diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 69bb2f07..8376877a 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -752,7 +752,7 @@ reload_config(t_configuration_options *orig_options)
 	{
 		log_notice(_("restarting logging with changed parameters\n"));
 		logger_shutdown();
-		logger_init(orig_options, progname(), false);
+		logger_init(orig_options, progname());
 	}
 
 	if (config_changed == true)
diff --git a/log.c b/log.c
index a498e5f3..db40682b 100644
--- a/log.c
+++ b/log.c
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ int			log_level = LOG_NOTICE;
 int			last_log_level = LOG_NOTICE;
 int			verbose_logging = false;
 int			terse_logging = false;
+/*
+ * Global variable to be set by the main application to ensure any log output
+ * emitted before logger_init is called, is output in the correct format
+ */
+int			logger_output_mode = OM_DAEMON;
 
 extern void
 stderr_log_with_level(const char *level_name, int level, const char *fmt, ...)
@@ -62,9 +67,7 @@ stderr_log_with_level(const char *level_name, int level, const char *fmt, ...)
 static void
 _stderr_log_with_level(const char *level_name, int level, const char *fmt, va_list ap)
 {
-	time_t		t;
-	struct tm  *tm;
-	char		buff[100];
+	char		buf[100];
 
 	/*
 	 * Store the requested level so that if there's a subsequent
@@ -74,10 +77,21 @@ _stderr_log_with_level(const char *level_name, int level, const char *fmt, va_li
 
 	if (log_level >= level)
 	{
-		time(&t);
-		tm = localtime(&t);
-		strftime(buff, 100, "[%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S]", tm);
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s [%s] ", buff, level_name);
+
+		/* Format log line prefix with timestamp if in daemon mode */
+		if (logger_output_mode == OM_DAEMON)
+		{
+			time_t		t;
+			struct tm  *tm;
+			time(&t);
+			tm = localtime(&t);
+			strftime(buf, 100, "[%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S]", tm);
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s [%s] ", buf, level_name);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s: ", level_name);
+		}
 
 		vfprintf(stderr, fmt, ap);
 
@@ -142,7 +156,7 @@ log_verbose(int level, const char *fmt, ...)
 
 
 bool
-logger_init(t_configuration_options *opts, const char *ident, bool stderr_only)
+logger_init(t_configuration_options *opts, const char *ident)
 {
 	char	   *level = opts->loglevel;
 	char	   *facility = opts->logfacility;
@@ -180,7 +194,7 @@ logger_init(t_configuration_options *opts, const char *ident, bool stderr_only)
 	 * STDERR only logging requested - finish here without setting up any further
 	 * logging facility.
 	 */
-	if (stderr_only == true)
+	if (logger_output_mode == OM_COMMAND_LINE)
 		return true;
 
 	if (facility && *facility)
diff --git a/log.h b/log.h
index 23423869..f7cffcc7 100644
--- a/log.h
+++ b/log.h
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@
 #define REPMGR_SYSLOG 1
 #define REPMGR_STDERR 2
 
+#define OM_COMMAND_LINE 1
+#define OM_DAEMON       2
+
 extern void
 stderr_log_with_level(const char *level_name, int level, const char *fmt,...)
 __attribute__((format(PG_PRINTF_ATTRIBUTE, 3, 4)));
@@ -116,7 +119,7 @@ int			detect_log_level(const char *level);
 
 /* Logger initialisation and shutdown */
 
-bool		logger_init(t_configuration_options * opts, const char *ident, bool stderr_only);
+bool		logger_init(t_configuration_options * opts, const char *ident);
 
 bool		logger_shutdown(void);
 
@@ -132,5 +135,6 @@ extern int	log_type;
 extern int	log_level;
 extern int	verbose_logging;
 extern int	terse_logging;
+extern int	logger_output_mode;
 
 #endif /* _REPMGR_LOG_H_ */
diff --git a/repmgr.c b/repmgr.c
index 667129f7..5a94fde1 100644
--- a/repmgr.c
+++ b/repmgr.c
@@ -265,6 +265,13 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Tell the logger we're a command-line program - this will
+	 * ensure any output logged before the logger is initialized
+	 * will be formatted correctly
+	 */
+	logger_output_mode = OM_COMMAND_LINE;
+
 	initialize_conninfo_params(&source_conninfo, true);
 
 	/*
@@ -837,7 +844,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	 * which makes little sense for a command line program.
 	 */
 
-	logger_init(&options, progname(), true);
+	logger_init(&options, progname());
 
 	if (runtime_options.verbose)
 		logger_set_verbose();
diff --git a/repmgrd.c b/repmgrd.c
index f8beb50b..00236e72 100644
--- a/repmgrd.c
+++ b/repmgrd.c
@@ -207,6 +207,13 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 	}
 
+
+	/*
+	 * Tell the logger we're a daemon - this will ensure any output logged
+	 * before the logger is initialized will be formatted correctly
+	 */
+	logger_output_mode = OM_DAEMON;
+
 	/*
 	 * Parse the configuration file, if provided. If no configuration file
 	 * was provided, or one was but was incomplete, parse_config() will
@@ -246,7 +253,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 				strerror(errno));
 	}
 
-	logger_init(&local_options, progname(), false);
+	logger_init(&local_options, progname());
 
 	if (verbose)
 		logger_set_verbose();