diff --git a/.github/workflows/smoke-test.yaml b/.github/workflows/smoke-test.yaml
index 5580a29..25c14f9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/smoke-test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/smoke-test.yaml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Prepare host directories
         run: |
-          mkdir -p netdisco/logs netdisco/config netdisco/nd-site-local
+          mkdir -p netdisco/config netdisco/nd-site-local
           sudo chown -R 901:901 netdisco
 
       - name: Start the stack
@@ -73,6 +73,28 @@ jobs:
             fi
           done
 
+      - name: Confirm no real log files written (foreground mode)
+        run: |
+          # Post netdisco/netdisco#1500: foreground mode skips log file
+          # creation entirely. The Dockerfile keeps the legacy
+          # /home/netdisco/logs/netdisco-*.log -> /dev/stdout symlinks as a
+          # safety net for non-foreground use, so '-type f' excludes those
+          # and only catches *real* files (which would mean log writes
+          # accumulating inside the container instead of reaching stdout).
+          fail=0
+          for svc in netdisco-backend netdisco-web; do
+            real=$(docker compose exec -T "$svc" find /home/netdisco/logs \
+              -maxdepth 1 -type f -name '*.log' 2>/dev/null || true)
+            if [ -n "$real" ]; then
+              echo "FAIL: $svc has real log files (expected stdout only):"
+              echo "$real"
+              fail=1
+            else
+              echo "OK: $svc — no real .log files in /home/netdisco/logs/"
+            fi
+          done
+          exit $fail
+
       - name: Dump compose logs
         if: always()
         run: docker compose logs --no-color || true
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 643aa75..6b6f067 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ On Linux hosts, create these directories and allow the service uid (`901`) to wr
 
 *(this step is only necessary on Linux hosts and can be omitted in the macOS and Windows versions of Docker)*
 
-    mkdir -p netdisco/{logs,config,nd-site-local} 
+    mkdir -p netdisco/{config,nd-site-local}
     sudo chown -R 901:901 netdisco
 
 ###  New Deployments
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ Download `compose.yaml` and start everything:
 
 This runs the database, backend daemon, and web frontend listening on port 5000. If you have a device using the SNMP community `public`, enter it in the Netdisco homepage and click "Discover".
 
-The default configuration is available in `netdisco/config/deployment.yml`. The daemons automatically restart when you save changes to this file. Logs are available in `netdisco/logs/`.
+The default configuration is available in `netdisco/config/deployment.yml`. The daemons automatically restart when you save changes to this file. Logs are available via `docker compose logs` (the daemons write directly to the container stdout in foreground mode).
 
 The web frontend is initally configured to allow unauthenticated access with full admin rights. We suggest you visit the `Admin -> User Management` menu item, and set `no_auth: false` in `deployment.yml`, to remove this guest account and set up authenticated user access.
 
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 2e82548..051c6d8 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@ services:
     volumes:
       - "./netdisco/nd-site-local:/home/netdisco/nd-site-local"
       - "./netdisco/config:/home/netdisco/environments"
-      - "./netdisco/logs:/home/netdisco/logs"
     environment:
       <<: *common-environment
     dns_opt:
@@ -93,7 +92,6 @@ services:
     volumes:
       - "./netdisco/nd-site-local:/home/netdisco/nd-site-local"
       - "./netdisco/config:/home/netdisco/environments"
-      - "./netdisco/logs:/home/netdisco/logs"
     environment:
       <<: *common-environment
       IPV: '${IPV:-4}'