diff --git a/src/error_logger_lager_h.erl b/src/error_logger_lager_h.erl
index 321afc7..c557170 100644
--- a/src/error_logger_lager_h.erl
+++ b/src/error_logger_lager_h.erl
@@ -226,8 +226,13 @@ log_event(Event, State) ->
             Details = lists:sort(D),
             case Details of
                 [{application, App}, {exited, Reason}, {type, _Type}] ->
-                    ?LOGFMT(info, Pid, "Application ~w exited with reason: ~s",
-                        [App, format_reason(Reason)]);
+                    case application:get_env(lager, suppress_application_start_stop) of
+                        {ok, true} when Reason == stopped ->
+                            ok;
+                        _ ->
+                            ?LOGFMT(info, Pid, "Application ~w exited with reason: ~s",
+                                    [App, format_reason(Reason)])
+                    end;
                 _ ->
                     ?LOGMSG(info, Pid, print_silly_list(D))
             end;
@@ -237,8 +242,13 @@ log_event(Event, State) ->
             Details = lists:sort(D),
             case Details of
                 [{application, App}, {started_at, Node}] ->
-                    ?LOGFMT(info, P, "Application ~w started on node ~w",
-                        [App, Node]);
+                    case application:get_env(lager, suppress_application_start_stop) of
+                        {ok, true} ->
+                            ok;
+                        _ ->
+                            ?LOGFMT(info, P, "Application ~w started on node ~w",
+                                    [App, Node])
+                    end;
                 [{started, Started}, {supervisor, Name}] ->
                     MFA = format_mfa(get_value(mfargs, Started)),
                     Pid = get_value(pid, Started),
diff --git a/src/lager_common_test_backend.erl b/src/lager_common_test_backend.erl
index 62e0c96..0e03d6f 100644
--- a/src/lager_common_test_backend.erl
+++ b/src/lager_common_test_backend.erl
@@ -40,10 +40,15 @@ bounce() ->
 
 bounce(Level) ->
     _ = application:stop(lager),
-    application:set_env(lager, handlers, [
-        {lager_common_test_backend, [Level, false]}
-    ]),
+    application:set_env(lager, suppress_application_start_stop, true),
+    application:set_env(lager, handlers,
+                        [
+                         {lager_common_test_backend, [Level, false]}
+                        ]),
     ok = lager:start(),
+    %% we care more about getting all of our messages here than being
+    %% careful with the amount of memory that we're using.
+    error_logger_lager_h:set_high_water(100000),
     ok.
 
 -spec(init(integer()|atom()|[term()]) -> {ok, #state{}} | {error, atom()}).