diff --git a/case-lib/hijack.sh b/case-lib/hijack.sh
index 02f7e016..22c19e99 100644
--- a/case-lib/hijack.sh
+++ b/case-lib/hijack.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ function func_exit_handler()
 {
     local exit_status=${1:-0}
 
+    dlogi "Starting func_exit_handler($exit_status)"
+
     # call trace
     if [ "$exit_status" -ne 0 ] ; then
         dloge "Starting ${FUNCNAME[0]}(), exit status=$exit_status, FUNCNAME stack:"
@@ -86,22 +88,6 @@ function func_exit_handler()
             exit_status=1
         fi
 
-        if test -e "$logfile"; then
-
-            wcLog=$(wc -l "$logfile") # show both line count and filename
-            dlogi "nlines=$wcLog"
-
-            local nlines; nlines=$(wc -l < "$logfile") # line count only
-            # The first line is the sof-logger header
-            if [ "$nlines" -le 1 ]; then
-                dloge "Empty logger trace"
-                exit_status=1
-            fi
-        else
-            dloge "Log file not found: $logfile"
-            exit_status=1
-        fi
-
     fi
 
     if [ "$SOF_LOGGING" != 'none' ] && is_ipc4 && is_firmware_file_zephyr; then
@@ -113,6 +99,24 @@ function func_exit_handler()
         }
     fi
 
+    # Check $logfile when there is one
+    if [ -n "$logfile" ]; then
+        if test -e "$logfile"; then
+            wcLog=$(wc -l "$logfile")  # show both line count and filename
+            dlogi  "nlines=$wcLog"
+
+            local nlines; nlines=$(wc -l < "$logfile")  # line count only
+            # The first line is the sof-logger banner
+            if [ "$nlines" -le 1 ]; then
+                dloge "Empty logfile"
+                exit_status=1
+            fi
+        else
+            dloge "Log file not found: $logfile"
+            exit_status=1
+        fi
+    fi
+
     stop_test || exit_status=1
 
     if [ "$ENABLE_STORAGE_CHECKS" = '1' ]; then
diff --git a/case-lib/lib.sh b/case-lib/lib.sh
index f07107a2..23314248 100644
--- a/case-lib/lib.sh
+++ b/case-lib/lib.sh
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ find_ldc_file()
 
 func_mtrace_collect()
 {
-    local clogfile=$LOG_ROOT/mtrace.txt
+    local clogfile="$1"
 
     if [ -z "$MTRACE" ]; then
         MTRACE=$(command -v mtrace-reader.py) || {
@@ -330,8 +330,8 @@ func_mtrace_collect()
         }
     fi
 
-    local mtraceCmd="$MTRACE"
-    dlogi "Starting ${mtraceCmd[*]}"
+    local mtraceCmd=("$MTRACE")
+    dlogi "Starting ${mtraceCmd[*]} >& $clogfile &"
     # Cleaned up by func_exit_handler() in hijack.sh
     # shellcheck disable=SC2024
     sudo "${mtraceCmd[@]}" >& "$clogfile" &
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ func_sof_logger_collect()
     # The logger does not like empty '' arguments and $logopt can be
     # shellcheck disable=SC2206
     local loggerCmd=("$SOFLOGGER" $logopt -l "$ldcFile")
-    dlogi "Starting ${loggerCmd[*]}"
+    dlogi "Starting ${loggerCmd[*]} > $logfile &"
     # Cleaned up by func_exit_handler() in hijack.sh
     # shellcheck disable=SC2024
     sudo "${loggerCmd[@]}" > "$logfile" &
@@ -398,7 +398,8 @@ func_lib_start_log_collect()
 
     if [ "X$is_etrace" == "X0" ]; then
         if is_ipc4 && is_firmware_file_zephyr; then
-            func_mtrace_collect
+            logfile="$LOG_ROOT"/mtrace.txt
+            func_mtrace_collect "$logfile"
         else
             log_file=$LOG_ROOT/slogger.txt
             log_opt="-t"
@@ -416,7 +417,7 @@ func_lib_start_log_collect()
 
 }
 
-check_error_in_file()
+check_error_in_fw_logfile()
 {
     local platf; platf=$(sof-dump-status.py -p)
 
diff --git a/test-case/check-sof-logger.sh b/test-case/check-sof-logger.sh
index d341c849..aacad43d 100755
--- a/test-case/check-sof-logger.sh
+++ b/test-case/check-sof-logger.sh
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ main()
 
     for f in "${stdout_files[@]}"; do
         local tracef="$LOG_ROOT/logger.$f.txt"
-        check_error_in_file "$tracef" || {
+        check_error_in_fw_logfile "$tracef" || {
             OK=false; printf '\n'
         }
     done