89,7 +90,7 @@ void wire_server_netdev_init(const char *netdev_name)
 		 "ip6tables -F OUTPUT; "
 		 "ip6tables -A OUTPUT -p icmpv6 --icmpv6-type 1 -j DROP");
 	/* For now, intentionally ignoring. TODO: clean up. */
-	system(command);
+	verbose_system(command);
 	free(command);
 #endif
 }