diff --git a/src/core/ngx_conf_file.c b/src/core/ngx_conf_file.c
index 2662e5f..6442437 100644
--- a/src/core/ngx_conf_file.c
+++ b/src/core/ngx_conf_file.c
@@ -858,7 +858,7 @@
     full.data = NULL;
 #endif
 
-    if (name && name->len) {
+    if (name->len) {
         full = *name;
 
         if (ngx_conf_full_name(cycle, &full, 0) != NGX_OK) {
@@ -894,14 +894,13 @@
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    if (name && name->len) {
+    if (name->len) {
         file->fd = NGX_INVALID_FILE;
         file->name = full;
 
     } else {
         file->fd = ngx_stderr;
-        file->name.len = 0;
-        file->name.data = NULL;
+        file->name = *name;
     }
 
     file->buffer = NULL;
diff --git a/src/core/ngx_connection.c b/src/core/ngx_connection.c
index 2398d51..19344ab 100644
--- a/src/core/ngx_connection.c
+++ b/src/core/ngx_connection.c
@@ -248,6 +248,8 @@
                 continue;
             }
 
+            ls[i].log = *ls[i].logp;
+
             if (ls[i].inherited) {
 
                 /* TODO: close on exit */
diff --git a/src/core/ngx_connection.h b/src/core/ngx_connection.h
index cc6a929..de0ef41 100644
--- a/src/core/ngx_connection.h
+++ b/src/core/ngx_connection.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
     void               *servers;  /* array of ngx_http_in_addr_t, for example */
 
     ngx_log_t           log;
+    ngx_log_t          *logp;
 
     size_t              pool_size;
     /* should be here because of the AcceptEx() preread */
diff --git a/src/core/ngx_cycle.c b/src/core/ngx_cycle.c
index 15f8e8d..251892b 100644
--- a/src/core/ngx_cycle.c
+++ b/src/core/ngx_cycle.c
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@
 
     cycle->pool = pool;
     cycle->log = log;
+    cycle->new_log.log_level = NGX_LOG_ERR;
     cycle->old_cycle = old_cycle;
 
     cycle->conf_prefix.len = old_cycle->conf_prefix.len;
@@ -165,14 +166,6 @@
         return NULL;
     }
 
-
-    cycle->new_log = ngx_log_create_errlog(cycle, &error_log);
-    if (cycle->new_log == NULL) {
-        ngx_destroy_pool(pool);
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
-
     n = old_cycle->listening.nelts ? old_cycle->listening.nelts : 10;
 
     cycle->listening.elts = ngx_pcalloc(pool, n * sizeof(ngx_listening_t));
@@ -336,6 +329,13 @@
     }
 
 
+    if (cycle->new_log.file == NULL) {
+        cycle->new_log.file = ngx_conf_open_file(cycle, &error_log);
+        if (cycle->new_log.file == NULL) {
+            goto failed;
+        }
+    }
+
     /* open the new files */
 
     part = &cycle->open_files.part;
@@ -382,12 +382,8 @@
 #endif
     }
 
-    cycle->log = cycle->new_log;
-    pool->log = cycle->new_log;
-
-    if (cycle->log->log_level == 0) {
-        cycle->log->log_level = NGX_LOG_ERR;
-    }
+    cycle->log = &cycle->new_log;
+    pool->log = &cycle->new_log;
 
 
     /* create shared memory */
diff --git a/src/core/ngx_cycle.h b/src/core/ngx_cycle.h
index b4007d4..e390588 100644
--- a/src/core/ngx_cycle.h
+++ b/src/core/ngx_cycle.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
     ngx_pool_t               *pool;
 
     ngx_log_t                *log;
-    ngx_log_t                *new_log;
+    ngx_log_t                 new_log;
 
     ngx_connection_t        **files;
     ngx_connection_t         *free_connections;
diff --git a/src/core/ngx_log.c b/src/core/ngx_log.c
index 924c819..770a590 100644
--- a/src/core/ngx_log.c
+++ b/src/core/ngx_log.c
@@ -8,14 +8,14 @@
 #include <ngx_core.h>
 
 
-static char *ngx_set_error_log(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_command_t *cmd, void *conf);
+static char *ngx_error_log(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_command_t *cmd, void *conf);
 
 
 static ngx_command_t  ngx_errlog_commands[] = {
 
     {ngx_string("error_log"),
      NGX_MAIN_CONF|NGX_CONF_1MORE,
-     ngx_set_error_log,
+     ngx_error_log,
      0,
      0,
      NULL},
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 
 
 static ngx_str_t err_levels[] = {
-    ngx_string("stderr"),
+    ngx_null_string,
     ngx_string("emerg"),
     ngx_string("alert"),
     ngx_string("crit"),
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@
 
 
 ngx_log_t *
-ngx_log_create_errlog(ngx_cycle_t *cycle, ngx_str_t *name)
+ngx_log_create(ngx_cycle_t *cycle, ngx_str_t *name)
 {
     ngx_log_t  *log;
 
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@
 
 
 char *
-ngx_set_error_log_levels(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_log_t *log)
+ngx_log_set_levels(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_log_t *log)
 {
     ngx_uint_t   i, n, d;
     ngx_str_t   *value;
@@ -409,10 +409,7 @@
         }
     }
 
-    if (log->log_level == 0) {
-        log->log_level = NGX_LOG_ERR;
-
-    } else if (log->log_level == NGX_LOG_DEBUG) {
+    if (log->log_level == NGX_LOG_DEBUG) {
         log->log_level = NGX_LOG_DEBUG_ALL;
     }
 
@@ -421,26 +418,35 @@
 
 
 static char *
-ngx_set_error_log(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_command_t *cmd, void *conf)
+ngx_error_log(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_command_t *cmd, void *conf)
 {
-    ngx_str_t  *value;
+    ngx_str_t  *value, name;
+
+    if (cf->cycle->new_log.file) {
+        return "is duplicate";
+    }
 
     value = cf->args->elts;
 
-    if (value[1].len == 6 && ngx_strcmp(value[1].data, "stderr") == 0) {
-        cf->cycle->new_log->file->fd = ngx_stderr;
-        cf->cycle->new_log->file->name.len = 0;
-        cf->cycle->new_log->file->name.data = NULL;
+    if (ngx_strcmp(value[1].data, "stderr") == 0) {
+        name.len = 0;
+        name.data = NULL;
 
     } else {
-        cf->cycle->new_log->file->name = value[1];
-
-        if (ngx_conf_full_name(cf->cycle, &cf->cycle->new_log->file->name, 0)
-            != NGX_OK)
-        {
-            return NGX_CONF_ERROR;
-        }
+        name = value[1];
     }
 
-    return ngx_set_error_log_levels(cf, cf->cycle->new_log);
+    cf->cycle->new_log.file = ngx_conf_open_file(cf->cycle, &name);
+    if (cf->cycle->new_log.file == NULL) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    if (cf->args->nelts == 2) {
+        cf->cycle->new_log.log_level = NGX_LOG_ERR;
+        return NGX_CONF_OK;
+    }
+
+    cf->cycle->new_log.log_level = 0;
+
+    return ngx_log_set_levels(cf, &cf->cycle->new_log);
 }
diff --git a/src/core/ngx_log.h b/src/core/ngx_log.h
index f5335ba..b736aa2 100644
--- a/src/core/ngx_log.h
+++ b/src/core/ngx_log.h
@@ -196,8 +196,8 @@
 /*********************************/
 
 ngx_log_t *ngx_log_init(u_char *prefix);
-ngx_log_t *ngx_log_create_errlog(ngx_cycle_t *cycle, ngx_str_t *name);
-char *ngx_set_error_log_levels(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_log_t *log);
+ngx_log_t *ngx_log_create(ngx_cycle_t *cycle, ngx_str_t *name);
+char *ngx_log_set_levels(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_log_t *log);
 void ngx_cdecl ngx_log_abort(ngx_err_t err, const char *fmt, ...);
 void ngx_cdecl ngx_log_stderr(ngx_err_t err, const char *fmt, ...);
 u_char *ngx_log_errno(u_char *buf, u_char *last, ngx_err_t err);
diff --git a/src/core/ngx_resolver.c b/src/core/ngx_resolver.c
index f58fb5b..2b53ee0 100644
--- a/src/core/ngx_resolver.c
+++ b/src/core/ngx_resolver.c
@@ -131,14 +131,14 @@
 
     r->event->handler = ngx_resolver_resend_handler;
     r->event->data = r;
-    r->event->log = cf->cycle->new_log;
+    r->event->log = &cf->cycle->new_log;
     r->ident = -1;
 
     r->resend_timeout = 5;
     r->expire = 30;
     r->valid = 300;
 
-    r->log = cf->cycle->new_log;
+    r->log = &cf->cycle->new_log;
     r->log_level = NGX_LOG_ALERT;
 
     if (addr) {
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@
         uc->sockaddr = addr->sockaddr;
         uc->socklen = addr->socklen;
         uc->server = addr->name;
-        uc->log = cf->cycle->new_log;
+        uc->log = &cf->cycle->new_log;
     }
 
     return r;