diff --git a/build.gradle.kts b/build.gradle.kts
index 722fb9c8e..ccd3c008b 100644
--- a/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/build.gradle.kts
@@ -127,6 +127,8 @@ apiValidation {
             "paginator-tests",
             "waiter-tests",
             "compile",
+            "slf4j-1x-consumer",
+            "slf4j-2x-consumer",
         ),
     )
 }
diff --git a/runtime/observability/logging-slf4j2/build.gradle.kts b/runtime/observability/logging-slf4j2/build.gradle.kts
index 477d52e17..2fd9ad4c7 100644
--- a/runtime/observability/logging-slf4j2/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/runtime/observability/logging-slf4j2/build.gradle.kts
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
  * Copyright Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
-description = "Logging provider based on SLF4J 2.x"
-extra["displayName"] = "Smithy :: Kotlin :: Observability :: SLF4J2 binding"
+description = "Logging provider based on SLF4J"
+extra["displayName"] = "Smithy :: Kotlin :: Observability :: SLF4J binding"
 extra["moduleName"] = "aws.smithy.kotlin.runtime.telemetry"
 
 kotlin {
diff --git a/runtime/observability/logging-slf4j2/jvm/src/aws/smithy/kotlin/runtime/telemetry/logging/slf4j/Slf4jLoggerProvider.kt b/runtime/observability/logging-slf4j2/jvm/src/aws/smithy/kotlin/runtime/telemetry/logging/slf4j/Slf4jLoggerProvider.kt
index 0d41f5de2..44fff639e 100644
--- a/runtime/observability/logging-slf4j2/jvm/src/aws/smithy/kotlin/runtime/telemetry/logging/slf4j/Slf4jLoggerProvider.kt
+++ b/runtime/observability/logging-slf4j2/jvm/src/aws/smithy/kotlin/runtime/telemetry/logging/slf4j/Slf4jLoggerProvider.kt
@@ -13,16 +13,20 @@ import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory
  */
 public object Slf4jLoggerProvider : LoggerProvider {
 
-    private val slf4jLoggerAdapter: (org.slf4j.Logger) -> Logger = try {
+    private val useSlf4j2x = try {
         Class.forName("org.slf4j.spi.LoggingEventBuilder")
-        ::Slf4j2xLoggerAdapter
+        true
     } catch (ex: ClassNotFoundException) {
         LoggerFactory.getLogger(Slf4jLoggerProvider::class.java).warn("falling back to SLF4J 1.x compatible binding")
-        ::Slf4j1xLoggerAdapter
+        false
     }
 
     override fun getOrCreateLogger(name: String): Logger {
         val sl4fjLogger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(name)
-        return slf4jLoggerAdapter(sl4fjLogger)
+        return if (useSlf4j2x) {
+            Slf4j2xLoggerAdapter(sl4fjLogger)
+        } else {
+            Slf4j1xLoggerAdapter(sl4fjLogger)
+        }
     }
 }