diff --git a/client.c b/client.c
index 4ebcf2ad..1a318d3f 100644
--- a/client.c
+++ b/client.c
@@ -209,15 +209,15 @@ client_main(int argc, char **argv, int flags)
 	if (shell_cmd == NULL && environ_path != NULL &&
 	    (cmdflags & CMD_CANTNEST) &&
 	    strcmp(socket_path, environ_path) == 0) {
-		log_warnx("sessions should be nested with care. "
-		    "unset $TMUX to force.");
+		fprintf(stderr, "sessions should be nested with care, "
+		    "unset $TMUX to force\n");
 		return (1);
 	}
 
 	/* Initialise the client socket and start the server. */
 	fd = client_connect(socket_path, cmdflags & CMD_STARTSERVER);
 	if (fd == -1) {
-		log_warn("failed to connect to server");
+		fprintf(stderr, "failed to connect to server\n");
 		return (1);
 	}
 
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ client_main(int argc, char **argv, int flags)
 		cmddata.argc = argc;
 		if (cmd_pack_argv(
 		    argc, argv, cmddata.argv, sizeof cmddata.argv) != 0) {
-			log_warnx("command too long");
+			fprintf(stderr, "command too long\n");
 			return (1);
 		}
 
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ client_dispatch_attached(void)
 			return (0);
 		datalen = imsg.hdr.len - IMSG_HEADER_SIZE;
 
-		log_debug("client got %d", imsg.hdr.type);
+		log_debug("got %d from server", imsg.hdr.type);
 		switch (imsg.hdr.type) {
 		case MSG_DETACHKILL:
 		case MSG_DETACH:
diff --git a/log.c b/log.c
index 184f9597..dbae1972 100644
--- a/log.c
+++ b/log.c
@@ -27,20 +27,14 @@
 
 #include "tmux.h"
 
-/* Logging type. */
-#define LOG_TYPE_OFF 0
-#define LOG_TYPE_TTY 1
-#define LOG_TYPE_FILE 2
-int	log_type = LOG_TYPE_OFF;
-
 /* Log file, if needed. */
-FILE   *log_file;
+FILE		*log_file = stderr;
 
 /* Debug level. */
-int	log_level;
+int		 log_level = 0;
 
 void		 log_event_cb(int, const char *);
-void		 log_vwrite(int, const char *, va_list);
+void		 log_vwrite(const char *, va_list);
 __dead void	 log_vfatal(const char *, va_list);
 
 /* Log callback for libevent. */
@@ -50,29 +44,13 @@ log_event_cb(unused int severity, const char *msg)
 	log_warnx("%s", msg);
 }
 
-/* Open logging to tty. */
-void
-log_open_tty(int level)
-{
-	log_type = LOG_TYPE_TTY;
-	log_level = level;
-
-	setlinebuf(stderr);
-	setlinebuf(stdout);
-	event_set_log_callback(log_event_cb);
-
-	tzset();
-}
-
 /* Open logging to file. */
 void
-log_open_file(int level, const char *path)
+log_open(int level, const char *path)
 {
 	log_file = fopen(path, "w");
 	if (log_file == NULL)
 		return;
-
-	log_type = LOG_TYPE_FILE;
 	log_level = level;
 
 	setlinebuf(log_file);
@@ -85,37 +63,24 @@ log_open_file(int level, const char *path)
 void
 log_close(void)
 {
-	if (log_type == LOG_TYPE_FILE)
+	if (log_file != stderr)
 		fclose(log_file);
 
 	event_set_log_callback(NULL);
-
-	log_type = LOG_TYPE_OFF;
 }
 
 /* Write a log message. */
 void
-log_vwrite(int pri, const char *msg, va_list ap)
+log_vwrite(const char *msg, va_list ap)
 {
 	char	*fmt;
-	FILE	*f = log_file;
 
-	switch (log_type) {
-	case LOG_TYPE_TTY:
-		if (pri == LOG_INFO)
-			f = stdout;
-		else
-			f = stderr;
-		/* FALLTHROUGH */
-	case LOG_TYPE_FILE:
-		if (asprintf(&fmt, "%s\n", msg) == -1)
-			exit(1);
-		if (vfprintf(f, fmt, ap) == -1)
-			exit(1);
-		fflush(f);
-		free(fmt);
-		break;
-	}
+	if (asprintf(&fmt, "%s\n", msg) == -1)
+		exit(1);
+	if (vfprintf(log_file, fmt, ap) == -1)
+		exit(1);
+	fflush(log_file);
+	free(fmt);
 }
 
 /* Log a warning with error string. */
@@ -128,7 +93,7 @@ log_warn(const char *msg, ...)
 	va_start(ap, msg);
 	if (asprintf(&fmt, "%s: %s", msg, strerror(errno)) == -1)
 		exit(1);
-	log_vwrite(LOG_CRIT, fmt, ap);
+	log_vwrite(fmt, ap);
 	free(fmt);
 	va_end(ap);
 }
@@ -140,7 +105,7 @@ log_warnx(const char *msg, ...)
 	va_list	ap;
 
 	va_start(ap, msg);
-	log_vwrite(LOG_CRIT, msg, ap);
+	log_vwrite(msg, ap);
 	va_end(ap);
 }
 
@@ -152,7 +117,7 @@ log_info(const char *msg, ...)
 
 	if (log_level > -1) {
 		va_start(ap, msg);
-		log_vwrite(LOG_INFO, msg, ap);
+		log_vwrite(msg, ap);
 		va_end(ap);
 	}
 }
@@ -165,7 +130,7 @@ log_debug(const char *msg, ...)
 
 	if (log_level > 0) {
 		va_start(ap, msg);
-		log_vwrite(LOG_DEBUG, msg, ap);
+		log_vwrite(msg, ap);
 		va_end(ap);
 	}
 }
@@ -178,7 +143,7 @@ log_debug2(const char *msg, ...)
 
 	if (log_level > 1) {
 		va_start(ap, msg);
-		log_vwrite(LOG_DEBUG, msg, ap);
+		log_vwrite(msg, ap);
 		va_end(ap);
 	}
 }
@@ -192,11 +157,11 @@ log_vfatal(const char *msg, va_list ap)
 	if (errno != 0) {
 		if (asprintf(&fmt, "fatal: %s: %s", msg, strerror(errno)) == -1)
 			exit(1);
-		log_vwrite(LOG_CRIT, fmt, ap);
+		log_vwrite(fmt, ap);
 	} else {
 		if (asprintf(&fmt, "fatal: %s", msg) == -1)
 			exit(1);
-		log_vwrite(LOG_CRIT, fmt, ap);
+		log_vwrite(fmt, ap);
 	}
 	free(fmt);
 
diff --git a/tmux.c b/tmux.c
index 35d43909..468d37f7 100644
--- a/tmux.c
+++ b/tmux.c
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ logfile(const char *name)
 	log_close();
 	if (debug_level > 0) {
 		xasprintf(&path, "tmux-%s-%ld.log", name, (long) getpid());
-		log_open_file(debug_level, path);
+		log_open(debug_level, path);
 		xfree(path);
 	}
 }
@@ -294,8 +294,6 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (shell_cmd != NULL && argc != 0)
 		usage();
 
-	log_open_tty(debug_level);
-
 	if (!(flags & IDENTIFY_UTF8)) {
 		/*
 		 * If the user has set whichever of LC_ALL, LC_CTYPE or LANG
@@ -379,7 +377,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		/* -L or default set. */
 		if (label != NULL) {
 			if ((path = makesocketpath(label)) == NULL) {
-				log_warn("can't create socket");
+				fprintf(stderr, "can't create socket\n");
 				exit(1);
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 011c28c7..8da42144 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -2181,8 +2181,7 @@ char   *get_proc_name(int, char *);
 char   *get_proc_cwd(pid_t);
 
 /* log.c */
-void		 log_open_tty(int);
-void		 log_open_file(int, const char *);
+void		 log_open(int, const char *);
 void		 log_close(void);
 void printflike1 log_warn(const char *, ...);
 void printflike1 log_warnx(const char *, ...);