diff --git a/cmd/internal/flags/flags.go b/cmd/internal/flags/flags.go
index 272ad8dd4fe..91060af5d6f 100644
--- a/cmd/internal/flags/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/internal/flags/flags.go
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 const (
 	spanStorageType = "span-storage.type" // deprecated
 	logLevel        = "log-level"
+	logEncoding     = "log-encoding" // json or console
 	configFile      = "config-file"
 )
 
@@ -98,23 +99,26 @@ type SharedFlags struct {
 }
 
 type logging struct {
-	Level string
+	Level    string
+	Encoding string
 }
 
 // AddFlags adds flags for SharedFlags
 func AddFlags(flagSet *flag.FlagSet) {
 	flagSet.String(spanStorageType, "", "(deprecated) please use SPAN_STORAGE_TYPE environment variable. Run this binary with the 'env' command for help.")
-	AddLoggingFlag(flagSet)
+	AddLoggingFlags(flagSet)
 }
 
 // AddLoggingFlag adds logging flag for SharedFlags
-func AddLoggingFlag(flagSet *flag.FlagSet) {
+func AddLoggingFlags(flagSet *flag.FlagSet) {
 	flagSet.String(logLevel, "info", "Minimal allowed log Level. For more levels see https://github.com/uber-go/zap")
+	flagSet.String(logEncoding, "json", "Log encoding. Supported values are 'json' and 'console'.")
 }
 
 // InitFromViper initializes SharedFlags with properties from viper
 func (flags *SharedFlags) InitFromViper(v *viper.Viper) *SharedFlags {
 	flags.Logging.Level = v.GetString(logLevel)
+	flags.Logging.Encoding = v.GetString(logEncoding)
 	return flags
 }
 
@@ -126,5 +130,9 @@ func (flags *SharedFlags) NewLogger(conf zap.Config, options ...zap.Option) (*za
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	conf.Level = zap.NewAtomicLevelAt(level)
+	conf.Encoding = flags.Logging.Encoding
+	if flags.Logging.Encoding == "console" {
+		conf.EncoderConfig.EncodeTime = zapcore.ISO8601TimeEncoder
+	}
 	return conf.Build(options...)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/internal/flags/service.go b/cmd/internal/flags/service.go
index a8be54d9d56..12293a7b3ef 100644
--- a/cmd/internal/flags/service.go
+++ b/cmd/internal/flags/service.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func NewService(adminPort int) *Service {
 func (s *Service) AddFlags(flagSet *flag.FlagSet) {
 	AddConfigFileFlag(flagSet)
 	if s.NoStorage {
-		AddLoggingFlag(flagSet)
+		AddLoggingFlags(flagSet)
 	} else {
 		AddFlags(flagSet)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/es/config/config.go b/pkg/es/config/config.go
index 0d3dc07ee04..5ecdeb62e3f 100644
--- a/pkg/es/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/es/config/config.go
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ func (c *Configuration) getConfigOptions(logger *zap.Logger) ([]elastic.ClientOp
 		options = append(options, elastic.SetSendGetBodyAs(c.SendGetBodyAs))
 	}
 
-	options, err := addLoggerOptions(options, c.LogLevel)
+	options, err := addLoggerOptions(options, c.LogLevel, logger)
 	if err != nil {
 		return options, err
 	}
@@ -391,13 +391,11 @@ func (c *Configuration) getConfigOptions(logger *zap.Logger) ([]elastic.ClientOp
 	return options, nil
 }
 
-func addLoggerOptions(options []elastic.ClientOptionFunc, logLevel string) ([]elastic.ClientOptionFunc, error) {
+func addLoggerOptions(options []elastic.ClientOptionFunc, logLevel string, logger *zap.Logger) ([]elastic.ClientOptionFunc, error) {
 	// Decouple ES logger from the log-level assigned to the parent application's log-level; otherwise, the least
 	// permissive log-level will dominate.
 	// e.g. --log-level=info and --es.log-level=debug would mute ES's debug logging and would require --log-level=debug
 	// to show ES debug logs.
-	prodConfig := zap.NewProductionConfig()
-
 	var lvl zapcore.Level
 	var setLogger func(logger elastic.Logger) elastic.ClientOptionFunc
 
@@ -415,11 +413,10 @@ func addLoggerOptions(options []elastic.ClientOptionFunc, logLevel string) ([]el
 		return options, fmt.Errorf("unrecognized log-level: \"%s\"", logLevel)
 	}
 
-	prodConfig.Level.SetLevel(lvl)
-	esLogger, err := prodConfig.Build()
-	if err != nil {
-		return options, err
-	}
+	esLogger := logger.WithOptions(
+		zap.IncreaseLevel(lvl),
+		zap.AddCallerSkip(2), // to ensure the right caller:lineno are logged
+	)
 
 	// Elastic client requires a "Printf"-able logger.
 	l := zapgrpc.NewLogger(esLogger)