diff --git a/libpod/oci_conmon_common.go b/libpod/oci_conmon_common.go
index ef707238f4..28108dab48 100644
--- a/libpod/oci_conmon_common.go
+++ b/libpod/oci_conmon_common.go
@@ -1009,7 +1009,7 @@ func (r *ConmonOCIRuntime) createOCIContainer(ctr *Container, restoreOptions *Co
 	defer errorhandling.CloseQuiet(parentStartPipe)
 
 	var ociLog string
-	if logrus.GetLevel() != logrus.DebugLevel && r.supportsJSON {
+	if r.supportsJSON {
 		ociLog = filepath.Join(ctr.state.RunDir, "oci-log")
 	}
 
diff --git a/libpod/oci_conmon_exec_common.go b/libpod/oci_conmon_exec_common.go
index c002e04f2f..8ff2019378 100644
--- a/libpod/oci_conmon_exec_common.go
+++ b/libpod/oci_conmon_exec_common.go
@@ -47,10 +47,7 @@ func (r *ConmonOCIRuntime) ExecContainer(c *Container, sessionID string, options
 		attachStdin = streams.AttachInput
 	}
 
-	var ociLog string
-	if logrus.GetLevel() != logrus.DebugLevel && r.supportsJSON {
-		ociLog = c.execOCILog(sessionID)
-	}
+	ociLog := c.execOCILog(sessionID)
 
 	execCmd, pipes, err := r.startExec(c, sessionID, options, attachStdin, ociLog)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -115,10 +112,7 @@ func (r *ConmonOCIRuntime) ExecContainerHTTP(ctr *Container, sessionID string, o
 		attachStdin = streams.Stdin
 	}
 
-	var ociLog string
-	if logrus.GetLevel() != logrus.DebugLevel && r.supportsJSON {
-		ociLog = ctr.execOCILog(sessionID)
-	}
+	ociLog := ctr.execOCILog(sessionID)
 
 	execCmd, pipes, err := r.startExec(ctr, sessionID, options, attachStdin, ociLog)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -163,10 +157,7 @@ func (r *ConmonOCIRuntime) ExecContainerDetached(ctr *Container, sessionID strin
 		return -1, fmt.Errorf("must provide exec options to ExecContainerHTTP: %w", define.ErrInvalidArg)
 	}
 
-	var ociLog string
-	if logrus.GetLevel() != logrus.DebugLevel && r.supportsJSON {
-		ociLog = ctr.execOCILog(sessionID)
-	}
+	ociLog := ctr.execOCILog(sessionID)
 
 	execCmd, pipes, err := r.startExec(ctr, sessionID, options, stdin, ociLog)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/test/e2e/exec_test.go b/test/e2e/exec_test.go
index 4009445d1e..817f1c7f5b 100644
--- a/test/e2e/exec_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/exec_test.go
@@ -671,4 +671,19 @@ RUN useradd -u 1000 auser`, FEDORA_MINIMAL)
 		execSession.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
 		Expect(execSession).Should(ExitWithError(137, ""))
 	})
+
+	It("podman exec command not in $PATH error", func() {
+		session := podmanTest.RunTopContainer("testctr")
+		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(session).Should(ExitCleanly())
+
+		execResult := podmanTest.Podman([]string{"exec", "testctr", "kjhasdf"})
+		execResult.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(execResult).Should(ExitWithError(127, "not found in $PATH"))
+
+		// Test again with log level debug, this must produce the same error
+		execResult = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"--log-level=debug", "exec", "testctr", "kjhasdf"})
+		execResult.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
+		Expect(execResult).Should(ExitWithError(127, "not found in $PATH"))
+	})
 })