diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/container/companion.rs b/core/archipelago/src/container/companion.rs
index 96809dd2..d861046c 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/container/companion.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/container/companion.rs
@@ -285,7 +285,15 @@ async fn ensure_image_present(spec: &CompanionSpec) -> Result<String> {
 
 async fn image_exists(image: &str) -> bool {
     let mut cmd = Command::new("podman");
-    cmd.args(["image", "inspect", image]);
+    // Only the exit status matters. WITHOUT a `--format`, `podman image inspect`
+    // prints the image's full multi-KB manifest JSON; `.status()` inherits the
+    // service's stdout, so on a hit that whole blob lands in the journal — once
+    // per companion image, every reconcile pass. That flood spikes journald +
+    // IO and starves the async runtime (UI websocket then drops → "connection
+    // lost"/reconnect). Discard the child's stdout/stderr; we read neither.
+    cmd.args(["image", "inspect", image])
+        .stdout(std::process::Stdio::null())
+        .stderr(std::process::Stdio::null());
     match tokio::time::timeout(COMPANION_IMAGE_CHECK_TIMEOUT, cmd.status()).await {
         Ok(Ok(status)) => status.success(),
         Ok(Err(err)) => {