diff --git a/daemon/libvirtd.c b/daemon/libvirtd.c
index 7e5d7af69e..589b32192e 100644
--- a/daemon/libvirtd.c
+++ b/daemon/libvirtd.c
@@ -615,19 +615,15 @@ daemonSetupLogging(struct daemonConfig *config,
      * Libvirtd's order of precedence is:
      * cmdline > environment > config
      *
-     * The default output is applied only if there was no setting from either
-     * the config or the environment. Because we don't have a way to determine
-     * if the log level has been set, we must process variables in the opposite
+     * Given the precedence, we must process the variables in the opposite
      * order, each one overriding the previous.
      */
     if (config->log_level != 0)
         virLogSetDefaultPriority(config->log_level);
 
-    if (virLogSetDefaultOutput("libvirtd.log", godaemon, privileged) < 0)
-        return -1;
-
-    /* In case the config is empty, the filters become empty and outputs will
-     * be set to default
+    /* In case the config is empty, both filters and outputs will become empty,
+     * however we can't start with empty outputs, thus we'll need to define and
+     * setup a default one.
      */
     ignore_value(virLogSetFilters(config->log_filters));
     ignore_value(virLogSetOutputs(config->log_outputs));
@@ -641,6 +637,15 @@ daemonSetupLogging(struct daemonConfig *config,
     if ((verbose) && (virLogGetDefaultPriority() > VIR_LOG_INFO))
         virLogSetDefaultPriority(VIR_LOG_INFO);
 
+    /* Define the default output. This is only applied if there was no setting
+     * from either the config or the environment.
+     */
+    if (virLogSetDefaultOutput("libvirtd.log", godaemon, privileged) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    if (virLogGetNbOutputs() == 0)
+        virLogSetOutputs(virLogGetDefaultOutput());
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/locking/lock_daemon.c b/src/locking/lock_daemon.c
index 12485e9662..6fbbf4b3d1 100644
--- a/src/locking/lock_daemon.c
+++ b/src/locking/lock_daemon.c
@@ -460,19 +460,15 @@ virLockDaemonSetupLogging(virLockDaemonConfigPtr config,
      * Libvirtd's order of precedence is:
      * cmdline > environment > config
      *
-     * The default output is applied only if there was no setting from either
-     * the config or the environment. Because we don't have a way to determine
-     * if the log level has been set, we must process variables in the opposite
+     * Given the precedence, we must process the variables in the opposite
      * order, each one overriding the previous.
      */
     if (config->log_level != 0)
         virLogSetDefaultPriority(config->log_level);
 
-    if (virLogSetDefaultOutput("virtlockd.log", godaemon, privileged) < 0)
-        return -1;
-
-    /* In case the config is empty, the filters become empty and outputs will
-     * be set to default
+    /* In case the config is empty, both filters and outputs will become empty,
+     * however we can't start with empty outputs, thus we'll need to define and
+     * setup a default one.
      */
     ignore_value(virLogSetFilters(config->log_filters));
     ignore_value(virLogSetOutputs(config->log_outputs));
@@ -486,6 +482,15 @@ virLockDaemonSetupLogging(virLockDaemonConfigPtr config,
     if ((verbose) && (virLogGetDefaultPriority() > VIR_LOG_INFO))
         virLogSetDefaultPriority(VIR_LOG_INFO);
 
+    /* Define the default output. This is only applied if there was no setting
+     * from either the config or the environment.
+     */
+    if (virLogSetDefaultOutput("virtlockd.log", godaemon, privileged) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    if (virLogGetNbOutputs() == 0)
+        virLogSetOutputs(virLogGetDefaultOutput());
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/logging/log_daemon.c b/src/logging/log_daemon.c
index d878efa63d..5a136c59d1 100644
--- a/src/logging/log_daemon.c
+++ b/src/logging/log_daemon.c
@@ -388,19 +388,15 @@ virLogDaemonSetupLogging(virLogDaemonConfigPtr config,
      * Libvirtd's order of precedence is:
      * cmdline > environment > config
      *
-     * The default output is applied only if there was no setting from either
-     * the config or the environment. Because we don't have a way to determine
-     * if the log level has been set, we must process variables in the opposite
+     * Given the precedence, we must process the variables in the opposite
      * order, each one overriding the previous.
      */
     if (config->log_level != 0)
         virLogSetDefaultPriority(config->log_level);
 
-    if (virLogSetDefaultOutput("virtlogd.log", godaemon, privileged) < 0)
-        return -1;
-
-    /* In case the config is empty, the filters become empty and outputs will
-     * be set to default
+    /* In case the config is empty, both filters and outputs will become empty,
+     * however we can't start with empty outputs, thus we'll need to define and
+     * setup a default one.
      */
     ignore_value(virLogSetFilters(config->log_filters));
     ignore_value(virLogSetOutputs(config->log_outputs));
@@ -414,6 +410,15 @@ virLogDaemonSetupLogging(virLogDaemonConfigPtr config,
     if ((verbose) && (virLogGetDefaultPriority() > VIR_LOG_INFO))
         virLogSetDefaultPriority(VIR_LOG_INFO);
 
+    /* Define the default output. This is only applied if there was no setting
+     * from either the config or the environment.
+     */
+    if (virLogSetDefaultOutput("virtlogd.log", godaemon, privileged) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    if (virLogGetNbOutputs() == 0)
+        virLogSetOutputs(virLogGetDefaultOutput());
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util/virlog.c b/src/util/virlog.c
index 2228cf645a..d45a451a75 100644
--- a/src/util/virlog.c
+++ b/src/util/virlog.c
@@ -1840,6 +1840,13 @@ virLogSetOutputs(const char *src)
     if (src && *src)
         outputstr = src;
 
+    /* This can only happen during daemon init when the default output is not
+     * determined yet. It's safe to do, since it's the only place setting the
+     * default output.
+     */
+    if (!outputstr)
+        return 0;
+
     if ((noutputs = virLogParseOutputs(outputstr, &outputs)) < 0)
         goto cleanup;