diff --git a/config/default.ts b/config/default.ts
index 7416fc84..98b5b2a4 100644
--- a/config/default.ts
+++ b/config/default.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {ConfigFile} from '../src/common';
 const config: ConfigFile = {
   activeVersions: ['1\\.0\\.\\d+', '2\\.0\\.\\d+'],
   hiddenRoutes: ['/bulk'],
+  logFormat: 'default',
   metrics: false,
   outdatedVersions: ['0\\.8\\.\\d+', '0\\.5\\.\\d+', '0\\.6\\.\\d+', '0\\.7\\.\\d+'],
   output: '/etc/nginx/http.d/default.conf',
diff --git a/fixtures/logFormatters.template b/fixtures/logFormatters.template
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d497f76a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fixtures/logFormatters.template
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+map $time_iso8601 $time_iso8601_dateTime {
+  ~([^+]+) $1;
+}
+map $time_iso8601 $time_iso8601_TZ {
+  ~\+([0-9:]+)$ $1;
+}
+map $msec $millisec {
+  ~\.([0-9]+)$ $1;
+}
+
+log_format json escape=json '{ "nginx_timestamp": "$time_iso8601_dateTime.$millisec+$time_iso8601_TZ", '
+       '"remote_addr": "$remote_addr", '
+       '"connection": "$connection", '
+       '"connection_requests": $connection_requests, '
+       '"pipe": "$pipe", '
+       '"body_bytes_sent": $body_bytes_sent, '
+       '"request_length": $request_length, '
+       '"request_time": $request_time, '
+       '"response_status": $status, '
+       '"request": "$request", '
+       '"request_method": "$request_method", '
+       '"host": "$host", '
+       '"upstream_cache_status": "$upstream_cache_status", '
+       '"upstream_addr": "$upstream_addr", '
+       '"http_x_forwarded_for": "$http_x_forwarded_for", '
+       '"http_referrer": "$http_referer", '
+       '"http_user_agent": "$http_user_agent", '
+       '"http_version": "$server_protocol", '
+       '"remote_user": "$remote_user", '
+       '"http_x_forwarded_proto": "$http_x_forwarded_proto", '
+       '"upstream_response_time": "$upstream_response_time", '
+       '"nginx_access": true }';
diff --git a/fixtures/metrics.template b/fixtures/metrics.template
index 2efab471..7af1dc8b 100644
--- a/fixtures/metrics.template
+++ b/fixtures/metrics.template
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ map $status $omitOKs {
 
 server {
     listen 8080;
-    access_log /dev/stdout combined if=$omitOKs;
+    error_log stderr;
+    access_log /dev/stdout {{{ logFormat }}} if=$omitOKs;
     location /metrics {
-      vhost_traffic_status_display;
-      vhost_traffic_status_display_format prometheus;
+        vhost_traffic_status_display;
+        vhost_traffic_status_display_format prometheus;
     }
 }
diff --git a/nginx.conf.template b/nginx.conf.template
index 34f570ee..6cadc1f4 100644
--- a/nginx.conf.template
+++ b/nginx.conf.template
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+{{{ logFormatters }}}
+
 {{{ metrics }}}
 
 {{{ dockerVersionMap }}}
@@ -19,6 +21,9 @@ map $isRateLimited $rateLimit {
 limit_req_zone $rateLimit zone=customstappslimit:10m rate=20r/s;
 
 server {
+  error_log stderr;
+  access_log /dev/stdout {{{ logFormat }}};
+
   {{{ listener }}}
 
   {{{ visibleRoutes }}}
diff --git a/src/common.ts b/src/common.ts
index 1a6e9f03..e5b7f3c7 100644
--- a/src/common.ts
+++ b/src/common.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,20 @@ export interface SSLFilePaths {
   dhparam: string;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Supported log formats for config
+ */
+type SupportedLogFormatsKeys = 'default' | 'combined' | 'json';
+
+/**
+ * Map supported formats to stings used in template view
+ */
+export const SupportedLogFormats: {[key in SupportedLogFormatsKeys]: string} = {
+  default: 'combined',
+  combined: 'combined',
+  json: 'json',
+};
+
 /**
  * A representation of the config file
  */
@@ -59,10 +73,14 @@ export interface ConfigFile {
    * List of hidden routes
    */
   hiddenRoutes: string[];
+  /**
+   * Sets log format (default or json)
+   */
+  logFormat: SupportedLogFormatsKeys;
   /**
    * Enables metrics on /metrics route
    */
-  metrics: boolean;
+  metrics?: boolean;
   /**
    * List of outdated versions
    */
@@ -97,6 +115,14 @@ export interface TemplateView {
    * Listener
    */
   listener: string;
+  /**
+   * Log format to use
+   */
+  logFormat: string;
+  /**
+   * Custom Log formatters
+   */
+  logFormatters: string;
   /**
    * Local server with listener for /metrics route
    */
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index 0ece216d..88291099 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import {
   protocolHardeningParameters,
   SSLFilePaths,
   sslHardeningParameters,
+  SupportedLogFormats,
   TemplateView,
 } from './common';
 
@@ -244,11 +245,14 @@ ${protocolHardeningParameters}
 /**
  * Reads predefined server entry with metrics location
  */
-export async function generateMetricsServer(enableMetrics: boolean): Promise<string> {
+export async function generateMetricsServer(logFormat: string, enableMetrics?: boolean): Promise<string> {
   if (!enableMetrics) {
     return '';
   }
-  return asyncReadFile('./fixtures/metrics.template', 'utf8');
+
+  return renderTemplate(path.join('fixtures', 'metrics.template'), {
+    logFormat: logFormat,
+  });
 }
 
 /**
@@ -302,6 +306,13 @@ export async function getTemplateView(containers: Dockerode.ContainerInfo[]): Pr
     });
   });
 
+  const logFormattingPromise = renderTemplate(path.join('fixtures', 'logFormatters.template'), {});
+
+  const logFormat =
+    configFile.logFormat in SupportedLogFormats
+      ? SupportedLogFormats[configFile.logFormat]
+      : SupportedLogFormats.default;
+
   return {
     dockerVersionMap: await generateUpstreamMap(
       configFile.activeVersions,
@@ -310,7 +321,9 @@ export async function getTemplateView(containers: Dockerode.ContainerInfo[]): Pr
     ),
     hiddenRoutes: (await Promise.all(hiddenRoutesPromises)).join(''),
     listener: generateListener(configFile.sslFilePaths),
-    metrics: await generateMetricsServer(configFile.metrics),
+    logFormat: logFormat,
+    logFormatters: await logFormattingPromise,
+    metrics: await generateMetricsServer(logFormat, configFile.metrics),
     rateLimitAllowList: generateRateLimitAllowList(configFile.rateLimitAllowList),
     staticRoute: await renderTemplate(path.join('fixtures', 'staticRoute.template'), {cors}),
     visibleRoutes: (await Promise.all(visibleRoutesPromises)).join(''),
diff --git a/test/main.spec.ts b/test/main.spec.ts
index 65ff6b07..e0dc308b 100644
--- a/test/main.spec.ts
+++ b/test/main.spec.ts
@@ -402,12 +402,12 @@ Please check if docker is running and Node.js can access the docker socket (/var
 
   @test
   async 'include metrics config'() {
-    expect(await generateMetricsServer(true)).length.to.be.greaterThan(1);
+    expect(await generateMetricsServer('test', true)).length.to.be.greaterThan(1);
   }
 
   @test
   async 'omit metrics config'() {
-    expect(await generateMetricsServer(false)).to.equal('');
+    expect(await generateMetricsServer('test', false)).to.equal('');
   }
 
   @test