diff --git a/client_configuration.go b/client_configuration.go
index 03c70b6c0..ea6a637b2 100644
--- a/client_configuration.go
+++ b/client_configuration.go
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ type ClientConfig struct {
 
 // ClientConfigCommonProps properties from "common" section
 type ClientConfigCommonProps struct {
-	LogLevel *string `json:"log_level"`
-	LogPath  *string `json:"log_path"`
+	LogLevel string `json:"log_level,omitempty"`
+	LogPath  string `json:"log_path,omitempty"`
 }
 
 func parseClientConfiguration(filePath string) (*ClientConfig, error) {
@@ -62,13 +62,13 @@ func validateClientConfiguration(clientConfig *ClientConfig) error {
 	if clientConfig.Common == nil {
 		return errors.New("common section in client config not found")
 	}
-	return validateLogLevel(clientConfig)
+	return validateLogLevel(*clientConfig)
 }
 
-func validateLogLevel(clientConfig *ClientConfig) error {
+func validateLogLevel(clientConfig ClientConfig) error {
 	var logLevel = clientConfig.Common.LogLevel
-	if logLevel != nil && *logLevel != "" {
-		_, error := toLogLevel(*logLevel)
+	if logLevel != "" {
+		_, error := toLogLevel(logLevel)
 		if error != nil {
 			return error
 		}
@@ -76,12 +76,12 @@ func validateLogLevel(clientConfig *ClientConfig) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func toLogLevel(logLevelString string) (*string, error) {
+func toLogLevel(logLevelString string) (string, error) {
 	var logLevel = strings.ToUpper(logLevelString)
 	switch logLevel {
 	case Off, Error, Warn, Info, Debug, Trace:
-		return &logLevel, nil
+		return logLevel, nil
 	default:
-		return nil, errors.New("unknown log level: " + logLevelString)
+		return "", errors.New("unknown log level: " + logLevelString)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/client_configuration_test.go b/client_configuration_test.go
index 85fcba7b0..bf8004f29 100644
--- a/client_configuration_test.go
+++ b/client_configuration_test.go
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ func TestParseConfiguration(t *testing.T) {
 		Name             string
 		FileName         string
 		FileContents     string
-		ExpectedLogLevel *string
-		ExpectedLogPath  *string
+		ExpectedLogLevel string
+		ExpectedLogPath  string
 	}{
 		{
 			Name:     "TestWithLogLevelUpperCase",
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ func TestParseConfiguration(t *testing.T) {
 					"log_path" : "/some-path/some-directory"
 				}
 			}`,
-			ExpectedLogLevel: toStringPointer("INFO"),
-			ExpectedLogPath:  toStringPointer("/some-path/some-directory"),
+			ExpectedLogLevel: "INFO",
+			ExpectedLogPath:  "/some-path/some-directory",
 		},
 		{
 			Name:     "TestWithLogLevelLowerCase",
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ func TestParseConfiguration(t *testing.T) {
 					"log_path" : "/some-path/some-directory"
 				}
 			}`,
-			ExpectedLogLevel: toStringPointer("info"),
-			ExpectedLogPath:  toStringPointer("/some-path/some-directory"),
+			ExpectedLogLevel: "info",
+			ExpectedLogPath:  "/some-path/some-directory",
 		},
 		{
 			Name:     "TestWithMissingValues",
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ func TestParseConfiguration(t *testing.T) {
 			FileContents: `{
 				"common": {}
 			}`,
-			ExpectedLogLevel: nil,
-			ExpectedLogPath:  nil,
+			ExpectedLogLevel: "",
+			ExpectedLogPath:  "",
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func TestParseAllLogLevels(t *testing.T) {
 
 			assert := assert.New(t)
 			assert.Equal(nil, err, "Error should be nil")
-			assert.Equal(logLevel, *config.Common.LogLevel, "Log level should be as expected")
+			assert.Equal(logLevel, config.Common.LogLevel, "Log level should be as expected")
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -155,11 +155,6 @@ func TestParseConfigurationFails(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func toStringPointer(value string) *string {
-	var copyOfValue = value
-	return &copyOfValue
-}
-
 func CreateFile(t *testing.T, fileName string, fileContents string, directory string) string {
 	fullFileName := path.Join(directory, fileName)
 	writeErr := os.WriteFile(fullFileName, []byte(fileContents), 0644)