diff --git a/lib/daemon.py b/lib/daemon.py
index ed846c12d7..3cf465f58f 100644
--- a/lib/daemon.py
+++ b/lib/daemon.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 from systemd.daemon import notify  # type: ignore
 
+from systemd import journal
 from uaclient import defaults
 from uaclient.config import UAConfig
 from uaclient.daemon import (
@@ -16,12 +17,7 @@
 
 
 def main() -> int:
-    setup_logging(
-        logging.INFO,
-        logging.DEBUG,
-        defaults.CONFIG_DEFAULTS["daemon_log_file"],
-        logger=LOG,
-    )
+    LOG.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
     cfg = UAConfig()
     setup_logging(
         logging.INFO, logging.DEBUG, log_file=cfg.daemon_log_file, logger=LOG
diff --git a/lib/timer.py b/lib/timer.py
index 9367e079a9..18f286d34f 100644
--- a/lib/timer.py
+++ b/lib/timer.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone
 from typing import Callable, Optional
 
+from systemd import journal
 from uaclient import defaults
 from uaclient.cli import setup_logging
 from uaclient.config import UAConfig
@@ -179,25 +180,14 @@ def run_jobs(cfg: UAConfig, current_time: datetime):
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    setup_logging(
-        logging.CRITICAL,
-        logging.DEBUG,
-        defaults.CONFIG_DEFAULTS["timer_log_file"],
-        logger=LOG,
-    )
+    LOG.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
     cfg = UAConfig()
     current_time = datetime.now(timezone.utc)
+    LOG.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
 
-    # The ua-timer logger should log everything to its file
-    setup_logging(
-        logging.CRITICAL,
-        logging.DEBUG,
-        log_file=cfg.timer_log_file,
-        logger=LOG,
-    )
     # Make sure the ua-timer logger does not generate double logging
     LOG.propagate = False
     # The root logger should log any error to the timer log file
-    setup_logging(logging.CRITICAL, logging.ERROR, log_file=cfg.timer_log_file)
+    root_logger.setLevel(logging.ERROR)
 
     run_jobs(cfg=cfg, current_time=current_time)
diff --git a/uaclient/conftest.py b/uaclient/conftest.py
index 95ee9a0f39..4b683f44c0 100644
--- a/uaclient/conftest.py
+++ b/uaclient/conftest.py
@@ -13,8 +13,13 @@
 # Those need to be mocked here, before importing our modules, so the pytest
 # virtualenv doesn't cry because it can't find the modules
 m_apt_pkg = mock.MagicMock()
+m_systemd_pkg = mock.MagicMock()
+m_systemd_pkg.journal = mock.MagicMock()
+m_systemd_pkg.journal.JournalHandler = mock.MagicMock()
+m_systemd_pkg.journal.JournalHandler.level = logging.DEBUG
 sys.modules["apt"] = mock.MagicMock()
 sys.modules["apt_pkg"] = m_apt_pkg
+sys.modules["systemd"] = m_systemd_pkg
 
 # Useless try/except to make flake8 happy \_("/)_/
 try: