diff --git a/idp/pkg/command/root.go b/idp/pkg/command/root.go
index 1f78830a5d..e4cff0b260 100644
--- a/idp/pkg/command/root.go
+++ b/idp/pkg/command/root.go
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"os"
 
+	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/ocis-pkg/shared"
+
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/idp/pkg/config"
 	ociscfg "github.com/owncloud/ocis/ocis-pkg/config"
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/ocis-pkg/log"
@@ -82,7 +84,9 @@ type SutureService struct {
 
 // NewSutureService creates a new idp.SutureService
 func NewSutureService(cfg *ociscfg.Config) suture.Service {
-	cfg.IDP.Log = cfg.Log
+	if (cfg.Accounts.Log == shared.Log{}) {
+		cfg.Accounts.Log = cfg.Log
+	}
 	return SutureService{
 		cfg: cfg.IDP,
 	}
diff --git a/idp/pkg/command/server.go b/idp/pkg/command/server.go
index 1036f6d6ad..cb56afc2f5 100644
--- a/idp/pkg/command/server.go
+++ b/idp/pkg/command/server.go
@@ -4,12 +4,15 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"strings"
 
+	gofig "github.com/gookit/config/v2"
 	"github.com/oklog/run"
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/idp/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/idp/pkg/metrics"
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/idp/pkg/server/debug"
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/idp/pkg/server/http"
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/idp/pkg/tracing"
+	ociscfg "github.com/owncloud/ocis/ocis-pkg/config"
+	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/ocis-pkg/shared"
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/ocis-pkg/sync"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
 )
@@ -20,6 +23,9 @@ func Server(cfg *config.Config) *cli.Command {
 		Name:  "server",
 		Usage: "Start integrated server",
 		Before: func(ctx *cli.Context) error {
+			// remember shared logging info to prevent empty overwrites
+			inLog := cfg.Log
+
 			if cfg.HTTP.Root != "/" {
 				cfg.HTTP.Root = strings.TrimSuffix(cfg.HTTP.Root, "/")
 			}
@@ -36,7 +42,24 @@ func Server(cfg *config.Config) *cli.Command {
 			//	cfg.IDP.SigningPrivateKeyFiles = ctx.StringSlice("signing-private-key")
 			//}
 
-			return ParseConfig(ctx, cfg)
+			if err := ParseConfig(ctx, cfg); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
+			if (cfg.Log == shared.Log{}) && (inLog != shared.Log{}) {
+				// set the default to the parent config
+				cfg.Log = inLog
+
+				// and parse the environment
+				conf := &gofig.Config{}
+				conf.LoadOSEnv(config.GetEnv(), false)
+				bindings := config.StructMappings(cfg)
+				if err := ociscfg.BindEnv(conf, bindings); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+			}
+
+			return nil
 		},
 		Action: func(c *cli.Context) error {
 			logger := NewLogger(cfg)
diff --git a/ocis/pkg/command/idp.go b/ocis/pkg/command/idp.go
index 9ee679aad2..01f12c210f 100644
--- a/ocis/pkg/command/idp.go
+++ b/ocis/pkg/command/idp.go
@@ -3,12 +3,15 @@ package command
 import (
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/idp/pkg/command"
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/ocis-pkg/config"
+	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/ocis-pkg/shared"
 	"github.com/owncloud/ocis/ocis/pkg/register"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
 )
 
 // IDPCommand is the entrypoint for the idp command.
 func IDPCommand(cfg *config.Config) *cli.Command {
+	var globalLog shared.Log
+
 	return &cli.Command{
 		Name:     "idp",
 		Usage:    "Start idp server",
@@ -17,11 +20,21 @@ func IDPCommand(cfg *config.Config) *cli.Command {
 			command.PrintVersion(cfg.IDP),
 		},
 		Before: func(ctx *cli.Context) error {
-			return ParseConfig(ctx, cfg)
+			if err := ParseConfig(ctx, cfg); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
+			globalLog = cfg.Log
+
+			return nil
 		},
 		Action: func(c *cli.Context) error {
+			// if idp logging is empty in ocis.yaml
+			if (cfg.IDP.Log == shared.Log{}) && (globalLog != shared.Log{}) {
+				// we can safely inherit the global logging values.
+				cfg.IDP.Log = globalLog
+			}
 			idpCommand := command.Server(cfg.IDP)
-
 			if err := idpCommand.Before(c); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}