diff --git a/config.dev.toml b/config.dev.toml
index 187eeb37d..16f11779c 100755
--- a/config.dev.toml
+++ b/config.dev.toml
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ LogLevel = "debug"
 # LogFormat determines the format that logs are output in. Defaults to json.
 # It is only used when CloudRuntime is set to none. Values can be "plain" or "json".
 # Env override: ATHENS_LOG_FORMAT
-LogFormat = "json"
+LogFormat = "plain"
 
 # CloudRuntime is the Cloud Provider on which the Proxy/Registry is running.
 # Currently available options are "GCP", or "none". Defaults to "none"
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index 177a0b523..35aaccc1d 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ func defaultConfig() *Config {
 		GoGetWorkers:     10,
 		ProtocolWorkers:  30,
 		LogLevel:         "debug",
-		LogFormat:        "json",
+		LogFormat:        "plain",
 		CloudRuntime:     "none",
 		EnablePprof:      false,
 		PprofPort:        ":3001",
diff --git a/pkg/config/config_test.go b/pkg/config/config_test.go
index fe3a7425f..e10a2afbe 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config_test.go
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ func TestParseExampleConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	expConf := &Config{
 		GoEnv:           "development",
 		LogLevel:        "debug",
-		LogFormat:       "json",
+		LogFormat:       "plain",
 		GoBinary:        "go",
 		GoGetWorkers:    10,
 		ProtocolWorkers: 30,
diff --git a/pkg/log/log_test.go b/pkg/log/log_test.go
index f2d4a9b6b..2639c7a12 100644
--- a/pkg/log/log_test.go
+++ b/pkg/log/log_test.go
@@ -97,6 +97,18 @@ var testCases = []input{
 	},
 	{
 		name:          "default",
+		cloudProvider: "none",
+		level:         logrus.DebugLevel,
+		fields:        logrus.Fields{"xyz": "abc", "abc": "xyz"},
+		logFunc: func(e Entry) time.Time {
+			t := time.Now()
+			e.Warnf("warn message")
+			return t
+		},
+		output: `WARNING[%v]: warn message` + "\t" + `abc=xyz xyz=abc` + " \n",
+	},
+	{
+		name:          "default json",
 		format:        "json",
 		cloudProvider: "none",
 		level:         logrus.DebugLevel,
@@ -121,7 +133,7 @@ func TestCloudLogger(t *testing.T) {
 			out := buf.String()
 			expected := tc.output
 			if strings.Contains(expected, "%v") {
-				if tc.format == "plain" {
+				if tc.format == "plain" || (tc.format == "" && (tc.cloudProvider == "none" || tc.cloudProvider == "")) {
 					expected = fmt.Sprintf(expected, entryTime.Format(time.Kitchen))
 				} else {
 					expected = fmt.Sprintf(expected, entryTime.Format(time.RFC3339))