diff --git a/fdroidserver/update.py b/fdroidserver/update.py
index 4e5aad9e..9df02e54 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/update.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/update.py
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ def disabled_algorithms_allowed():
             or common.default_config['allow_disabled_algorithms'])
 
 
-def status_update_json(apps, apks):
+def status_update_json(output, apps, apks):
     """Output a JSON file with metadata about this `fdroid update` run.
 
     Parameters
@@ -145,7 +145,6 @@ def status_update_json(apps, apks):
 
     """
     logging.debug(_('Outputting JSON'))
-    output = common.setup_status_output(start_timestamp)
     output['antiFeatures'] = dict()
     output['disabled'] = []
     output['archivePolicy0'] = []
@@ -2801,7 +2800,7 @@ def main():
         output_status_stage(status_output, 'make_binary_transparency_log')
         btlog.make_binary_transparency_log(repodirs)
 
-    status_update_json(apps, apks + archapks)
+    status_update_json(status_output, apps, apks + archapks)
 
     logging.info(_("Finished"))
 
diff --git a/tests/test_update.py b/tests/test_update.py
index dfe353b5..59dca6e1 100755
--- a/tests/test_update.py
+++ b/tests/test_update.py
@@ -1639,7 +1639,7 @@ class UpdateTest(unittest.TestCase):
         with mkdtemp() as tmpdir:
             os.chdir(tmpdir)
             with mock.patch('sys.argv', ['fdroid update', '']):
-                fdroidserver.update.status_update_json([], [])
+                fdroidserver.update.status_update_json({}, [], [])
                 with open('repo/status/update.json') as fp:
                     data = json.load(fp)
                 self.assertTrue('apksigner' in data)
@@ -1647,14 +1647,14 @@ class UpdateTest(unittest.TestCase):
                 fdroidserver.update.config = {
                     'apksigner': 'apksigner',
                 }
-                fdroidserver.update.status_update_json([], [])
+                fdroidserver.update.status_update_json({}, [], [])
                 with open('repo/status/update.json') as fp:
                     data = json.load(fp)
                 self.assertEqual(shutil.which(fdroidserver.update.config['apksigner']), data['apksigner'])
 
                 fdroidserver.update.config = {}
                 fdroidserver.common.fill_config_defaults(fdroidserver.update.config)
-                fdroidserver.update.status_update_json([], [])
+                fdroidserver.update.status_update_json({}, [], [])
                 with open('repo/status/update.json') as fp:
                     data = json.load(fp)
                 self.assertEqual(fdroidserver.update.config.get('apksigner'), data['apksigner'])