diff --git a/logsrvd/logsrvd_conf.c b/logsrvd/logsrvd_conf.c
index 18d46b11f..4f3f6b75f 100644
--- a/logsrvd/logsrvd_conf.c
+++ b/logsrvd/logsrvd_conf.c
@@ -1282,6 +1282,10 @@ logsrvd_conv_syslog(int num_msgs, const struct sudo_conv_message msgs[],
     int i;
     debug_decl(logsrvd_conv_syslog, SUDO_DEBUG_UTIL);
 
+    if (logsrvd_config == NULL) {
+	debug_return_int(logsrvd_conv_stderr(num_msgs, msgs, replies, callback));
+    }
+
     /* Also write to stderr if still in the foreground. */
     if (logsrvd_is_early()) {
 	(void)logsrvd_conv_stderr(num_msgs, msgs, replies, callback);
@@ -1362,6 +1366,10 @@ logsrvd_conv_logfile(int num_msgs, const struct sudo_conv_message msgs[],
     int i;
     debug_decl(logsrvd_conv_logfile, SUDO_DEBUG_UTIL);
 
+    if (logsrvd_config == NULL) {
+	debug_return_int(logsrvd_conv_stderr(num_msgs, msgs, replies, callback));
+    }
+
     /* Also write to stderr if still in the foreground. */
     if (logsrvd_is_early()) {
 	(void)logsrvd_conv_stderr(num_msgs, msgs, replies, callback);
diff --git a/logsrvd/regress/fuzz/fuzz_logsrvd_conf.c b/logsrvd/regress/fuzz/fuzz_logsrvd_conf.c
index d61707889..bdaa99a60 100644
--- a/logsrvd/regress/fuzz/fuzz_logsrvd_conf.c
+++ b/logsrvd/regress/fuzz/fuzz_logsrvd_conf.c
@@ -41,6 +41,12 @@
 #include "log_server.pb-c.h"
 #include "logsrvd.h"
 
+bool
+logsrvd_is_early(void)
+{
+    return true;
+}
+
 int
 LLVMFuzzerTestOneInput(const uint8_t *data, size_t size)
 {