diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 523bfe42..2463a849 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -227,15 +227,15 @@ static int _start_logging(void)
 
     ice_config_t *config = config_get_config_unlocked();
 
-    if(strcmp(config->error_log, "-")) {
+    if(strcmp(config->error_log, "-") == 0) {
+        /* this is already in place because of _start_logging_stdout() */
+    } else {
         snprintf(fn_error, FILENAME_MAX, "%s%s%s", config->log_dir, PATH_SEPARATOR, config->error_log);
         errorlog = log_open(fn_error);
         log_to_stderr = 0;
         if (config->logsize)
             log_set_trigger (errorlog, config->logsize);
         log_set_archive_timestamp(errorlog, config->logarchive);
-    } else {
-        /* this is already in place because of _start_logging_stdout() */
     }
 
     if (errorlog < 0) {
@@ -248,16 +248,16 @@ static int _start_logging(void)
     }
     log_set_level(errorlog, config->loglevel);
 
-    if(strcmp(config->access_log, "-")) {
+    if(strcmp(config->access_log, "-") == 0) {
+        accesslog = log_open_file(stderr);
+        log_to_stderr = 1;
+    } else {
         snprintf(fn_access, FILENAME_MAX, "%s%s%s", config->log_dir, PATH_SEPARATOR, config->access_log);
         accesslog = log_open(fn_access);
         log_to_stderr = 0;
         if (config->logsize)
             log_set_trigger (accesslog, config->logsize);
         log_set_archive_timestamp(accesslog, config->logarchive);
-    } else {
-        accesslog = log_open_file(stderr);
-        log_to_stderr = 1;
     }
 
     if (accesslog < 0) {