diff --git a/ios-runner/AgentDeviceRunner/AgentDeviceRunnerUITests/RunnerTests+CommandJournal.swift b/ios-runner/AgentDeviceRunner/AgentDeviceRunnerUITests/RunnerTests+CommandJournal.swift
index ac0c3f448..16faa4ccc 100644
--- a/ios-runner/AgentDeviceRunner/AgentDeviceRunnerUITests/RunnerTests+CommandJournal.swift
+++ b/ios-runner/AgentDeviceRunner/AgentDeviceRunnerUITests/RunnerTests+CommandJournal.swift
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import Foundation
+import XCTest
 
 enum RunnerCommandLifecycleState: String {
   case notAccepted
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ final class RunnerCommandJournal {
       command: command,
       state: response.ok ? .completed : .failed,
       responseOk: response.ok,
-      responseJson: encodeResponseJson(response),
+      responseJson: encodeResponseJson(command: command, response: response),
       error: response.error
     )
   }
@@ -131,10 +132,151 @@ final class RunnerCommandJournal {
     return trimmed.isEmpty ? nil : trimmed
   }
 
-  private func encodeResponseJson(_ response: Response) -> String? {
-    guard response.data?.nodes == nil else { return nil }
+  private func encodeResponseJson(command: Command, response: Response) -> String? {
+    guard shouldRetainResponseJson(command: command) else { return nil }
     guard let data = try? JSONEncoder().encode(response) else { return nil }
     guard data.count <= maxResponseJsonBytes else { return nil }
     return String(data: data, encoding: .utf8)
   }
+
+  private func shouldRetainResponseJson(command: Command) -> Bool {
+    switch command.command {
+    case .snapshot, .screenshot:
+      return false
+    case .tap, .mouseClick, .tapSeries, .longPress, .interactionFrame, .drag, .dragSeries,
+         .remotePress, .type, .swipe, .findText, .querySelector, .readText, .back, .backInApp,
+         .backSystem, .home, .rotate, .appSwitcher, .keyboardDismiss, .keyboardReturn, .alert,
+         .pinch, .rotateGesture, .transformGesture, .recordStart, .recordStop, .status, .uptime,
+         .shutdown:
+      return true
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+extension RunnerTests {
+  func testCommandJournalRetentionPolicy() throws {
+    let journal = RunnerCommandJournal()
+
+    let uptime = runnerJournalCommand("uptime", id: "small-scalar")
+    journal.accept(command: uptime)
+    journal.finish(
+      command: uptime,
+      response: Response(ok: true, data: DataPayload(currentUptimeMs: 12.5))
+    )
+
+    let scalarStatus = journal.status(commandId: "small-scalar")
+    XCTAssertEqual(scalarStatus.lifecycleState, RunnerCommandLifecycleState.completed.rawValue)
+    XCTAssertEqual(scalarStatus.lifecycleResponseOk, true)
+    XCTAssertNotNil(scalarStatus.lifecycleResponseJson)
+    let scalarResponse = try decodeRunnerJournalResponse(scalarStatus.lifecycleResponseJson)
+    XCTAssertEqual(scalarResponse.data?.currentUptimeMs, 12.5)
+
+    let querySelector = runnerJournalCommand("querySelector", id: "small-object")
+    journal.accept(command: querySelector)
+    journal.finish(
+      command: querySelector,
+      response: Response(ok: true, data: DataPayload(found: true, nodes: [runnerJournalNode()]))
+    )
+
+    let objectStatus = journal.status(commandId: "small-object")
+    XCTAssertNotNil(objectStatus.lifecycleResponseJson)
+    let objectResponse = try decodeRunnerJournalResponse(objectStatus.lifecycleResponseJson)
+    XCTAssertEqual(objectResponse.data?.found, true)
+    XCTAssertEqual(objectResponse.data?.nodes?.count, 1)
+
+    let snapshot = runnerJournalCommand("snapshot", id: "snapshot-tree")
+    journal.accept(command: snapshot)
+    journal.finish(
+      command: snapshot,
+      response: Response(ok: true, data: DataPayload(nodes: [runnerJournalNode()], truncated: false))
+    )
+
+    let snapshotStatus = journal.status(commandId: "snapshot-tree")
+    XCTAssertEqual(snapshotStatus.lifecycleState, RunnerCommandLifecycleState.completed.rawValue)
+    XCTAssertEqual(snapshotStatus.lifecycleResponseOk, true)
+    XCTAssertNil(snapshotStatus.lifecycleResponseJson)
+
+    let screenshot = runnerJournalCommand("screenshot", id: "screenshot-artifact")
+    journal.accept(command: screenshot)
+    journal.finish(
+      command: screenshot,
+      response: Response(ok: true, data: DataPayload(message: "tmp/screenshot-1.png"))
+    )
+
+    let screenshotStatus = journal.status(commandId: "screenshot-artifact")
+    XCTAssertEqual(screenshotStatus.lifecycleState, RunnerCommandLifecycleState.completed.rawValue)
+    XCTAssertEqual(screenshotStatus.lifecycleResponseOk, true)
+    XCTAssertNil(screenshotStatus.lifecycleResponseJson)
+
+    let largeRead = runnerJournalCommand("readText", id: "large-read")
+    journal.accept(command: largeRead)
+    journal.finish(
+      command: largeRead,
+      response: Response(ok: true, data: DataPayload(text: String(repeating: "x", count: 17 * 1024)))
+    )
+
+    let largeReadStatus = journal.status(commandId: "large-read")
+    XCTAssertEqual(largeReadStatus.lifecycleState, RunnerCommandLifecycleState.completed.rawValue)
+    XCTAssertEqual(largeReadStatus.lifecycleResponseOk, true)
+    XCTAssertNil(largeReadStatus.lifecycleResponseJson)
+  }
+
+  func testCommandJournalKeepsErrorMetadataWhenResponseJsonIsDropped() {
+    let journal = RunnerCommandJournal()
+    let snapshot = runnerJournalCommand("snapshot", id: "snapshot-error")
+    let hint = "Try a smaller read such as snapshot -s <visible label or id> -d 8."
+
+    journal.accept(command: snapshot)
+    journal.finish(
+      command: snapshot,
+      response: Response(
+        ok: false,
+        error: ErrorPayload(
+          code: "IOS_AX_SNAPSHOT_FAILED",
+          message: "iOS XCTest snapshot failed while serializing the accessibility tree.",
+          hint: hint
+        )
+      )
+    )
+
+    let status = journal.status(commandId: "snapshot-error")
+    XCTAssertEqual(status.lifecycleState, RunnerCommandLifecycleState.failed.rawValue)
+    XCTAssertEqual(status.lifecycleResponseOk, false)
+    XCTAssertNil(status.lifecycleResponseJson)
+    XCTAssertEqual(status.lifecycleErrorCode, "IOS_AX_SNAPSHOT_FAILED")
+    XCTAssertEqual(
+      status.lifecycleErrorMessage,
+      "iOS XCTest snapshot failed while serializing the accessibility tree."
+    )
+    XCTAssertEqual(status.lifecycleErrorHint, hint)
+  }
+
+  private func runnerJournalCommand(_ command: String, id: String) -> Command {
+    let json = #"{"command":"\#(command)","commandId":"\#(id)"}"#
+    return try! JSONDecoder().decode(Command.self, from: Data(json.utf8))
+  }
+
+  private func runnerJournalNode() -> SnapshotNode {
+    SnapshotNode(
+      index: 0,
+      type: "button",
+      label: "Continue",
+      identifier: "continue",
+      value: nil,
+      rect: SnapshotRect(x: 10, y: 20, width: 100, height: 44),
+      enabled: true,
+      focused: nil,
+      selected: nil,
+      hittable: true,
+      depth: 0,
+      parentIndex: nil,
+      hiddenContentAbove: nil,
+      hiddenContentBelow: nil
+    )
+  }
+
+  private func decodeRunnerJournalResponse(_ responseJson: String?) throws -> Response {
+    let responseJson = try XCTUnwrap(responseJson)
+    return try JSONDecoder().decode(Response.self, from: Data(responseJson.utf8))
+  }
 }