diff --git a/include/osmocom/core/application.h b/include/osmocom/core/application.h
index 266fa9bb8..edf59ed4c 100644
--- a/include/osmocom/core/application.h
+++ b/include/osmocom/core/application.h
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
+#include <osmocom/core/defs.h>
+
 /*!
  * \file application.h
  * Routines for helping with the osmocom application setup.
@@ -15,6 +17,8 @@ struct log_target;
 extern struct log_target *osmo_stderr_target;
 
 void osmo_init_ignore_signals(void);
-int osmo_init_logging(const struct log_info *);
+int osmo_init_logging(const struct log_info *)
+	OSMO_DEPRECATED("use osmo_init_logging2() instead to avoid a NULL talloc ctx");
+int osmo_init_logging2(void *ctx, const struct log_info *log_info);
 
 int osmo_daemonize(void);
diff --git a/src/application.c b/src/application.c
index 2d237e2c1..d912eb72d 100644
--- a/src/application.c
+++ b/src/application.c
@@ -113,6 +113,11 @@ void osmo_init_ignore_signals(void)
  * creates the default (stderr) logging target.
  */
 int osmo_init_logging(const struct log_info *log_info)
+{
+	return osmo_init_logging2(NULL, log_info);
+}
+
+int osmo_init_logging2(void *ctx, const struct log_info *log_info)
 {
 	static int logging_initialized = 0;
 
@@ -120,7 +125,7 @@ int osmo_init_logging(const struct log_info *log_info)
 		return -EEXIST;
 
 	logging_initialized = 1;
-	log_init(log_info, NULL);
+	log_init(log_info, ctx);
 	osmo_stderr_target = log_target_create_stderr();
 	if (!osmo_stderr_target)
 		return -1;