diff --git a/config.template.jsonc b/config.template.jsonc
index 23ed2515d3..c1b7e49e63 100644
--- a/config.template.jsonc
+++ b/config.template.jsonc
@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@
     // `dev` opens a browser on boot, skips blocked-email checks, and runs the
     // dev-time webpack watcher; `prod` serves pre-built bundles.
     "env": "dev",
+    // Console output format. `json` replaces the global console so every call
+    // emits one structured JSON line (level, timestamp, msg, and the active
+    // request's trace id) — one event per call, so a line-oriented log
+    // collector can't split stack traces across events and level filtering
+    // works. Unset (the default) leaves console output human-readable.
+    "log_format": "text",
     "version": "0.0.0",
     // Stable identity for this server node — used by pager alerts and
     // graceful-shutdown coordination.
diff --git a/src/backend/index.ts b/src/backend/index.ts
index 9d5f66519c..b2a8d55cf0 100644
--- a/src/backend/index.ts
+++ b/src/backend/index.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 import { existsSync, readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
+import { isSpanContextValid, trace } from '@opentelemetry/api';
 import { puterClients } from './clients';
 import { puterControllers } from './controllers';
 import { puterDrivers } from './drivers';
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ import { PuterServer } from './server';
 import { puterServices } from './services';
 import { puterStores } from './stores';
 import type { IConfig } from './types';
+import { installJsonConsole } from './util/jsonConsole.js';
 
 // Config resolution order:
 //   1. `process.env.PUTER_CONFIG_PATH` — absolute path to a config file. Used
@@ -167,6 +169,23 @@ const loadConfig = (): IConfig => {
 // if called directly, start the server
 if (require.main === module) {
     const config = loadConfig();
+
+    // Structured logging: when `log_format: "json"`, replace the global console
+    // so each call emits one JSON line (level, timestamp, msg, and the active
+    // trace id) — one event per call, so a line-oriented log collector can't
+    // split stack traces across events. Installed here rather than in the OTel
+    // preload so it applies even when telemetry is disabled; the trace id is
+    // simply absent when no span is active.
+    if (config.log_format === 'json') {
+        installJsonConsole({
+            getTraceContext: () => {
+                const ctx = trace.getActiveSpan()?.spanContext();
+                if (!ctx || !isSpanContextValid(ctx)) return undefined;
+                return { traceId: ctx.traceId, spanId: ctx.spanId };
+            },
+        });
+    }
+
     const server = new PuterServer(
         config,
         puterClients,
diff --git a/src/backend/types.ts b/src/backend/types.ts
index a8315b4990..cd6f536df7 100644
--- a/src/backend/types.ts
+++ b/src/backend/types.ts
@@ -452,6 +452,14 @@ interface IConfigOptional {
     env: 'dev' | 'prod';
     /** Free-form name of the config profile (e.g. `oss-default`). Surfaced in logs. */
     config_name: string;
+    /**
+     * Console output format. `json` replaces the global console so every call
+     * emits one structured JSON line (`level`, `timestamp`, `msg`, and the
+     * active `traceId`) — one event per call, so a line-oriented log collector
+     * can't split stack traces across events, and level filtering works. `text`
+     * (the default) leaves console output human-readable for local/dev.
+     */
+    log_format: 'json' | 'text';
     /** Server version. Falls back to `npm_package_version`. */
     version: string;
     /** Stable identity for this server node. Enables pager alerts + graceful shutdown delay. */
diff --git a/src/backend/util/jsonConsole.test.ts b/src/backend/util/jsonConsole.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..97e406531b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backend/util/jsonConsole.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (C) 2024-present Puter Technologies Inc.
+ *
+ * This file is part of Puter.
+ *
+ * Puter is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published
+ * by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { installJsonConsole } from './jsonConsole.js';
+
+/**
+ * Capture what the patched console writes to stdout/stderr. Returns the raw
+ * chunks plus helpers to parse them, then uninstall() restores everything.
+ */
+const withInstalledConsole = (
+    options?: Parameters<typeof installJsonConsole>[0],
+) => {
+    const out: string[] = [];
+    const err: string[] = [];
+    const stdout = vi
+        .spyOn(process.stdout, 'write')
+        .mockImplementation((chunk: unknown) => {
+            out.push(String(chunk));
+            return true;
+        });
+    const stderr = vi
+        .spyOn(process.stderr, 'write')
+        .mockImplementation((chunk: unknown) => {
+            err.push(String(chunk));
+            return true;
+        });
+    const uninstall = installJsonConsole(options);
+    return {
+        out,
+        err,
+        uninstall: () => {
+            uninstall();
+            stdout.mockRestore();
+            stderr.mockRestore();
+        },
+    };
+};
+
+describe('installJsonConsole', () => {
+    afterEach(() => {
+        vi.restoreAllMocks();
+    });
+
+    it('emits one JSON line per call with level, timestamp and msg', () => {
+        const { out, uninstall } = withInstalledConsole();
+        try {
+            console.log('hello world');
+        } finally {
+            uninstall();
+        }
+
+        expect(out).toHaveLength(1);
+        expect(out[0].endsWith('\n')).toBe(true);
+        const entry = JSON.parse(out[0]);
+        expect(entry.level).toBe('info');
+        expect(entry.msg).toBe('hello world');
+        expect(() => new Date(entry.timestamp).toISOString()).not.toThrow();
+        expect(entry.timestamp).toBe(new Date(entry.timestamp).toISOString());
+    });
+
+    it('maps each console method to the expected level and stream', () => {
+        const { out, err, uninstall } = withInstalledConsole();
+        try {
+            console.info('i');
+            console.debug('d');
+            console.warn('w');
+            console.error('e');
+        } finally {
+            uninstall();
+        }
+
+        expect(out.map((l) => JSON.parse(l).level)).toEqual(['info', 'debug']);
+        expect(err.map((l) => JSON.parse(l).level)).toEqual(['warn', 'error']);
+    });
+
+    it('formats non-string args like console does (objects preserved)', () => {
+        const { out, uninstall } = withInstalledConsole();
+        try {
+            console.log('user', { id: 5, roles: ['a'] }, [1, 2]);
+        } finally {
+            uninstall();
+        }
+
+        const entry = JSON.parse(out[0]);
+        expect(entry.msg).toBe("user { id: 5, roles: [ 'a' ] } [ 1, 2 ]");
+    });
+
+    it('collapses a multi-line stack trace into a single log event', () => {
+        const { err, uninstall } = withInstalledConsole();
+        try {
+            console.error(new Error('boom'));
+        } finally {
+            uninstall();
+        }
+
+        // Exactly one write, one trailing newline, no interior raw newlines
+        // (the stack lives inside the JSON-escaped `msg` string).
+        expect(err).toHaveLength(1);
+        expect(err[0].match(/\n/g)).toHaveLength(1);
+        const entry = JSON.parse(err[0]);
+        expect(entry.level).toBe('error');
+        expect(entry.msg).toContain('Error: boom');
+        expect(entry.msg).toContain('\n    at '); // stack frames survive in msg
+    });
+
+    it('attaches traceId/spanId only when a span is active', () => {
+        let ctx: { traceId: string; spanId?: string } | undefined;
+        const { out, uninstall } = withInstalledConsole({
+            getTraceContext: () => ctx,
+        });
+        try {
+            console.log('no span');
+            ctx = { traceId: 'abc123', spanId: 'def456' };
+            console.log('with span');
+        } finally {
+            uninstall();
+        }
+
+        const first = JSON.parse(out[0]);
+        expect(first).not.toHaveProperty('traceId');
+        const second = JSON.parse(out[1]);
+        expect(second.traceId).toBe('abc123');
+        expect(second.spanId).toBe('def456');
+    });
+
+    it('restores the original console methods on uninstall', () => {
+        const before = console.log;
+        const { uninstall } = withInstalledConsole();
+        expect(console.log).not.toBe(before);
+        uninstall();
+        expect(console.log).toBe(before);
+    });
+
+    it('is idempotent — a second install is a no-op', () => {
+        const { out, uninstall } = withInstalledConsole();
+        const second = installJsonConsole();
+        try {
+            console.log('once');
+        } finally {
+            second();
+            uninstall();
+        }
+        // Still a single JSON line, not double-patched.
+        expect(out).toHaveLength(1);
+        expect(JSON.parse(out[0]).msg).toBe('once');
+    });
+});
diff --git a/src/backend/util/jsonConsole.ts b/src/backend/util/jsonConsole.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e247fb44b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/backend/util/jsonConsole.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (C) 2024-present Puter Technologies Inc.
+ *
+ * This file is part of Puter.
+ *
+ * Puter is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published
+ * by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+import { format } from 'node:util';
+
+/**
+ * Console severity methods we replace, mapped to the `level` value emitted for
+ * each. `log` collapses to `info` so downstream `level = "info"` / `"error"`
+ * filters behave conventionally.
+ */
+const METHOD_LEVELS = {
+    log: 'info',
+    info: 'info',
+    warn: 'warn',
+    error: 'error',
+    debug: 'debug',
+} as const;
+
+type ConsoleMethod = keyof typeof METHOD_LEVELS;
+
+/** Identifiers for the currently-active trace, if any. */
+export interface TraceContext {
+    traceId: string;
+    spanId?: string;
+}
+
+export interface JsonConsoleOptions {
+    /**
+     * Resolves the active trace context at log time, or `undefined` when no
+     * recording span is active. Kept as a callback so this module carries no
+     * telemetry dependency and stays trivially unit-testable.
+     */
+    getTraceContext?: () => TraceContext | undefined;
+}
+
+// Guard against double-installation across duplicate module instances.
+const INSTALLED_FLAG = '__puterJsonConsoleInstalled';
+
+/**
+ * Replace the global console severity methods so every call emits exactly one
+ * line of JSON: `{ level, timestamp, msg, traceId?, spanId? }`. `msg` is
+ * `util.format`ed from the call args — byte-for-byte what console would have
+ * printed — so multi-line values (stack traces, inspected objects) become a
+ * single log event instead of being split across many by a line-oriented log
+ * collector.
+ *
+ * Returns a function that restores the original console methods.
+ */
+export const installJsonConsole = (
+    options: JsonConsoleOptions = {},
+): (() => void) => {
+    const globals = globalThis as Record<string, unknown>;
+    if (globals[INSTALLED_FLAG]) return () => {};
+
+    const { getTraceContext } = options;
+    const originals = {} as Record<ConsoleMethod, (...args: unknown[]) => void>;
+
+    for (const method of Object.keys(METHOD_LEVELS) as ConsoleMethod[]) {
+        // Keep the exact reference so uninstall() restores it identically.
+        const original = console[method] as (...args: unknown[]) => void;
+        originals[method] = original;
+
+        const level = METHOD_LEVELS[method];
+        // Match console's stream routing so stderr keeps carrying warnings and
+        // errors even in JSON mode.
+        const stream =
+            method === 'warn' || method === 'error'
+                ? process.stderr
+                : process.stdout;
+
+        console[method] = (...args: unknown[]): void => {
+            try {
+                const entry: Record<string, unknown> = {
+                    level,
+                    timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
+                    msg: format(...args),
+                };
+                const trace = getTraceContext?.();
+                if (trace?.traceId) {
+                    entry.traceId = trace.traceId;
+                    if (trace.spanId) entry.spanId = trace.spanId;
+                }
+                stream.write(`${JSON.stringify(entry)}\n`);
+            } catch {
+                // Logging must never take down the process — fall back to the
+                // untouched console method if formatting/serialization throws.
+                original.apply(console, args);
+            }
+        };
+    }
+
+    globals[INSTALLED_FLAG] = true;
+
+    return () => {
+        for (const method of Object.keys(originals) as ConsoleMethod[]) {
+            console[method] = originals[method];
+        }
+        delete globals[INSTALLED_FLAG];
+    };
+};