diff --git a/src/libstore/daemon.cc b/src/libstore/daemon.cc
index 1013b23a3..32c8f4d2d 100644
--- a/src/libstore/daemon.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/daemon.cc
@@ -1050,17 +1050,7 @@ void processConnection(
     if (!recursive) {
         prevLogger_ = std::move(logger);
         logger = std::move(tunnelLogger_);
-
-        if (!loggerSettings.jsonLogPath.get().empty()) {
-            try {
-                std::vector<std::unique_ptr<Logger>> loggers;
-                loggers.push_back(std::move(logger));
-                loggers.push_back(makeJSONLogger(std::filesystem::path(loggerSettings.jsonLogPath.get()), false));
-                logger = makeTeeLogger(std::move(loggers));
-            } catch (...) {
-                ignoreExceptionExceptInterrupt();
-            }
-        }
+        applyJSONLogger();
     }
 
     unsigned int opCount = 0;
diff --git a/src/libutil/logging.cc b/src/libutil/logging.cc
index b4bca0b36..fd54cc580 100644
--- a/src/libutil/logging.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/logging.cc
@@ -341,6 +341,20 @@ std::unique_ptr<Logger> makeJSONLogger(const std::filesystem::path & path, bool
     return std::make_unique<JSONFileLogger>(std::move(fd), includeNixPrefix);
 }
 
+void applyJSONLogger()
+{
+    if (!loggerSettings.jsonLogPath.get().empty()) {
+        try {
+            std::vector<std::unique_ptr<Logger>> loggers;
+            loggers.push_back(std::move(logger));
+            loggers.push_back(makeJSONLogger(std::filesystem::path(loggerSettings.jsonLogPath.get()), false));
+            logger = makeTeeLogger(std::move(loggers));
+        } catch (...) {
+            ignoreExceptionExceptInterrupt();
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 static Logger::Fields getFields(nlohmann::json & json)
 {
     Logger::Fields fields;
diff --git a/src/libutil/logging.hh b/src/libutil/logging.hh
index 5b69f501c..290a49bb8 100644
--- a/src/libutil/logging.hh
+++ b/src/libutil/logging.hh
@@ -221,6 +221,8 @@ std::unique_ptr<Logger> makeJSONLogger(Descriptor fd, bool includeNixPrefix = tr
 
 std::unique_ptr<Logger> makeJSONLogger(const std::filesystem::path & path, bool includeNixPrefix = true);
 
+void applyJSONLogger();
+
 /**
  * @param source A noun phrase describing the source of the message, e.g. "the builder".
  */
diff --git a/src/nix/main.cc b/src/nix/main.cc
index f81a02ce6..a2dc371d4 100644
--- a/src/nix/main.cc
+++ b/src/nix/main.cc
@@ -487,16 +487,7 @@ void mainWrapped(int argc, char * * argv)
         if (!args.helpRequested && !args.completions) throw;
     }
 
-    if (!loggerSettings.jsonLogPath.get().empty()) {
-        try {
-            std::vector<std::unique_ptr<Logger>> loggers;
-            loggers.push_back(std::move(logger));
-            loggers.push_back(makeJSONLogger(std::filesystem::path(loggerSettings.jsonLogPath.get()), false));
-            logger = makeTeeLogger(std::move(loggers));
-        } catch (...) {
-            ignoreExceptionExceptInterrupt();
-        }
-    }
+    applyJSONLogger();
 
     if (args.helpRequested) {
         std::vector<std::string> subcommand;