diff --git a/quic/interop/run-matrix.sh b/quic/interop/run-matrix.sh
index 83fb00418..10a23e2c3 100755
--- a/quic/interop/run-matrix.sh
+++ b/quic/interop/run-matrix.sh
@@ -111,9 +111,35 @@ fi
 # run.py hard-exits if --log-dir already exists, so we use a fresh
 # per-invocation subdirectory under $LOG_DIR. The parent must exist; the
 # child must not. Tail of `ls -t "$LOG_DIR" | head -1` finds the latest.
+#
+# Output filter: by default we drop the runner / container boilerplate
+# (interface checksum offload toggles, route setup, container lifecycle,
+# the long Command: WAITFORSERVER=... line, the platform-mismatch warning
+# that fires once per test on Apple Silicon). Set VERBOSE=1 to bypass.
 mkdir -p "$LOG_DIR"
 RUN_LOG_DIR="$LOG_DIR/run-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"
 echo "==> running matrix (args: $* | logs: $RUN_LOG_DIR)"
 cd "$RUNNER_DIR"
-exec "$RUNNER_DIR/.venv/bin/python" run.py \
-    -d -i amethyst --log-dir "$RUN_LOG_DIR" "$@"
+
+if [ "${VERBOSE:-0}" = "1" ]; then
+    exec "$RUNNER_DIR/.venv/bin/python" run.py \
+        -d -i amethyst --log-dir "$RUN_LOG_DIR" "$@"
+else
+    "$RUNNER_DIR/.venv/bin/python" run.py \
+        -d -i amethyst --log-dir "$RUN_LOG_DIR" "$@" 2>&1 \
+        | grep -Ev \
+            -e '^(client|server|sim) +\| +(Setting up routes|Actual changes:|tx-[a-z0-9-]+:|Endpoint'\''s IPv[46] address is)' \
+            -e '^ Container [a-z]+  +(Recreate|Recreated|Stopping|Stopped|Starting|Started)( [0-9.]+s)?$' \
+            -e '^ server The requested image'\''s platform' \
+            -e '^Attaching to client, server, sim$' \
+            -e '^Aborting on container exit\.\.\.$' \
+            -e '^(client|server|sim) exited with code [0-9]+$' \
+            -e '^Packets captured: [0-9]+$' \
+            -e '^sim +\| +Packets received/dropped on interface ' \
+            -e '^sim +\| +(Received signal:|msg=|NS_FATAL)' \
+            -e '^Using the client'\''s key log file\.$' \
+            -e '^Command: WAITFORSERVER=' \
+            -e '^==> ' \
+            -e '^$'
+    exit "${PIPESTATUS[0]}"
+fi
diff --git a/quic/interop/src/main/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quic/interop/runner/InteropClient.kt b/quic/interop/src/main/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quic/interop/runner/InteropClient.kt
index 7b35e6827..a0523cecc 100644
--- a/quic/interop/src/main/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quic/interop/runner/InteropClient.kt
+++ b/quic/interop/src/main/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quic/interop/runner/InteropClient.kt
@@ -72,11 +72,16 @@ fun main() {
     val downloadsDir = File("/downloads")
     val keyLogPath = System.getenv("SSLKEYLOGFILE")?.takeIf { it.isNotBlank() }
 
-    System.err.println("== quic-interop client ==")
-    System.err.println("testcase:       $testcase")
-    System.err.println("requests:       $requests")
-    System.err.println("downloads dir:  ${downloadsDir.absolutePath} (exists=${downloadsDir.isDirectory})")
-    System.err.println("sslkeylogfile:  ${keyLogPath ?: "(unset)"}")
+    // One-line context header. Verbose per-field dump deferred to debug
+    // mode (env var QUIC_INTEROP_DEBUG=1) so the runner's aggregated output
+    // stays readable across a full matrix run.
+    if (System.getenv("QUIC_INTEROP_DEBUG") == "1") {
+        System.err.println("== quic-interop client ==")
+        System.err.println("testcase:       $testcase")
+        System.err.println("requests:       $requests")
+        System.err.println("downloads dir:  ${downloadsDir.absolutePath} (exists=${downloadsDir.isDirectory})")
+        System.err.println("sslkeylogfile:  ${keyLogPath ?: "(unset)"}")
+    }
 
     val cipherSuites =
         when (testcase) {
@@ -207,7 +212,6 @@ private fun runTransferTest(
                         }
                         val name = url.path.substringAfterLast('/').ifBlank { "index" }
                         File(downloadsDir, name).writeBytes(resp.body)
-                        System.err.println("GET ${url.path} → ${resp.body.size} bytes")
                     }
                     if (anyFailed) "request_failed" else "ok"
                 } ?: "transfer_timeout"
@@ -220,7 +224,6 @@ private fun runTransferTest(
     scope.cancel()
 
     return if (outcome == "ok") {
-        System.err.println("transfer ok")
         EXIT_OK
     } else {
         System.err.println("transfer $outcome")