diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3e4bbc7..f67820a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ with-connect -e MY_VAR=value -e ANOTHER_VAR=123 -- rsconnect deploy manifest .
 
 You can use this to override Connect server configuration by passing in `CONNECT_` prefixed variables, following https://docs.posit.co/connect/admin/appendix/configuration/#environment-variables.
 
+with-connect reads Connect's service log from the container's output to tell when Connect has started, so it sets `CONNECT_LOGGING_SERVICELOG=STDOUT` and `CONNECT_LOGGING_SERVICELOGLEVEL=INFO`. These take precedence over the `[Logging]` section of a `--config` file. To override them anyway, pass them with `-e`.
+
 If you need env vars that are useful for the command running after `--`, just set them in the environment from which you call `with-connect`: the command will inherit that environment.
 
 ### Start-Only Mode
diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index 22ffbd2..6c3cb9a 100644
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -228,6 +228,32 @@ def parse_image_spec(image: str) -> tuple[str, str, bool]:
         return (image, "latest", True)
 
 
+def build_container_env(bootstrap_secret: str, env_vars: list[str] | None) -> dict[str, str]:
+    """
+    Build the container environment: bootstrap and logging settings first,
+    then user-provided KEY=VALUE env vars, which override them.
+
+    with-connect detects startup by reading the container's stdout for
+    "Starting HTTP server on", an INFO-level service log message. A --config
+    file that sends the service log to a file or raises its level above INFO
+    would hide that message, so force both here. CONNECT_* env vars take
+    precedence over the config file.
+    """
+    container_env = {
+        # "CONNECT_TENSORFLOW_ENABLED": "false",
+        "CONNECT_BOOTSTRAP_ENABLED": "true",
+        "CONNECT_BOOTSTRAP_SECRETKEY": bootstrap_secret,
+        "CONNECT_LOGGING_SERVICELOG": "STDOUT",
+        "CONNECT_LOGGING_SERVICELOGLEVEL": "INFO",
+    }
+    if env_vars:
+        for env_var in env_vars:
+            if "=" in env_var:
+                key, value = env_var.split("=", 1)
+                container_env[key] = value
+    return container_env
+
+
 def get_docker_tag(version: str) -> tuple[str, str]:
     """
     Convert a version string to the appropriate Docker image and tag.
@@ -348,17 +374,7 @@ def main() -> int:
             )
         )
 
-    # Build container environment with bootstrap settings and user-provided env vars
-    container_env = {
-        # "CONNECT_TENSORFLOW_ENABLED": "false",
-        "CONNECT_BOOTSTRAP_ENABLED": "true",
-        "CONNECT_BOOTSTRAP_SECRETKEY": bootstrap_secret,
-    }
-    if args.env_vars:
-        for env_var in args.env_vars:
-            if "=" in env_var:
-                key, value = env_var.split("=", 1)
-                container_env[key] = value
+    container_env = build_container_env(bootstrap_secret, args.env_vars)
 
     run_kwargs = {
         "image": image_name,
diff --git a/test_main.py b/test_main.py
index 41525dc..8e8e0fc 100644
--- a/test_main.py
+++ b/test_main.py
@@ -131,6 +131,26 @@ def test_get_docker_tag_invalid_format():
     assert main.get_docker_tag("custom-tag") == ("rstudio/rstudio-connect", "custom-tag")
 
 
+def test_container_env_forces_service_log_to_stdout():
+    # Startup detection reads "Starting HTTP server on" from stdout, so the
+    # service log must go there at INFO level whatever --config says.
+    env = main.build_container_env("secret", None)
+    assert env["CONNECT_BOOTSTRAP_ENABLED"] == "true"
+    assert env["CONNECT_BOOTSTRAP_SECRETKEY"] == "secret"
+    assert env["CONNECT_LOGGING_SERVICELOG"] == "STDOUT"
+    assert env["CONNECT_LOGGING_SERVICELOGLEVEL"] == "INFO"
+
+
+def test_container_env_user_vars_override_defaults():
+    env = main.build_container_env(
+        "secret",
+        ["CONNECT_LOGGING_SERVICELOG=STDERR", "MY_VAR=a=b", "IGNORED"],
+    )
+    assert env["CONNECT_LOGGING_SERVICELOG"] == "STDERR"
+    assert env["MY_VAR"] == "a=b"
+    assert "IGNORED" not in env
+
+
 def test_force_amd64_legacy_rstudio_images():
     # Legacy rstudio/* on Docker Hub and ghcr.io/rstudio/* mirrors are
     # amd64-only and need the pin.
@@ -459,6 +479,12 @@ def test_post_bootstrap_raises_on_other_errors():
     test_get_docker_tag_invalid_format()
     print("✓ test_get_docker_tag_invalid_format passed")
 
+    test_container_env_forces_service_log_to_stdout()
+    print("✓ test_container_env_forces_service_log_to_stdout passed")
+
+    test_container_env_user_vars_override_defaults()
+    print("✓ test_container_env_user_vars_override_defaults passed")
+
     test_extract_server_version()
     print("✓ test_extract_server_version passed")