diff --git a/module/spl/spl-debug.c b/module/spl/spl-debug.c
index 6d71f4b829..a3fcd74e06 100644
--- a/module/spl/spl-debug.c
+++ b/module/spl/spl-debug.c
@@ -724,10 +724,6 @@ spl_debug_vmsg(spl_debug_limit_state_t *cdls, int subsys, int mask,
                         break;
         }
 
-        if (unlikely(*(string_buf + needed - 1) != '\n'))
-                printk(KERN_INFO "format at %s:%d:%s doesn't end in newline\n",
-                       file, line, fn);
-
         header.ph_len = known_size + needed;
         debug_buf = (char *)page_address(tage->page) + tage->used;
 
diff --git a/module/spl/spl-err.c b/module/spl/spl-err.c
index c4508dfa22..8f46aae5ba 100644
--- a/module/spl/spl-err.c
+++ b/module/spl/spl-err.c
@@ -33,10 +33,8 @@
 
 #define DEBUG_SUBSYSTEM S_GENERIC
 
-#ifndef NDEBUG
 static char ce_prefix[CE_IGNORE][10] = { "", "NOTICE: ", "WARNING: ", "" };
 static char ce_suffix[CE_IGNORE][2] = { "", "\n", "\n", "" };
-#endif
 
 void
 vpanic(const char *fmt, va_list ap)
@@ -48,20 +46,6 @@ vpanic(const char *fmt, va_list ap)
 } /* vpanic() */
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(vpanic);
 
-void
-cmn_err(int ce, const char *fmt, ...)
-{
-	char msg[MAXMSGLEN];
-	va_list ap;
-
-	va_start(ap, fmt);
-	vsnprintf(msg, MAXMSGLEN - 1, fmt, ap);
-	va_end(ap);
-
-	CERROR("%s", msg);
-} /* cmn_err() */
-EXPORT_SYMBOL(cmn_err);
-
 void
 vcmn_err(int ce, const char *fmt, va_list ap)
 {
@@ -70,9 +54,26 @@ vcmn_err(int ce, const char *fmt, va_list ap)
         if (ce == CE_PANIC)
                 vpanic(fmt, ap);
 
-        if (ce != CE_NOTE) { /* suppress noise in stress testing */
+        if (ce != CE_NOTE) {
 		vsnprintf(msg, MAXMSGLEN - 1, fmt, ap);
-		CERROR("%s%s%s", ce_prefix[ce], msg, ce_suffix[ce]);
+
+		if (fmt[0] == '!')
+			CDEBUG(D_INFO, "%s%s%s",
+			       ce_prefix[ce], msg, ce_suffix[ce]);
+		else
+			CERROR("%s%s%s", ce_prefix[ce], msg, ce_suffix[ce]);
         }
 } /* vcmn_err() */
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(vcmn_err);
+
+void
+cmn_err(int ce, const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+	va_list ap;
+
+	va_start(ap, fmt);
+	vcmn_err(ce, fmt, ap);
+	va_end(ap);
+} /* cmn_err() */
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(cmn_err);
+