diff --git a/lib/eal/freebsd/eal.c b/lib/eal/freebsd/eal.c
index 6552f9c138..ec3a0c3244 100644
--- a/lib/eal/freebsd/eal.c
+++ b/lib/eal/freebsd/eal.c
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 #include "eal_options.h"
 #include "eal_memcfg.h"
 #include "eal_trace.h"
+#include "log_internal.h"
 
 #define MEMSIZE_IF_NO_HUGE_PAGE (64ULL * 1024ULL * 1024ULL)
 
@@ -546,6 +547,10 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 	bool has_phys_addr;
 	enum rte_iova_mode iova_mode;
 
+	/* setup log as early as possible */
+	eal_log_level_parse(argc, argv);
+	eal_log_init(getprogname());
+
 	/* checks if the machine is adequate */
 	if (!rte_cpu_is_supported()) {
 		rte_eal_init_alert("unsupported cpu type.");
@@ -565,9 +570,6 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 	/* clone argv to report out later in telemetry */
 	eal_save_args(argc, argv);
 
-	/* set log level as early as possible */
-	eal_log_level_parse(argc, argv);
-
 	if (rte_eal_cpu_init() < 0) {
 		rte_eal_init_alert("Cannot detect lcores.");
 		rte_errno = ENOTSUP;
diff --git a/lib/eal/linux/eal.c b/lib/eal/linux/eal.c
index 3d0c34063e..0a488ee567 100644
--- a/lib/eal/linux/eal.c
+++ b/lib/eal/linux/eal.c
@@ -936,6 +936,11 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 	struct internal_config *internal_conf =
 		eal_get_internal_configuration();
 
+
+	/* setup log as early as possible */
+	eal_log_level_parse(argc, argv);
+	eal_log_init(program_invocation_short_name);
+
 	/* checks if the machine is adequate */
 	if (!rte_cpu_is_supported()) {
 		rte_eal_init_alert("unsupported cpu type.");
@@ -952,9 +957,6 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	eal_reset_internal_config(internal_conf);
 
-	/* set log level as early as possible */
-	eal_log_level_parse(argc, argv);
-
 	/* clone argv to report out later in telemetry */
 	eal_save_args(argc, argv);
 
@@ -1106,13 +1108,6 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 #endif
 	}
 
-	if (eal_log_init(program_invocation_short_name) < 0) {
-		rte_eal_init_alert("Cannot init logging.");
-		rte_errno = ENOMEM;
-		rte_atomic_store_explicit(&run_once, 0, rte_memory_order_relaxed);
-		return -1;
-	}
-
 #ifdef VFIO_PRESENT
 	if (rte_eal_vfio_setup() < 0) {
 		rte_eal_init_alert("Cannot init VFIO");
diff --git a/lib/eal/windows/eal.c b/lib/eal/windows/eal.c
index 2519a30017..fb2920e1b8 100644
--- a/lib/eal/windows/eal.c
+++ b/lib/eal/windows/eal.c
@@ -250,9 +250,8 @@ rte_eal_init(int argc, char **argv)
 	char cpuset[RTE_CPU_AFFINITY_STR_LEN];
 	char thread_name[RTE_THREAD_NAME_SIZE];
 
-	eal_log_init(NULL);
-
 	eal_log_level_parse(argc, argv);
+	eal_log_init(NULL);
 
 	if (eal_create_cpu_map() < 0) {
 		rte_eal_init_alert("Cannot discover CPU and NUMA.");
diff --git a/lib/log/log_freebsd.c b/lib/log/log_freebsd.c
index 953e371bee..33a0925c43 100644
--- a/lib/log/log_freebsd.c
+++ b/lib/log/log_freebsd.c
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@
 #include <rte_common.h>
 #include "log_internal.h"
 
-int
+void
 eal_log_init(__rte_unused const char *id)
 {
-	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/lib/log/log_internal.h b/lib/log/log_internal.h
index cb15cdff08..d5fabd7ef7 100644
--- a/lib/log/log_internal.h
+++ b/lib/log/log_internal.h
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  * Initialize the default log stream.
  */
 __rte_internal
-int eal_log_init(const char *id);
+void eal_log_init(const char *id);
 
 /*
  * Determine where log data is written when no call to rte_openlog_stream.
diff --git a/lib/log/log_linux.c b/lib/log/log_linux.c
index 47aa074da2..6d7dc8f3ab 100644
--- a/lib/log/log_linux.c
+++ b/lib/log/log_linux.c
@@ -87,18 +87,16 @@ static cookie_io_functions_t console_log_func = {
  * set the log to default function, called during eal init process,
  * once memzones are available.
  */
-int
+void
 eal_log_init(const char *id)
 {
 	FILE *log_stream;
 
-	log_stream = fopencookie(NULL, "w+", console_log_func);
-	if (log_stream == NULL)
-		return -1;
-
 	openlog(id, LOG_NDELAY | LOG_PID, log_facility);
 
-	eal_log_set_default(log_stream);
-
-	return 0;
+	log_stream = fopencookie(NULL, "w+", console_log_func);
+	if (log_stream != NULL)
+		eal_log_set_default(log_stream);
+	else
+		eal_log_set_default(stderr);
 }
diff --git a/lib/log/log_windows.c b/lib/log/log_windows.c
index a3a756351d..d7c30e4cfa 100644
--- a/lib/log/log_windows.c
+++ b/lib/log/log_windows.c
@@ -13,12 +13,10 @@ eal_log_syslog(const char *name __rte_unused)
 }
 
 /* set the log to default function, called during eal init process. */
-int
+void
 eal_log_init(__rte_unused const char *id)
 {
 	rte_openlog_stream(stderr);
 
 	eal_log_set_default(stderr);
-
-	return 0;
 }
