diff --git a/src/bootstrap/src/lib.rs b/src/bootstrap/src/lib.rs
index 1d388767d7e3..899a80fa9c7d 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/src/lib.rs
@@ -968,7 +968,9 @@ impl Build {
         let mut message = String::new();
         let output: CommandOutput = match output {
             // Command has succeeded
-            Ok(output) if output.status.success() => output.into(),
+            Ok(output) if output.status.success() => {
+                CommandOutput::from_output(output, stdout, stderr)
+            }
             // Command has started, but then it failed
             Ok(output) => {
                 writeln!(
@@ -982,7 +984,7 @@ Executed at: {executed_at}"#,
                 )
                 .unwrap();
 
-                let output: CommandOutput = output.into();
+                let output: CommandOutput = CommandOutput::from_output(output, stdout, stderr);
 
                 // If the output mode is OutputMode::Capture, we can now print the output.
                 // If it is OutputMode::Print, then the output has already been printed to
diff --git a/src/bootstrap/src/utils/exec.rs b/src/bootstrap/src/utils/exec.rs
index 22619e674f9a..d4ae8e26aaae 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/src/utils/exec.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/src/utils/exec.rs
@@ -223,17 +223,31 @@ pub fn command<S: AsRef<OsStr>>(program: S) -> BootstrapCommand {
 }
 
 /// Represents the output of an executed process.
-#[allow(unused)]
 pub struct CommandOutput {
     status: CommandStatus,
-    stdout: Vec<u8>,
-    stderr: Vec<u8>,
+    stdout: Option<Vec<u8>>,
+    stderr: Option<Vec<u8>>,
 }
 
 impl CommandOutput {
     #[must_use]
     pub fn did_not_start() -> Self {
-        Self { status: CommandStatus::DidNotStart, stdout: vec![], stderr: vec![] }
+        Self { status: CommandStatus::DidNotStart, stdout: None, stderr: None }
+    }
+
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn from_output(output: Output, stdout: OutputMode, stderr: OutputMode) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            status: CommandStatus::Finished(output.status),
+            stdout: match stdout {
+                OutputMode::Print => None,
+                OutputMode::Capture => Some(output.stdout),
+            },
+            stderr: match stderr {
+                OutputMode::Print => None,
+                OutputMode::Capture => Some(output.stderr),
+            },
+        }
     }
 
     #[must_use]
@@ -259,7 +273,10 @@ impl CommandOutput {
 
     #[must_use]
     pub fn stdout(&self) -> String {
-        String::from_utf8(self.stdout.clone()).expect("Cannot parse process stdout as UTF-8")
+        String::from_utf8(
+            self.stdout.clone().expect("Accessing stdout of a command that did not capture stdout"),
+        )
+        .expect("Cannot parse process stdout as UTF-8")
     }
 
     #[must_use]
@@ -269,7 +286,10 @@ impl CommandOutput {
 
     #[must_use]
     pub fn stderr(&self) -> String {
-        String::from_utf8(self.stderr.clone()).expect("Cannot parse process stderr as UTF-8")
+        String::from_utf8(
+            self.stderr.clone().expect("Accessing stderr of a command that did not capture stderr"),
+        )
+        .expect("Cannot parse process stderr as UTF-8")
     }
 }
 
@@ -277,18 +297,8 @@ impl Default for CommandOutput {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self {
             status: CommandStatus::Finished(ExitStatus::default()),
-            stdout: vec![],
-            stderr: vec![],
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-impl From<Output> for CommandOutput {
-    fn from(output: Output) -> Self {
-        Self {
-            status: CommandStatus::Finished(output.status),
-            stdout: output.stdout,
-            stderr: output.stderr,
+            stdout: Some(vec![]),
+            stderr: Some(vec![]),
         }
     }
 }