diff --git a/go/cmd/query_analyzer/query_analyzer.go b/go/cmd/query_analyzer/query_analyzer.go
index 087c88fa5f3..2138bde2673 100644
--- a/go/cmd/query_analyzer/query_analyzer.go
+++ b/go/cmd/query_analyzer/query_analyzer.go
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ func main() {
 	acl.RegisterFlags(fs)
 	servenv.RegisterMySQLServerFlags(fs)
 	_flag.Parse(fs)
+	logutil.PurgeLogs()
 	for _, filename := range _flag.Args() {
 		fmt.Printf("processing: %s\n", filename)
 		if err := processFile(filename); err != nil {
diff --git a/go/cmd/rulesctl/cmd/main.go b/go/cmd/rulesctl/cmd/main.go
index d100b8c8680..1b5ab30acfd 100644
--- a/go/cmd/rulesctl/cmd/main.go
+++ b/go/cmd/rulesctl/cmd/main.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	_flag "vitess.io/vitess/go/internal/flag"
+	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/logutil"
 )
 
 var configFile string
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ func Main() *cobra.Command {
 		Args: cobra.NoArgs,
 		PreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 			_flag.TrickGlog()
+			logutil.PurgeLogs()
 		},
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) { cmd.Help() },
 	}
diff --git a/go/cmd/vtadmin/main.go b/go/cmd/vtadmin/main.go
index 4c1b3666ebd..210e2edb918 100644
--- a/go/cmd/vtadmin/main.go
+++ b/go/cmd/vtadmin/main.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/trace"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/log"
+	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/logutil"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/servenv"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/vtadmin"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/vtadmin/cache"
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ var (
 		Use: "vtadmin",
 		PreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 			_flag.TrickGlog()
+			logutil.PurgeLogs()
 
 			if opts.EnableTracing || httpOpts.EnableTracing {
 				startTracing(cmd)
diff --git a/go/cmd/vtclient/vtclient.go b/go/cmd/vtclient/vtclient.go
index 4295766723a..adc060d7737 100644
--- a/go/cmd/vtclient/vtclient.go
+++ b/go/cmd/vtclient/vtclient.go
@@ -184,6 +184,8 @@ func run() (*results, error) {
 	_flag.Parse(fs)
 	args := _flag.Args()
 
+	logutil.PurgeLogs()
+
 	if len(args) == 0 {
 		pflag.Usage()
 		return nil, errors.New("no arguments provided. See usage above")
diff --git a/go/cmd/vtctldclient/command/root.go b/go/cmd/vtctldclient/command/root.go
index ae74ddfb5e6..9e59276993c 100644
--- a/go/cmd/vtctldclient/command/root.go
+++ b/go/cmd/vtctldclient/command/root.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/trace"
+	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/logutil"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/servenv"
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/vtctl/vtctldclient"
 )
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ var (
 		// We use PersistentPreRun to set up the tracer, grpc client, and
 		// command context for every command.
 		PersistentPreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
+			logutil.PurgeLogs()
 			traceCloser = trace.StartTracing("vtctldclient")
 			client, err = getClientForCommand(cmd)
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
diff --git a/go/cmd/zk/zkcmd.go b/go/cmd/zk/zkcmd.go
index 6b2c4a3840f..5cc736ea959 100644
--- a/go/cmd/zk/zkcmd.go
+++ b/go/cmd/zk/zkcmd.go
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	pflag.Parse()
+	logutil.PurgeLogs()
 
 	if help || pflag.Arg(0) == "help" {
 		pflag.Usage()
diff --git a/go/vt/logutil/purge.go b/go/vt/logutil/purge.go
index 20f028d7187..8d85e15c5c9 100644
--- a/go/vt/logutil/purge.go
+++ b/go/vt/logutil/purge.go
@@ -127,7 +127,10 @@ func PurgeLogs() {
 	logDir := f.Value.String()
 	program := filepath.Base(os.Args[0])
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(purgeLogsInterval)
-	for range ticker.C {
-		purgeLogsOnce(time.Now(), logDir, program, keepLogsByCtime, keepLogsByMtime)
-	}
+
+	go func() {
+		for range ticker.C {
+			purgeLogsOnce(time.Now(), logDir, program, keepLogsByCtime, keepLogsByMtime)
+		}
+	}()
 }
diff --git a/go/vt/servenv/purgelogs.go b/go/vt/servenv/purgelogs.go
deleted file mode 100644
index e5edc9e7be2..00000000000
--- a/go/vt/servenv/purgelogs.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-/*
-Copyright 2019 The Vitess Authors.
-
-Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-You may obtain a copy of the License at
-
-    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-
-Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-limitations under the License.
-*/
-
-package servenv
-
-import (
-	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/logutil"
-)
-
-func init() {
-	OnInit(func() {
-		go logutil.PurgeLogs()
-	})
-
-}
diff --git a/go/vt/servenv/servenv.go b/go/vt/servenv/servenv.go
index d8dbe510c8d..9f3d63f1a02 100644
--- a/go/vt/servenv/servenv.go
+++ b/go/vt/servenv/servenv.go
@@ -335,6 +335,8 @@ func ParseFlags(cmd string) {
 		_flag.Usage()
 		log.Exitf("%s doesn't take any positional arguments, got '%s'", cmd, strings.Join(args, " "))
 	}
+
+	logutil.PurgeLogs()
 }
 
 // GetFlagSetFor returns the flag set for a given command.
@@ -364,6 +366,8 @@ func ParseFlagsWithArgs(cmd string) []string {
 		log.Exitf("%s expected at least one positional argument", cmd)
 	}
 
+	logutil.PurgeLogs()
+
 	return args
 }