diff --git a/include/maxscale/config.h b/include/maxscale/config.h
index a91af3f61..ce1c6d381 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/config.h
+++ b/include/maxscale/config.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <time.h>
 
 #include <maxbase/jansson.h>
+#include <maxbase/log.h>
 #include <maxscale/modinfo.h>
 #include <maxscale/pcre2.h>
 #include <maxscale/query_classifier.h>
@@ -281,6 +282,7 @@ typedef struct
     char          peer_hosts[MAX_ADMIN_HOST_LEN];      /**< The protocol, address and port for peers (currently only one) */
     char          peer_user[MAX_ADMIN_HOST_LEN];       /**< Username for maxscale-to-maxscale traffic */
     char          peer_password[MAX_ADMIN_HOST_LEN];   /**< Password for maxscale-to-maxscale traffic */
+    mxb_log_target_t log_target;                       /**< Log type */
 } MXS_CONFIG;
 
 /**
diff --git a/server/core/config.cc b/server/core/config.cc
index 76eb3f00f..c04ad0e17 100644
--- a/server/core/config.cc
+++ b/server/core/config.cc
@@ -2653,6 +2653,7 @@ void config_set_global_defaults()
     gateway.peer_hosts[0] = '\0';
     gateway.peer_user[0] = '\0';
     gateway.peer_password[0] = '\0';
+    gateway.log_target = MXB_LOG_TARGET_DEFAULT;
 
     // Note: This is not a valid cache value: it is used to detect that the default value is used
     gateway.qc_cache_properties.max_size = -1;
diff --git a/server/core/gateway.cc b/server/core/gateway.cc
index be97d8b33..f14d9b7d8 100644
--- a/server/core/gateway.cc
+++ b/server/core/gateway.cc
@@ -707,6 +707,29 @@ retblock:
     return errstr;
 }
 
+static bool init_log()
+{
+    bool rval = false;
+    MXS_CONFIG* cnf = config_get_global_options();
+
+    if (!cnf->config_check && mkdir(get_logdir(), 0777) != 0 && errno != EEXIST)
+    {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Error: Cannot create log directory '%s': %d, %s\n",
+                default_logdir, errno, strerror(errno));
+
+    }
+    else if (mxs_log_init(NULL, get_logdir(), cnf->log_target))
+    {
+
+        mxs_log_set_syslog_enabled(cnf->syslog);
+        mxs_log_set_maxlog_enabled(cnf->maxlog);
+
+        atexit(mxs_log_finish);
+        rval = true;
+    }
+
+    return rval;
+}
 
 /**
  * @node Provides error printing for non-formatted error strings.
@@ -1333,7 +1356,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     int      *maxlog_enabled = &cnf->maxlog; /** Log with MaxScale */
     sigset_t sigpipe_mask;
     sigset_t saved_mask;
-    bool to_stdout = false;
     int numlocks = 0;
     bool pid_file_created = false;
     mxb::Worker* worker;
@@ -1426,17 +1448,17 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
         case 'l':
             if (strncasecmp(optarg, "file", PATH_MAX) == 0)
             {
-                to_stdout = false;
+                cnf->log_target = MXB_LOG_TARGET_FS;
             }
             else if (strncasecmp(optarg, "shm", PATH_MAX) == 0)
             {
                 // Removed in 2.3
-                to_stdout = false;
+                cnf->log_target = MXB_LOG_TARGET_FS;
                 fprintf(stderr, "Warning: Use of `--log=shm` is deprecated. Data will be logged to file.\n");
             }
             else if (strncasecmp(optarg, "stdout", PATH_MAX) == 0)
             {
-                to_stdout = true;
+                cnf->log_target = MXB_LOG_TARGET_STDOUT;
             }
             else
             {
@@ -1680,7 +1702,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     if (cnf->config_check)
     {
         daemon_mode = false;
-        to_stdout = true;
+        cnf->log_target = MXB_LOG_TARGET_STDOUT;
     }
 
     if (!daemon_mode)
@@ -1833,39 +1855,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
         goto return_main;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Init Log Manager for MaxScale.
-     */
+    if (!init_log())
     {
-        bool succp;
-
-        if (!cnf->config_check && mkdir(get_logdir(), 0777) != 0 && errno != EEXIST)
-        {
-            fprintf(stderr,
-                    "Error: Cannot create log directory: %s\n",
-                    default_logdir);
-            goto return_main;
-        }
-
-        mxs_log_target_t log_target = MXS_LOG_TARGET_FS;
-
-        if (to_stdout)
-        {
-            log_target = MXS_LOG_TARGET_STDOUT;
-        }
-
-        succp = mxs_log_init(NULL, get_logdir(), log_target);
-
-        if (!succp)
-        {
-            rc = MAXSCALE_BADCONFIG;
-            goto return_main;
-        }
-
-        mxs_log_set_syslog_enabled(*syslog_enabled);
-        mxs_log_set_maxlog_enabled(*maxlog_enabled);
-
-        atexit(mxs_log_finish);
+        rc = MAXSCALE_BADCONFIG;
+        goto return_main;
     }
 
     if (!config_load_global(cnf_file_path))