diff --git a/awx/main/models/unified_jobs.py b/awx/main/models/unified_jobs.py
index 0c95d5b3e98c..d8d6936052ae 100644
--- a/awx/main/models/unified_jobs.py
+++ b/awx/main/models/unified_jobs.py
@@ -1550,7 +1550,7 @@ def log_lifecycle(self, state, blocked_by=None):
             extra["controller_node"] = self.controller_node or "NOT_SET"
         elif state == "execution_node_chosen":
             extra["execution_node"] = self.execution_node or "NOT_SET"
-        logger_job_lifecycle.debug(msg, extra=extra)
+        logger_job_lifecycle.info(msg, extra=extra)
 
     @property
     def launched_by(self):
diff --git a/awx/settings/defaults.py b/awx/settings/defaults.py
index a24fe6f090ba..e0d4262fdbe4 100644
--- a/awx/settings/defaults.py
+++ b/awx/settings/defaults.py
@@ -821,86 +821,25 @@ def IS_TESTING(argv=None):
         'dispatcher': {'format': '%(asctime)s %(levelname)-8s [%(guid)s] %(name)s PID:%(process)d %(message)s'},
         'job_lifecycle': {'()': 'awx.main.utils.formatters.JobLifeCycleFormatter'},
     },
+    # Extended below based on install scenario. You probably don't want to add something directly here.
+    # See 'handler_config' below.
     'handlers': {
         'console': {
             '()': 'logging.StreamHandler',
             'level': 'DEBUG',
-            'filters': ['require_debug_true_or_test', 'dynamic_level_filter', 'guid'],
+            'filters': ['dynamic_level_filter', 'guid'],
             'formatter': 'simple',
         },
         'null': {'class': 'logging.NullHandler'},
         'file': {'class': 'logging.NullHandler', 'formatter': 'simple'},
         'syslog': {'level': 'WARNING', 'filters': ['require_debug_false'], 'class': 'logging.NullHandler', 'formatter': 'simple'},
+        'inventory_import': {'level': 'DEBUG', 'class': 'logging.StreamHandler', 'formatter': 'timed_import'},
         'external_logger': {
             'class': 'awx.main.utils.handlers.RSysLogHandler',
             'formatter': 'json',
             'address': '/var/run/awx-rsyslog/rsyslog.sock',
             'filters': ['external_log_enabled', 'dynamic_level_filter', 'guid'],
         },
-        'tower_warnings': {
-            # don't define a level here, it's set by settings.LOG_AGGREGATOR_LEVEL
-            'class': 'logging.handlers.WatchedFileHandler',
-            'filters': ['require_debug_false', 'dynamic_level_filter', 'guid'],
-            'filename': os.path.join(LOG_ROOT, 'tower.log'),
-            'formatter': 'simple',
-        },
-        'callback_receiver': {
-            # don't define a level here, it's set by settings.LOG_AGGREGATOR_LEVEL
-            'class': 'logging.handlers.WatchedFileHandler',
-            'filters': ['require_debug_false', 'dynamic_level_filter', 'guid'],
-            'filename': os.path.join(LOG_ROOT, 'callback_receiver.log'),
-            'formatter': 'simple',
-        },
-        'dispatcher': {
-            # don't define a level here, it's set by settings.LOG_AGGREGATOR_LEVEL
-            'class': 'logging.handlers.WatchedFileHandler',
-            'filters': ['require_debug_false', 'dynamic_level_filter', 'guid'],
-            'filename': os.path.join(LOG_ROOT, 'dispatcher.log'),
-            'formatter': 'dispatcher',
-        },
-        'wsbroadcast': {
-            # don't define a level here, it's set by settings.LOG_AGGREGATOR_LEVEL
-            'class': 'logging.handlers.WatchedFileHandler',
-            'filters': ['require_debug_false', 'dynamic_level_filter', 'guid'],
-            'filename': os.path.join(LOG_ROOT, 'wsbroadcast.log'),
-            'formatter': 'simple',
-        },
-        'celery.beat': {'class': 'logging.StreamHandler', 'level': 'ERROR'},  # don't log every celerybeat wakeup
-        'inventory_import': {'level': 'DEBUG', 'class': 'logging.StreamHandler', 'formatter': 'timed_import'},
-        'task_system': {
-            # don't define a level here, it's set by settings.LOG_AGGREGATOR_LEVEL
-            'class': 'logging.handlers.WatchedFileHandler',
-            'filters': ['require_debug_false', 'dynamic_level_filter', 'guid'],
-            'filename': os.path.join(LOG_ROOT, 'task_system.log'),
-            'formatter': 'simple',
-        },
-        'management_playbooks': {
-            'level': 'DEBUG',
-            'class': 'logging.handlers.WatchedFileHandler',
-            'filters': ['require_debug_false'],
-            'filename': os.path.join(LOG_ROOT, 'management_playbooks.log'),
-            'formatter': 'simple',
-        },
-        'system_tracking_migrations': {
-            'level': 'WARNING',
-            'class': 'logging.handlers.WatchedFileHandler',
-            'filters': ['require_debug_false'],
-            'filename': os.path.join(LOG_ROOT, 'tower_system_tracking_migrations.log'),
-            'formatter': 'simple',
-        },
-        'rbac_migrations': {
-            'level': 'WARNING',
-            'class': 'logging.handlers.WatchedFileHandler',
-            'filters': ['require_debug_false'],
-            'filename': os.path.join(LOG_ROOT, 'tower_rbac_migrations.log'),
-            'formatter': 'simple',
-        },
-        'job_lifecycle': {
-            'level': 'DEBUG',
-            'class': 'logging.handlers.WatchedFileHandler',
-            'filename': os.path.join(LOG_ROOT, 'job_lifecycle.log'),
-            'formatter': 'job_lifecycle',
-        },
     },
     'loggers': {
         'django': {'handlers': ['console']},
@@ -933,6 +872,40 @@ def IS_TESTING(argv=None):
     },
 }
 
+# Log handler configuration. Keys are the name of the handler. Be mindful when renaming things here.
+# People might have created custom settings files that augments the behavior of these.
+# Specify 'filename' (used if the environment variable AWX_LOGGING_MODE is unset or 'file')
+# and an optional 'formatter'. If no formatter is specified, 'simple' is used.
+handler_config = {
+    'tower_warnings': {'filename': 'tower.log'},
+    'callback_receiver': {'filename': 'callback_receiver.log'},
+    'dispatcher': {'filename': 'dispatcher.log', 'formatter': 'dispatcher'},
+    'wsbroadcast': {'filename': 'wsbroadcast.log'},
+    'task_system': {'filename': 'task_system.log'},
+    'rbac_migrations': {'filename': 'tower_rbac_migrations.log'},
+    'job_lifecycle': {'filename': 'job_lifecycle.log', 'formatter': 'job_lifecycle'},
+}
+
+# If running on a VM, we log to files. When running in a container, we log to stdout.
+logging_mode = os.getenv('AWX_LOGGING_MODE', 'file')
+if logging_mode not in ('file', 'stdout'):
+    raise Exception("AWX_LOGGING_MODE must be 'file' or 'stdout'")
+
+for name, config in handler_config.items():
+    # Common log handler config. Don't define a level here, it's set by settings.LOG_AGGREGATOR_LEVEL
+    LOGGING['handlers'][name] = {'filters': ['dynamic_level_filter', 'guid'], 'formatter': config.get('formatter', 'simple')}
+
+    if logging_mode == 'file':
+        LOGGING['handlers'][name]['class'] = 'logging.handlers.WatchedFileHandler'
+        LOGGING['handlers'][name]['filename'] = os.path.join(LOG_ROOT, config['filename'])
+
+    if logging_mode == 'stdout':
+        LOGGING['handlers'][name]['class'] = 'logging.NullHandler'
+
+# Prevents logging to stdout on traditional VM installs
+if logging_mode == 'file':
+    LOGGING['handlers']['console']['filters'].insert(0, 'require_debug_true_or_test')
+
 # Apply coloring to messages logged to the console
 COLOR_LOGS = False
 
diff --git a/tools/ansible/roles/dockerfile/templates/Dockerfile.j2 b/tools/ansible/roles/dockerfile/templates/Dockerfile.j2
index 232fa6023451..a9891b2b41e1 100644
--- a/tools/ansible/roles/dockerfile/templates/Dockerfile.j2
+++ b/tools/ansible/roles/dockerfile/templates/Dockerfile.j2
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ FROM quay.io/centos/centos:stream9 as builder
 ENV LANG en_US.UTF-8
 ENV LANGUAGE en_US:en
 ENV LC_ALL en_US.UTF-8
+ENV AWX_LOGGING_MODE stdout
 
 
 USER root
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@ FROM quay.io/centos/centos:stream9
 ENV LANG en_US.UTF-8
 ENV LANGUAGE en_US:en
 ENV LC_ALL en_US.UTF-8
+ENV AWX_LOGGING_MODE stdout
 
 USER root
 
diff --git a/tools/docker-compose/ansible/roles/sources/templates/docker-compose.yml.j2 b/tools/docker-compose/ansible/roles/sources/templates/docker-compose.yml.j2
index 3884a383a536..87e50fbaa82b 100644
--- a/tools/docker-compose/ansible/roles/sources/templates/docker-compose.yml.j2
+++ b/tools/docker-compose/ansible/roles/sources/templates/docker-compose.yml.j2
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ services:
       RECEPTORCTL_SOCKET: {{ receptor_socket_file }}
       CONTROL_PLANE_NODE_COUNT: {{ control_plane_node_count|int }}
       EXECUTION_NODE_COUNT: {{ execution_node_count|int }}
+      AWX_LOGGING_MODE: stdout
 {% if loop.index == 1 %}
       RUN_MIGRATIONS: 1
 {% endif %}