diff --git a/src/cli/utils/logger.spec.ts b/src/cli/utils/logger.spec.ts
index 0db7df6c0..02f535909 100644
--- a/src/cli/utils/logger.spec.ts
+++ b/src/cli/utils/logger.spec.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ describe('cli/utils/logger', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.resetModules();
     delete env.CONTAINERBASE_LOG_LEVEL;
+    delete env.CONTAINERBASE_LOG_FORMAT;
+    delete env.LOG_LEVEL;
+    delete env.LOG_FORMAT;
     delete env.CONTAINERBASE_LOG_FILE;
     delete env.CONTAINERBASE_LOG_FILE_LEVEL;
     delete env.CONTAINERBASE_DEBUG;
@@ -32,4 +35,39 @@ describe('cli/utils/logger', () => {
       },
     );
   });
+
+  test('works - stdout with json', async () => {
+    env.CONTAINERBASE_LOG_FORMAT = 'json';
+    const { pino } = await import('pino');
+    const mod = await import('./logger');
+    expect(mod.logger).toBeDefined();
+    expect(pino).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      { level: 'info' },
+      {
+        targets: [{ target: 'pino/file', level: 'info', options: {} }],
+      },
+    );
+  });
+
+  test('works - debug stdout with json with file', async () => {
+    env.LOG_FORMAT = 'json';
+    env.CONTAINERBASE_LOG_LEVEL = 'warn';
+    env.CONTAINERBASE_LOG_FILE = 'test.ndjson';
+    const { pino } = await import('pino');
+    const mod = await import('./logger');
+    expect(mod.logger).toBeDefined();
+    expect(pino).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      { level: 'debug' },
+      {
+        targets: [
+          { target: 'pino/file', level: 'warn', options: {} },
+          {
+            target: 'pino/file',
+            level: 'debug',
+            options: { destination: 'test.ndjson' },
+          },
+        ],
+      },
+    );
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/cli/utils/logger.ts b/src/cli/utils/logger.ts
index 98cad6675..aa9719140 100644
--- a/src/cli/utils/logger.ts
+++ b/src/cli/utils/logger.ts
@@ -11,10 +11,18 @@ const level =
     .filter(isNonEmptyStringAndNotWhitespace)
     .shift() ?? 'info';
 
+const format =
+  [env.CONTAINERBASE_LOG_FORMAT, env.LOG_FORMAT]
+    .filter(isNonEmptyStringAndNotWhitespace)
+    .shift()
+    ?.toLowerCase() ?? 'pretty';
+
+const stdoutTransportTarget = format === 'json' ? 'pino/file' : 'pino-pretty';
+
 let fileLevel = 'silent';
 
 const targets: TransportTargetOptions[] = [
-  { target: 'pino-pretty', level, options: {} },
+  { target: stdoutTransportTarget, level, options: {} },
 ];
 
 if (isNonEmptyStringAndNotWhitespace(env.CONTAINERBASE_LOG_FILE)) {