diff --git a/cmd/server.go b/cmd/server.go
index 3e43869c5..2cd2aa5a1 100644
--- a/cmd/server.go
+++ b/cmd/server.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"log"
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
 	"runtime/pprof"
@@ -44,7 +45,12 @@ It will load existing data from the configured
 directory, and start listening client connections
 on the configured port.`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			fmt.Fprintf(Server.Stderr, "Pilosa %s, build time %s\n", pilosa.Version, pilosa.BuildTime)
+			logOutput, err := server.GetLogWriter(Server.Config.LogPath, stderr)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			logger := log.New(logOutput, "", log.LstdFlags)
+			logger.Printf("Pilosa %s, build time %s\n", pilosa.Version, pilosa.BuildTime)
 
 			// Start CPU profiling.
 			if Server.CPUProfile != "" {
@@ -73,7 +79,7 @@ on the configured port.`,
 			signal.Notify(c, os.Interrupt)
 			select {
 			case sig := <-c:
-				fmt.Fprintf(Server.Stderr, "Received %s; gracefully shutting down...\n", sig.String())
+				logger.Printf("Received %s; gracefully shutting down...\n", sig.String())
 
 				// Second signal causes a hard shutdown.
 				go func() { <-c; os.Exit(1) }()
@@ -82,7 +88,7 @@ on the configured port.`,
 					return err
 				}
 			case <-Server.Done:
-				fmt.Fprintf(Server.Stderr, "Server closed externally")
+				logger.Printf("Server closed externally")
 			}
 			return nil
 		},
diff --git a/fragment.go b/fragment.go
index 4758f18e8..278a23bcf 100644
--- a/fragment.go
+++ b/fragment.go
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ func (f *Fragment) openCache() error {
 	// Unmarshal cache data.
 	var pb internal.Cache
 	if err := proto.Unmarshal(buf, &pb); err != nil {
-		log.Printf("error unmarshaling cache data, skipping: path=%s, err=%s", path, err)
+		f.logger().Printf("error unmarshaling cache data, skipping: path=%s, err=%s", path, err)
 		return nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/gossip/gossip.go b/gossip/gossip.go
index 1b15522a7..92ec94c97 100644
--- a/gossip/gossip.go
+++ b/gossip/gossip.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"log"
-	"os"
 
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
 
@@ -98,9 +97,9 @@ type gossipConfig struct {
 }
 
 // NewGossipNodeSet returns a new instance of GossipNodeSet.
-func NewGossipNodeSet(name string, gossipHost string, gossipPort int, gossipSeed string, sh pilosa.StatusHandler) *GossipNodeSet {
+func NewGossipNodeSet(name string, gossipHost string, gossipPort int, gossipSeed string, server *pilosa.Server) *GossipNodeSet {
 	g := &GossipNodeSet{
-		LogOutput: os.Stderr,
+		LogOutput: server.LogOutput,
 	}
 
 	//TODO: pull memberlist config from pilosa.cfg file
@@ -115,7 +114,7 @@ func NewGossipNodeSet(name string, gossipHost string, gossipPort int, gossipSeed
 	g.config.memberlistConfig.AdvertisePort = gossipPort
 	g.config.memberlistConfig.Delegate = g
 
-	g.statusHandler = sh
+	g.statusHandler = server
 
 	return g
 }
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 37fadedd5..1f09119e1 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ func (s *Server) Open() error {
 	}
 
 	// Open holder.
+	s.Holder.LogOutput = s.LogOutput
 	if err := s.Holder.Open(); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("opening Holder: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -159,7 +160,6 @@ func (s *Server) Open() error {
 
 	// Initialize Holder.
 	s.Holder.Broadcaster = s.Broadcaster
-	s.Holder.LogOutput = s.LogOutput
 
 	// Serve HTTP.
 	go func() { http.Serve(ln, s.Handler) }()
@@ -197,14 +197,14 @@ func (s *Server) Addr() net.Addr {
 	return s.ln.Addr()
 }
 
-func (s *Server) logger() *log.Logger { return log.New(s.LogOutput, "", log.LstdFlags) }
+func (s *Server) Logger() *log.Logger { return log.New(s.LogOutput, "", log.LstdFlags) }
 
 func (s *Server) monitorAntiEntropy() {
 	t := time.Now()
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(s.AntiEntropyInterval)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
 
-	s.logger().Printf("holder sync monitor initializing (%s interval)", s.AntiEntropyInterval)
+	s.Logger().Printf("holder sync monitor initializing (%s interval)", s.AntiEntropyInterval)
 
 	for {
 		// Wait for tick or a close.
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ func (s *Server) monitorAntiEntropy() {
 			s.Holder.Stats.Count("AntiEntropy", 1, 1.0)
 		}
 
-		s.logger().Printf("holder sync beginning")
+		s.Logger().Printf("holder sync beginning")
 
 		// Initialize syncer with local holder and remote client.
 		var syncer HolderSyncer
@@ -226,12 +226,12 @@ func (s *Server) monitorAntiEntropy() {
 
 		// Sync holders.
 		if err := syncer.SyncHolder(); err != nil {
-			s.logger().Printf("holder sync error: err=%s", err)
+			s.Logger().Printf("holder sync error: err=%s", err)
 			continue
 		}
 
 		// Record successful sync in log.
-		s.logger().Printf("holder sync complete")
+		s.Logger().Printf("holder sync complete")
 	}
 	dif := time.Since(t)
 	s.Holder.Stats.Histogram("AntiEntropyDuration", float64(dif), 1.0)
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ func (s *Server) monitorMaxSlices() {
 							localIndex.SetRemoteMaxSlice(newmax)
 						}
 					} else {
-						s.logger().Printf("Local Index not found: %s", index)
+						s.Logger().Printf("Local Index not found: %s", index)
 					}
 				}
 			}
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ func (s *Server) monitorRuntime() {
 	gcn := gcnotifier.New()
 	defer gcn.Close()
 
-	s.logger().Printf("runtime stats initializing (%s interval)", s.MetricInterval)
+	s.Logger().Printf("runtime stats initializing (%s interval)", s.MetricInterval)
 
 	for {
 		// Wait for tick or a close.
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index 7738f513c..f66b88870 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -100,7 +100,8 @@ func (m *Command) Run(args ...string) (err error) {
 	if err = m.Server.Open(); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("server.Open: %v", err)
 	}
-	fmt.Fprintf(m.Stderr, "Listening as http://%s\n", m.Server.Host)
+
+	m.Server.Logger().Printf("Listening as http://%s\n", m.Server.Host)
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -122,18 +123,13 @@ func (m *Command) SetupServer() error {
 	m.Server.Cluster = cluster
 
 	// Setup logging output.
-	if m.Config.LogPath == "" {
-		m.Server.LogOutput = m.Stderr
-	} else {
-		logFile, err := os.OpenFile(m.Config.LogPath, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_APPEND, 0600)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		m.Server.LogOutput = logFile
+	m.Server.LogOutput, err = GetLogWriter(m.Config.LogPath, m.Stderr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// Configure holder.
-	fmt.Fprintf(m.Stderr, "Using data from: %s\n", m.Config.DataDir)
+	m.Server.Logger().Printf("Using data from: %s\n", m.Config.DataDir)
 	m.Server.Holder.Path = m.Config.DataDir
 	m.Server.MetricInterval = time.Duration(m.Config.Metric.PollingInterval)
 	m.Server.Holder.Stats, err = NewStatsClient(m.Config.Metric.Service, m.Config.Metric.Host)
@@ -160,7 +156,7 @@ func (m *Command) SetupServer() error {
 	switch m.Config.Cluster.Type {
 	case "http":
 		m.Server.Broadcaster = httpbroadcast.NewHTTPBroadcaster(m.Server, internalPortStr)
-		m.Server.BroadcastReceiver = httpbroadcast.NewHTTPBroadcastReceiver(internalPortStr, m.Stderr)
+		m.Server.BroadcastReceiver = httpbroadcast.NewHTTPBroadcastReceiver(internalPortStr, m.Server.LogOutput)
 		m.Server.Cluster.NodeSet = httpbroadcast.NewHTTPNodeSet()
 		err := m.Server.Cluster.NodeSet.(*httpbroadcast.HTTPNodeSet).Join(m.Server.Cluster.Nodes)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -202,6 +198,20 @@ func (m *Command) SetupServer() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// GetLogWriter opens a file for logging, or a default io.Writer (such as stderr) for an empty path.
+func GetLogWriter(path string, defaultWriter io.Writer) (io.Writer, error) {
+	// This is split out so it can be used in NewServeCmd as well as SetupServer
+	if path == "" {
+		return defaultWriter, nil
+	} else {
+		logFile, err := os.OpenFile(path, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_APPEND, 0600)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		return logFile, nil
+	}
+}
+
 func normalizeHost(host string) (string, error) {
 	if !strings.Contains(host, ":") {
 		host = host + ":"