diff --git a/softmmu/vl.c b/softmmu/vl.c
index fe9de2f896..f679d48d74 100644
--- a/softmmu/vl.c
+++ b/softmmu/vl.c
@@ -2560,19 +2560,16 @@ static void qemu_process_early_options(void)
 #endif
 
     /* Open the logfile at this point and set the log mask if necessary.  */
-    if (log_file) {
-        qemu_set_log_filename(log_file, &error_fatal);
-    }
-    if (log_mask) {
-        int mask;
-        mask = qemu_str_to_log_mask(log_mask);
-        if (!mask) {
-            qemu_print_log_usage(stdout);
-            exit(1);
+    {
+        int mask = 0;
+        if (log_mask) {
+            mask = qemu_str_to_log_mask(log_mask);
+            if (!mask) {
+                qemu_print_log_usage(stdout);
+                exit(1);
+            }
         }
-        qemu_set_log(mask, &error_fatal);
-    } else {
-        qemu_set_log(0, &error_fatal);
+        qemu_set_log_filename_flags(log_file, mask, &error_fatal);
     }
 
     qemu_add_default_firmwarepath();