diff --git a/internal/cmd/cli_test.go b/internal/cmd/cli_test.go
index d1c639dc..7823d7e3 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/cli_test.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/cli_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,21 @@ import (
 	"cdr.dev/coder-cli/pkg/clog"
 )
 
+var (
+	shouldSkipAuthedTests bool = false
+)
+
+func isCI() bool {
+	_, ok := os.LookupEnv("CI")
+	return ok
+}
+
+func skipIfNoAuth(t *testing.T) {
+	if shouldSkipAuthedTests {
+		t.Skip("no authentication provided and not in CI, skipping")
+	}
+}
+
 func init() {
 	tmpDir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "coder-cli-config-dir")
 	if err != nil {
@@ -35,7 +50,11 @@ func init() {
 	password := os.Getenv("CODER_PASSWORD")
 	rawURL := os.Getenv("CODER_URL")
 	if email == "" || password == "" || rawURL == "" {
-		panic("CODER_EMAIL, CODER_PASSWORD, and CODER_URL are required environment variables")
+		if isCI() {
+			panic("when run in CI, CODER_EMAIL, CODER_PASSWORD, and CODER_URL are required environment variables")
+		}
+		shouldSkipAuthedTests = true
+		return
 	}
 	u, err := url.Parse(rawURL)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/cmd/envs_test.go b/internal/cmd/envs_test.go
index c7cc6451..ec672b20 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/envs_test.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/envs_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func Test_envs_ls(t *testing.T) {
+	skipIfNoAuth(t)
 	res := execute(t, nil, "envs", "ls")
 	res.success(t)
 
diff --git a/internal/cmd/providers_test.go b/internal/cmd/providers_test.go
index 14900759..685e129b 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/providers_test.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/providers_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func Test_providers_ls(t *testing.T) {
+	skipIfNoAuth(t)
 	res := execute(t, nil, "providers", "ls")
 	res.success(t)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/clog/clog_test.go b/pkg/clog/clog_test.go
index 4c75a3e5..51eab07e 100644
--- a/pkg/clog/clog_test.go
+++ b/pkg/clog/clog_test.go
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 package clog
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
-	"os"
 	"testing"
 
 	"cdr.dev/slog/sloggers/slogtest/assert"
@@ -16,16 +16,13 @@ func TestError(t *testing.T) {
 		mockErr = xerrors.Errorf("wrap 1: %w", mockErr)
 		mockErr = fmt.Errorf("wrap 2: %w", mockErr)
 
-		reader, writer, err := os.Pipe()
-		assert.Success(t, "create pipe", err)
-
-		//! clearly not thread safe
-		SetOutput(writer)
+		var buf bytes.Buffer
+		//! clearly not concurrent safe
+		SetOutput(&buf)
 
 		Log(mockErr)
-		writer.Close()
 
-		output, err := ioutil.ReadAll(reader)
+		output, err := ioutil.ReadAll(&buf)
 		assert.Success(t, "read all stderr output", err)
 
 		assert.Equal(t, "output is as expected", "error: fake error\n\n", string(output))
@@ -35,36 +32,48 @@ func TestError(t *testing.T) {
 		mockErr := xerrors.Errorf("base error")
 		mockErr = fmt.Errorf("wrap 1: %w", mockErr)
 
-		reader, writer, err := os.Pipe()
-		assert.Success(t, "create pipe", err)
-
-		//! clearly not thread safe
-		SetOutput(writer)
+		var buf bytes.Buffer
+		//! clearly not concurrent safe
+		SetOutput(&buf)
 
 		Log(mockErr)
-		writer.Close()
 
-		output, err := ioutil.ReadAll(reader)
+		output, err := ioutil.ReadAll(&buf)
 		assert.Success(t, "read all stderr output", err)
 
 		assert.Equal(t, "output is as expected", "fatal: wrap 1: base error\n\n", string(output))
 	})
 
+	t.Run("message", func(t *testing.T) {
+		for _, f := range []struct {
+			f     func(string, ...string)
+			level string
+		}{{LogInfo, "info"}, {LogSuccess, "success"}, {LogWarn, "warning"}} {
+			var buf bytes.Buffer
+			//! clearly not concurrent safe
+			SetOutput(&buf)
+
+			f.f("testing", Hintf("maybe do %q", "this"), BlankLine, Causef("what happened was %q", "this"))
+
+			output, err := ioutil.ReadAll(&buf)
+			assert.Success(t, "read all stderr output", err)
+
+			assert.Equal(t, "output is as expected", f.level+": testing\n  | hint: maybe do \"this\"\n  | \n  | cause: what happened was \"this\"\n", string(output))
+		}
+	})
+
 	t.Run("multi-line", func(t *testing.T) {
 		var mockErr error = Error("fake header", "next line", BlankLine, Tipf("content of fake tip"))
 		mockErr = xerrors.Errorf("wrap 1: %w", mockErr)
 		mockErr = fmt.Errorf("wrap 1: %w", mockErr)
 
-		reader, writer, err := os.Pipe()
-		assert.Success(t, "create pipe", err)
-
-		//! clearly not thread safe
-		SetOutput(writer)
+		var buf bytes.Buffer
+		//! clearly not concurrent safe
+		SetOutput(&buf)
 
 		Log(mockErr)
-		writer.Close()
 
-		output, err := ioutil.ReadAll(reader)
+		output, err := ioutil.ReadAll(&buf)
 		assert.Success(t, "read all stderr output", err)
 
 		assert.Equal(t,