diff --git a/src/build-remote/build-remote.cc b/src/build-remote/build-remote.cc
index fb90403a0..88a829cc0 100644
--- a/src/build-remote/build-remote.cc
+++ b/src/build-remote/build-remote.cc
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ static bool allSupportedLocally(Store & store, const std::set<std::string>& requ
 static int main_build_remote(int argc, char * * argv)
 {
     {
-        logger = makeJSONLogger(*logger);
+        logger = makeJSONLogger(std::move(logger));
 
         /* Ensure we don't get any SSH passphrase or host key popups. */
         unsetenv("DISPLAY");
diff --git a/src/libmain/loggers.cc b/src/libmain/loggers.cc
index 8c3c4e355..85ffe4a8a 100644
--- a/src/libmain/loggers.cc
+++ b/src/libmain/loggers.cc
@@ -24,14 +24,14 @@ LogFormat parseLogFormat(const std::string & logFormatStr) {
     throw Error("option 'log-format' has an invalid value '%s'", logFormatStr);
 }
 
-Logger * makeDefaultLogger() {
+std::unique_ptr<Logger> makeDefaultLogger() {
     switch (defaultLogFormat) {
     case LogFormat::raw:
         return makeSimpleLogger(false);
     case LogFormat::rawWithLogs:
         return makeSimpleLogger(true);
     case LogFormat::internalJSON:
-        return makeJSONLogger(*makeSimpleLogger(true));
+        return makeJSONLogger(makeSimpleLogger(true));
     case LogFormat::bar:
         return makeProgressBar();
     case LogFormat::barWithLogs: {
diff --git a/src/libmain/progress-bar.cc b/src/libmain/progress-bar.cc
index e36bc0b01..3151ac9ec 100644
--- a/src/libmain/progress-bar.cc
+++ b/src/libmain/progress-bar.cc
@@ -44,17 +44,20 @@ static std::string_view storePathToName(std::string_view path)
 ProgressBar::ProgressBar(bool isTTY)
     : isTTY(isTTY)
 {
-    state_.lock()->active = isTTY;
-    updateThread = std::thread([&]() {
-        auto state(state_.lock());
-        auto nextWakeup = A_LONG_TIME;
-        while (state->active) {
-            if (!state->haveUpdate)
-                state.wait_for(updateCV, nextWakeup);
-            nextWakeup = draw(*state, {});
-            state.wait_for(quitCV, std::chrono::milliseconds(50));
-        }
-    });
+    if ((state_.lock()->active = isTTY)) {
+        // Only start the update thread when the logger is set to active.
+        // Otherwise, the destructor will std::terminate trying to destroy a joinable thread.
+        updateThread = std::thread([&]() {
+            auto state(state_.lock());
+            auto nextWakeup = A_LONG_TIME;
+            while (state->active) {
+                if (!state->haveUpdate)
+                    state.wait_for(updateCV, nextWakeup);
+                nextWakeup = draw(*state, {});
+                state.wait_for(quitCV, std::chrono::milliseconds(50));
+            }
+        });
+    }
 }
 
 ProgressBar::~ProgressBar()
@@ -554,9 +557,9 @@ void ProgressBar::setPrintMultiline(bool printMultiline)
     this->printMultiline = printMultiline;
 }
 
-Logger * makeProgressBar()
+std::unique_ptr<Logger> makeProgressBar()
 {
-    return new ProgressBar(shouldANSI());
+    return std::make_unique<ProgressBar>(shouldANSI());
 }
 
 void startProgressBar()
@@ -566,7 +569,7 @@ void startProgressBar()
 
 void stopProgressBar()
 {
-    auto progressBar = dynamic_cast<ProgressBar *>(logger);
+    auto progressBar = dynamic_cast<ProgressBar *>(logger.get());
     if (progressBar) progressBar->stop();
 
 }
diff --git a/src/libmain/progress-bar.hh b/src/libmain/progress-bar.hh
index e682d75fe..bf05c89de 100644
--- a/src/libmain/progress-bar.hh
+++ b/src/libmain/progress-bar.hh
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ struct ProgressBar : public Logger
     void setPrintMultiline(bool printMultiline) override;
 };
 
-Logger * makeProgressBar();
+std::unique_ptr<Logger> makeProgressBar();
 
 void startProgressBar();
 
diff --git a/src/libstore/build/local-derivation-goal.cc b/src/libstore/build/local-derivation-goal.cc
index c7d7d06d6..acc8f7cf1 100644
--- a/src/libstore/build/local-derivation-goal.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/build/local-derivation-goal.cc
@@ -2636,7 +2636,7 @@ void LocalDerivationGoal::runChild()
         /* Execute the program.  This should not return. */
         if (drv->isBuiltin()) {
             try {
-                logger = makeJSONLogger(*logger);
+                logger = makeJSONLogger(std::move(logger));
 
                 BasicDerivation & drv2(*drv);
                 for (auto & e : drv2.env)
diff --git a/src/libstore/daemon.cc b/src/libstore/daemon.cc
index 6d64644d1..d96d92d01 100644
--- a/src/libstore/daemon.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/daemon.cc
@@ -991,11 +991,13 @@ void processConnection(
     if (clientVersion < MIN_SUPPORTED_WORKER_PROTO_VERSION)
         throw Error("the Nix client version is too old");
 
-    auto tunnelLogger = new TunnelLogger(to, clientVersion);
-    auto prevLogger = nix::logger;
+    std::unique_ptr<Logger> savedPrevLogger;
+    auto prevLogger = nix::logger.get();
+    auto ownedTunnelLogger = std::make_unique<TunnelLogger>(to, clientVersion);
+    auto tunnelLogger = ownedTunnelLogger.get();
     // FIXME
     if (!recursive)
-        logger = tunnelLogger;
+        savedPrevLogger = std::exchange(logger, std::move(ownedTunnelLogger));
 
     unsigned int opCount = 0;
 
diff --git a/src/libutil/logging.cc b/src/libutil/logging.cc
index fecbc89ac..ccd1f1ea7 100644
--- a/src/libutil/logging.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/logging.cc
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ void setCurActivity(const ActivityId activityId)
     curActivity = activityId;
 }
 
-Logger * logger = makeSimpleLogger(true);
+std::unique_ptr<Logger> logger = makeSimpleLogger(true);
 
 void Logger::warn(const std::string & msg)
 {
@@ -129,9 +129,9 @@ void writeToStderr(std::string_view s)
     }
 }
 
-Logger * makeSimpleLogger(bool printBuildLogs)
+std::unique_ptr<Logger> makeSimpleLogger(bool printBuildLogs)
 {
-    return new SimpleLogger(printBuildLogs);
+    return std::make_unique<SimpleLogger>(printBuildLogs);
 }
 
 std::atomic<uint64_t> nextId{0};
@@ -159,9 +159,9 @@ void to_json(nlohmann::json & json, std::shared_ptr<Pos> pos)
 }
 
 struct JSONLogger : Logger {
-    Logger & prevLogger;
+    std::unique_ptr<Logger> prevLogger;
 
-    JSONLogger(Logger & prevLogger) : prevLogger(prevLogger) { }
+    JSONLogger(std::unique_ptr<Logger> prevLogger) : prevLogger(std::move(prevLogger)) { }
 
     bool isVerbose() override {
         return true;
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ struct JSONLogger : Logger {
 
     void write(const nlohmann::json & json)
     {
-        prevLogger.log(lvlError, "@nix " + json.dump(-1, ' ', false, nlohmann::json::error_handler_t::replace));
+        prevLogger->log(lvlError, "@nix " + json.dump(-1, ' ', false, nlohmann::json::error_handler_t::replace));
     }
 
     void log(Verbosity lvl, std::string_view s) override
@@ -254,9 +254,9 @@ struct JSONLogger : Logger {
     }
 };
 
-Logger * makeJSONLogger(Logger & prevLogger)
+std::unique_ptr<Logger> makeJSONLogger(std::unique_ptr<Logger> prevLogger)
 {
-    return new JSONLogger(prevLogger);
+    return std::make_unique<JSONLogger>(std::move(prevLogger));
 }
 
 static Logger::Fields getFields(nlohmann::json & json)
diff --git a/src/libutil/logging.hh b/src/libutil/logging.hh
index 3cead4296..6089f1585 100644
--- a/src/libutil/logging.hh
+++ b/src/libutil/logging.hh
@@ -227,11 +227,11 @@ struct PushActivity
     ~PushActivity() { setCurActivity(prevAct); }
 };
 
-extern Logger * logger;
+extern std::unique_ptr<Logger> logger;
 
-Logger * makeSimpleLogger(bool printBuildLogs = true);
+std::unique_ptr<Logger> makeSimpleLogger(bool printBuildLogs = true);
 
-Logger * makeJSONLogger(Logger & prevLogger);
+std::unique_ptr<Logger> makeJSONLogger(std::unique_ptr<Logger> prevLogger);
 
 /**
  * suppress msgs > this
diff --git a/tests/unit/libexpr/primops.cc b/tests/unit/libexpr/primops.cc
index bd174a6c0..f623cc896 100644
--- a/tests/unit/libexpr/primops.cc
+++ b/tests/unit/libexpr/primops.cc
@@ -27,20 +27,17 @@ namespace nix {
     };
 
     class CaptureLogging {
-        Logger * oldLogger;
-        std::unique_ptr<CaptureLogger> tempLogger;
+        std::unique_ptr<Logger> oldLogger;
         public:
-            CaptureLogging() : tempLogger(std::make_unique<CaptureLogger>()) {
-                oldLogger = logger;
-                logger = tempLogger.get();
-            }
+            CaptureLogging() : oldLogger(std::exchange(logger, std::make_unique<CaptureLogger>())) {}
 
             ~CaptureLogging() {
-                logger = oldLogger;
+                logger = std::move(oldLogger);
             }
 
             std::string get() const {
-                return tempLogger->get();
+                auto captureLogger = dynamic_cast<CaptureLogger *>(logger.get());
+                return captureLogger ? captureLogger->get() : "";
             }
     };
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/libmain/progress-bar.cc b/tests/unit/libmain/progress-bar.cc
index e44a8b37e..778256d0b 100644
--- a/tests/unit/libmain/progress-bar.cc
+++ b/tests/unit/libmain/progress-bar.cc
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ namespace nix
         initGC();
 
         startProgressBar();
-        ASSERT_NE(dynamic_cast<ProgressBar *>(logger), nullptr);
+        ASSERT_NE(dynamic_cast<ProgressBar *>(logger.get()), nullptr);
         ProgressBar & progressBar = dynamic_cast<ProgressBar &>(*logger);
 
         Activity act(