diff --git a/src/integrationtest/integrationtest_drunc.py b/src/integrationtest/integrationtest_drunc.py
index 9813ff3..9da8e19 100644
--- a/src/integrationtest/integrationtest_drunc.py
+++ b/src/integrationtest/integrationtest_drunc.py
@@ -613,8 +613,8 @@ class RunResult:
         cwd=run_dir
     )
 
-    # print out each line of captured output, as well as add it to the string that we
-    # pass back to the user, subject to the verbosity level that the user has requested
+    # print out each line of captured output, subject to the verbosity level that the
+    # user has requested, as well as add it to the string that we pass back to the user
     tmp_string = request.config.getoption("--dunerc-fullprint-watch-string")
     full_printout_watch_string = tmp_string.replace("_SPC_", " ")
     full_printout_activated = False
@@ -643,7 +643,9 @@ class RunResult:
 
         # check for errors and warnings for all verbosity levels
         if should_be_printed == False:
-            if ("error" in line.lower() and (not "In error" in line and not "Endpoint" in line)) or "warning" in line.lower():
+            lc_line = line.lower()
+            if ("error" in lc_line and (not "In error" in line and not "Endpoint" in line)) \
+               or "warning" in lc_line or "critical" in lc_line:
                 should_be_printed = True
 
         # check for basic transition messages, if that level of verbosity is requested
@@ -673,6 +675,11 @@ class RunResult:
     rc_process.communicate()
     proc_returncode = rc_process.returncode
 
+    # store the full dunerc console output in a log file for reference and checking
+    with open(f"{run_dir}/log_{getpass.getuser()}_drunc_console_output.txt", "w", encoding="utf-8") as ff:
+        no_ansi_output = re.sub(r"\x1b\[[0-9;]*m", "", full_output)
+        ff.write(no_ansi_output)
+
     # construct a CompletedProcess instance to be passed back to the user. In this way,
     # user code does not need to change in response to the change in this code from
     # using subprocess.run() to subprocess.Popen().
diff --git a/src/integrationtest/log_file_checks.py b/src/integrationtest/log_file_checks.py
index 8f83c51..26e3a35 100644
--- a/src/integrationtest/log_file_checks.py
+++ b/src/integrationtest/log_file_checks.py
@@ -111,6 +111,9 @@ def logs_are_error_free(log_file_names, show_all_problems=True, print_logfilenam
             ["RAN:", "LogLevel=error"]
         )
 
+    # 21-Jul-2026, KAB: phrases that we always want to exclude
+    excluded_substring_map.setdefault("drunc", []).extend(["Substate.*In error.*Endpoint"])
+
     all_ok=True
     #print("") # Clear potential dot from pytest
     for log in log_file_names:
@@ -121,13 +124,11 @@ def logs_are_error_free(log_file_names, show_all_problems=True, print_logfilenam
             match_obj = re.search(exclusion_key, log.name)
             if match_obj:
                 exclusions += excluded_substring_map[exclusion_key]
-                break
         for required_key in required_substring_map.keys():
             match_obj = re.search(required_key, log.name)
             if match_obj:
                 requireds += required_substring_map[required_key]
-                break
-        
+
         single_ok=log_has_no_errors(log, print_logfilename_for_problems, exclusions, requireds,
                                     print_required_message_report, verbosity_helper)