diff --git a/scripts/run_celery.sh b/scripts/run_celery.sh
index ad8635791b..361c4e8887 100755
--- a/scripts/run_celery.sh
+++ b/scripts/run_celery.sh
@@ -2,27 +2,21 @@
 
 # runs celery with all celery queues except the throtted sms queue
 
-init()
-{
-    # Wait for cwagent to become available.
+set -e
 
+# Check and see if this is running in K8s and if so, wait for cloudwatch agent
+if [[ -z "${STATSD_HOST}" ]]; then
+    echo "Initializing... Waiting for CWAgent to become ready."
     while :
     do
         if  nc -vz $STATSD_HOST 25888; then
-            echo "CWAgent is Ready."
+            echo "CWAgent is Ready." > /dev/stderr
             break;
         else
-            echo "Waiting for CWAgent to become ready."
+            echo "Waiting for CWAgent to become ready." > /dev/stderr
             sleep 1
         fi
     done
-}
-
-set -e
-
-# Check and see if this is running in K8s and if so, wait for cloudwatch agent
-if [[ -z "${STATSD_HOST}" ]]; then
-    init
 fi
 
 echo "Start celery, concurrency: ${CELERY_CONCURRENCY-4}"
diff --git a/scripts/run_celery_no_sms_sending.sh b/scripts/run_celery_no_sms_sending.sh
index f0669c7d39..695bbb74f7 100755
--- a/scripts/run_celery_no_sms_sending.sh
+++ b/scripts/run_celery_no_sms_sending.sh
@@ -2,28 +2,23 @@
 
 # runs celery with only the throttled sms sending queue
 
-init()
-{
-     # Wait for cwagent to become available.   
+# runs celery with all celery queues except send-throttled-sms-tasks, send-sms-tasks, send-sms-high, send-sms-medium, or send-sms-low
+
+set -e
+
+# Check and see if this is running in K8s and if so, wait for cloudwatch agent
+if [[ -z "${STATSD_HOST}" ]]; then
+    echo "Initializing... Waiting for CWAgent to become ready."
     while :
     do
         if  nc -vz $STATSD_HOST 25888; then
-            echo "CWAgent is Ready."
+            echo "CWAgent is Ready." > /dev/stderr
             break;
         else
-            echo "Waiting for CWAgent to become ready."
+            echo "Waiting for CWAgent to become ready." > /dev/stderr
             sleep 1
         fi
     done
-}
-
-# runs celery with all celery queues except send-throttled-sms-tasks, send-sms-tasks, send-sms-high, send-sms-medium, or send-sms-low
-
-set -e
-
-# Check and see if this is running in K8s and if so, wait for cloudwatch agent
-if [[ -z "${STATSD_HOST}" ]]; then
-    init
 fi
 
 echo "Start celery, concurrency: ${CELERY_CONCURRENCY-4}"
diff --git a/scripts/run_celery_send_sms.sh b/scripts/run_celery_send_sms.sh
index e6c32a5d75..ce7d888fab 100755
--- a/scripts/run_celery_send_sms.sh
+++ b/scripts/run_celery_send_sms.sh
@@ -1,26 +1,20 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
 # runs celery with only the send-sms-* queues
+set -e
 
-init()
-{
-     # Wait for cwagent to become available.   
+if [[ -z "${STATSD_HOST}" ]]; then
+    echo "Initializing... Waiting for CWAgent to become ready."
     while :
     do
         if  nc -vz $STATSD_HOST 25888; then
-            echo "CWAgent is Ready."
+            echo "CWAgent is Ready." > /dev/stderr
             break;
         else
-            echo "Waiting for CWAgent to become ready."
+            echo "Waiting for CWAgent to become ready." > /dev/stderr
             sleep 1
         fi
     done
-}
-
-set -e
-
-if [[ -z "${STATSD_HOST}" ]]; then
-    init
 fi
 
 echo "Start celery, concurrency: ${CELERY_CONCURRENCY-4}"
diff --git a/scripts/run_celery_sms.sh b/scripts/run_celery_sms.sh
index 583fab7127..970796d751 100755
--- a/scripts/run_celery_sms.sh
+++ b/scripts/run_celery_sms.sh
@@ -2,26 +2,20 @@
 
 # runs celery with only the throttled sms sending queue
 
-init()
-{
-     # Wait for cwagent to become available.   
+set -e
+
+if [[ -z "${STATSD_HOST}" ]]; then
+    echo "Initializing... Waiting for CWAgent to become ready."
     while :
     do
         if  nc -vz $STATSD_HOST 25888; then
-            echo "CWAgent is Ready."
+            echo "CWAgent is Ready." > /dev/stderr
             break;
         else
-            echo "Waiting for CWAgent to become ready."
+            echo "Waiting for CWAgent to become ready." > /dev/stderr
             sleep 1
         fi
     done
-}
-
-set -e
-
-# Check and see if this is running in K8s and if so, wait for cloudwatch agent
-if [[ -z "${STATSD_HOST}" ]]; then
-    init
 fi
 
 celery -A run_celery.notify_celery worker --loglevel=INFO --concurrency=1 -Q send-throttled-sms-tasks