diff --git a/libs/core/command_line_handling_local/src/command_line_handling_local.cpp b/libs/core/command_line_handling_local/src/command_line_handling_local.cpp
index 4437042ace8..62f08268c05 100644
--- a/libs/core/command_line_handling_local/src/command_line_handling_local.cpp
+++ b/libs/core/command_line_handling_local/src/command_line_handling_local.cpp
@@ -503,8 +503,13 @@ namespace hpx::local::detail {
         hpx::program_options::variables_map& vm,
         std::vector<std::string>& ini_config)
     {
+#if !defined(HPX_HAVE_DISTRIBUTED_RUNTIME)
         bool const debug_clp = vm.count("hpx:debug-clp");
 
+        // fill logging default
+        enable_logging_settings(vm, ini_config);
+
+        // handle command line arguments after logging defaults
         if (vm.count("hpx:ini"))
         {
             std::vector<std::string> cfg =
@@ -512,6 +517,7 @@ namespace hpx::local::detail {
             std::copy(cfg.begin(), cfg.end(), std::back_inserter(ini_config));
             cfgmap.add(cfg);
         }
+#endif
 
         use_process_mask_ =
             (cfgmap.get_value<int>("hpx.use_process_mask", 0) > 0) ||
@@ -627,12 +633,12 @@ namespace hpx::local::detail {
         // handle high-priority threads
         handle_high_priority_threads(vm, ini_config);
 
-        enable_logging_settings(vm, ini_config);
-
+#if !defined(HPX_HAVE_DISTRIBUTED_RUNTIME)
         if (debug_clp)
         {
             print_config(ini_config);
         }
+#endif
 
         return true;
     }
diff --git a/libs/full/command_line_handling/src/command_line_handling.cpp b/libs/full/command_line_handling/src/command_line_handling.cpp
index a3c018f293f..d60fa3ad436 100644
--- a/libs/full/command_line_handling/src/command_line_handling.cpp
+++ b/libs/full/command_line_handling/src/command_line_handling.cpp
@@ -817,6 +817,15 @@ namespace hpx::util {
 
         enable_logging_settings(vm, ini_config);
 
+        // handle command line arguments after logging defaults
+        if (vm.count("hpx:ini"))
+        {
+            std::vector<std::string> cfg =
+                vm["hpx:ini"].as<std::vector<std::string>>();
+            std::copy(cfg.begin(), cfg.end(), std::back_inserter(ini_config));
+            cfgmap.add(cfg);
+        }
+
         if (rtcfg_.mode_ != hpx::runtime_mode::local)
         {
             // Set number of localities in configuration (do it everywhere, even