diff --git a/pkg/roachprod/install/cluster_synced.go b/pkg/roachprod/install/cluster_synced.go
index 7e18ea595f96..6a87c51689d3 100644
--- a/pkg/roachprod/install/cluster_synced.go
+++ b/pkg/roachprod/install/cluster_synced.go
@@ -2292,26 +2292,17 @@ func (c *SyncedCluster) ParallelE(
 // to maintain parity with auto-init behavior of `roachprod start` (when
 // --skip-init) is not specified.
 func (c *SyncedCluster) Init(ctx context.Context, l *logger.Logger) error {
-	// See Start(). We reserve a few special operations for the first node, so we
+	// We reserve a few special operations for the first node, so we
 	// strive to maintain the same here for interoperability.
 	const firstNodeIdx = 1
 
-	l.Printf("%s: initializing cluster\n", c.Name)
-	initOut, err := c.initializeCluster(ctx, firstNodeIdx)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := c.initializeCluster(ctx, l, firstNodeIdx); err != nil {
 		return errors.WithDetail(err, "install.Init() failed: unable to initialize cluster.")
 	}
-	if initOut != "" {
-		l.Printf(initOut)
-	}
 
-	l.Printf("%s: setting cluster settings", c.Name)
-	clusterSettingsOut, err := c.setClusterSettings(ctx, l, firstNodeIdx)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := c.setClusterSettings(ctx, l, firstNodeIdx); err != nil {
 		return errors.WithDetail(err, "install.Init() failed: unable to set cluster settings.")
 	}
-	if clusterSettingsOut != "" {
-		l.Printf(clusterSettingsOut)
-	}
+
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/roachprod/install/cockroach.go b/pkg/roachprod/install/cockroach.go
index 43bb284d1ca4..5852d7495ebe 100644
--- a/pkg/roachprod/install/cockroach.go
+++ b/pkg/roachprod/install/cockroach.go
@@ -184,10 +184,14 @@ func (c *SyncedCluster) Start(ctx context.Context, l *logger.Logger, startOpts S
 
 		shouldInit := !c.useStartSingleNode()
 		if shouldInit {
-			if err := c.Init(ctx, l); err != nil {
+			if err := c.initializeCluster(ctx, l, node); err != nil {
 				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to initialize cluster")
 			}
 		}
+
+		if err := c.setClusterSettings(ctx, l, node); err != nil {
+			return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "failed to set cluster settings")
+		}
 		return nil, nil
 	})
 }
@@ -590,38 +594,45 @@ func (c *SyncedCluster) maybeScaleMem(val int) int {
 	return val
 }
 
-func (c *SyncedCluster) initializeCluster(ctx context.Context, node Node) (string, error) {
+func (c *SyncedCluster) initializeCluster(ctx context.Context, l *logger.Logger, node Node) error {
+	l.Printf("%s: initializing cluster\n", c.Name)
 	initCmd := c.generateInitCmd(node)
 
 	sess, err := c.newSession(node)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
+		return err
 	}
 	defer sess.Close()
 
 	out, err := sess.CombinedOutput(ctx, initCmd)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "~ %s\n%s", initCmd, out)
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "~ %s\n%s", initCmd, out)
 	}
-	return strings.TrimSpace(string(out)), nil
+
+	if out := strings.TrimSpace(string(out)); out != "" {
+		l.Printf(out)
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
-func (c *SyncedCluster) setClusterSettings(
-	ctx context.Context, l *logger.Logger, node Node,
-) (string, error) {
+func (c *SyncedCluster) setClusterSettings(ctx context.Context, l *logger.Logger, node Node) error {
+	l.Printf("%s: setting cluster settings", c.Name)
 	clusterSettingCmd := c.generateClusterSettingCmd(l, node)
 
 	sess, err := c.newSession(node)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
+		return err
 	}
 	defer sess.Close()
 
 	out, err := sess.CombinedOutput(ctx, clusterSettingCmd)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", errors.Wrapf(err, "~ %s\n%s", clusterSettingCmd, out)
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "~ %s\n%s", clusterSettingCmd, out)
 	}
-	return strings.TrimSpace(string(out)), nil
+	if out := strings.TrimSpace(string(out)); out != "" {
+		l.Printf(out)
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (c *SyncedCluster) generateClusterSettingCmd(l *logger.Logger, node Node) string {