gnome-terminal supports the --utmp/--noutmp and --wtmp/--nowtmp command-line switches, but it's not possible to make utmp/wtmp logging either on or off by default. (Given the current code it's on by default). It's easy to change with a quick source hack, but it'd be nice to be able to change the default in the config files. [ It does actually support do_utmp/do_wtmp in config files, but only for saved sessions. And in fact this appears not to work anyway - if I start gnome-terminal --noutmp, save the session, log out, and log back in again, the restored terminal *does* still register itself in utmp. ]
I filed this request upstream: http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=57027 Closing WONTFIX only with respect to Red Hat, may be added upstream.