diff --git a/caddy.go b/caddy.go
index dd241ee4..33e62968 100644
--- a/caddy.go
+++ b/caddy.go
@@ -119,11 +119,12 @@ func run(newCfg *Config, start bool) error {
 	newCfg.cancelFunc = cancel // clean up later
 
 	// set up logging before anything bad happens
-	if newCfg.Logging != nil {
-		err := newCfg.Logging.openLogs(ctx)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+	if newCfg.Logging == nil {
+		newCfg.Logging = new(Logging)
+	}
+	err = newCfg.Logging.openLogs(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// set up global storage and make it CertMagic's default storage, too
diff --git a/logging.go b/logging.go
index a70a7ea6..c29a0fa2 100644
--- a/logging.go
+++ b/logging.go
@@ -577,6 +577,7 @@ func newDefaultProductionLog() (*defaultCustomLog, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	encCfg := zap.NewProductionEncoderConfig()
+	encCfg.EncodeLevel = zapcore.CapitalColorLevelEncoder
 	cl.encoder = zapcore.NewConsoleEncoder(encCfg)
 	cl.levelEnabler = zapcore.InfoLevel