diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 46ea436c..0b7eedc6 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1734,6 +1734,8 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
  "serde_yml",
+ "slog",
+ "slog-json",
  "sqlite",
  "sqlite3-sys",
  "subplot-build",
@@ -2182,6 +2184,24 @@ version = "1.0.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "56199f7ddabf13fe5074ce809e7d3f42b42ae711800501b5b16ea82ad029c39d"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "slog"
+version = "2.7.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "8347046d4ebd943127157b94d63abb990fcf729dc4e9978927fdf4ac3c998d06"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "slog-json"
+version = "2.6.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "3e1e53f61af1e3c8b852eef0a9dee29008f55d6dd63794f3f12cef786cf0f219"
+dependencies = [
+ "serde",
+ "serde_json",
+ "slog",
+ "time",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "slug"
 version = "0.1.5"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 4d9d4b76..bcc1ec92 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ regex = "1.10.5"
 serde = { version = "1.0.204", features = ["derive"] }
 serde_json = "1.0.121"
 serde_yml = "0.0.11"
+slog = "2.7.0"
+slog-json = "2.6.1"
 sqlite = "0.32.0"
 sqlite3-sys = "0.15.0"
 subplotlib = "0.10.0"
diff --git a/ci-broker.md b/ci-broker.md
index b030ea04..06f9b64f 100644
--- a/ci-broker.md
+++ b/ci-broker.md
@@ -991,3 +991,81 @@ when I run cibtool --db x.db run show x
 then stdout contains ""state": "finished""
 then stdout contains ""result": "failure""
 ~~~
+
+# Acceptance criteria for logging
+
+The CI broker writes log messages to its standard error output
+(stderr), which the node operator can capture to a suitable persistent
+location. The logs are structured: each line is a JSON object. The
+structured logs are meant to be easier to process by programs, for
+example to extract information for monitoring, and alerting the node
+operator about problems.
+
+An example log message might look like below (here formatted on
+multiple lines for human consumption):
+
+~~~json
+{
+  "msg": "CI broker starts",
+  "level": "INFO",
+  "ts": "2024-08-14T13:38:36.733953135Z",
+}
+~~~
+
+Because logs are crucial for managing a system, we record acceptance
+criteria for the minimum logging that the CI broker needs to do.
+
+## Logs start and successful end
+
+_What:_ `cib` logs a message when it starts and ends.
+
+_Why:_ The program starting to run can be important information, for
+example, to know when it's not running. It's also important to know if
+the CI broker terminates successfully.
+
+_Who:_ `cib-dev`.
+
+We verify this by starting `cib` in a mode where it processes any
+events already in the event queue, and then terminates. We don't add
+any events, so `cib` just terminates at once. All of this will work,
+when properly set up.
+
+~~~scenario
+given file radenv.sh
+given file setup-node.sh
+when I run bash radenv.sh bash setup-node.sh
+
+given file adapter.sh from dummy.sh
+when I run chmod +x adapter.sh
+
+given an installed cib
+
+given file broker.yaml
+when I run bash radenv.sh cib --config broker.yaml queued
+
+then stderr contains "CI broker starts"
+then stderr contains "CI broker ends successfully"
+~~~
+
+## Logs termination due to error
+
+_What:_ `cib` logs a message when it ends due to an unrecoverable
+error.
+
+_Why:_ It's quite important to know this. Note that a recoverable
+error does not terminate the CI broker.
+
+_Who:_ `cib-dev`.
+
+We check this by running the CI broker without a local node. This
+is an error it can't recover from.
+
+~~~scenario
+given an installed cib
+
+given file broker.yaml
+when I try to run cib --config broker.yaml queued
+
+then stderr contains "CI broker starts"
+then stderr contains "CI broker ends in unrecoverable error"
+~~~
diff --git a/ci-broker.subplot b/ci-broker.subplot
index 07971ece..25a30c19 100644
--- a/ci-broker.subplot
+++ b/ci-broker.subplot
@@ -12,3 +12,5 @@ bindings:
 impls:
   rust:
     - src/subplot.rs
+classes:
+  - json
diff --git a/src/bin/cib.rs b/src/bin/cib.rs
index bfd8af67..c21dd538 100644
--- a/src/bin/cib.rs
+++ b/src/bin/cib.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ use radicle_ci_broker::{
     broker::{Broker, BrokerError},
     config::{Config, ConfigError},
     db::{Db, DbError},
+    logger::Logger,
     notif::NotificationChannel,
     pages::{PageBuilder, PageError},
     queueadd::{AdderError, QueueAdderBuilder},
@@ -26,6 +27,9 @@ use radicle_ci_broker::{
 };
 
 fn main() {
+    let logger = Logger::default();
+    logger.start_cib();
+
     if let Err(e) = fallible_main() {
         error!("ERROR: {}", e);
         let mut e = e.source();
@@ -33,8 +37,11 @@ fn main() {
             error!("caused by: {}", source);
             e = source.source();
         }
+        logger.end_cib_in_error();
         exit(1);
     }
+
+    logger.end_cib_successfully();
 }
 
 fn fallible_main() -> Result<(), CibError> {
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index d07efc87..65ac0d61 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ pub mod broker;
 pub mod config;
 pub mod db;
 pub mod event;
+pub mod logger;
 pub mod msg;
 pub mod notif;
 pub mod pages;
diff --git a/src/logger.rs b/src/logger.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..04a89b98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/logger.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+//! A logger abstraction for the CI broker.
+
+use std::sync::Mutex;
+
+use slog::{info, o, Drain};
+
+pub struct Logger {
+    root: slog::Logger,
+}
+
+impl Default for Logger {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            root: slog::Logger::root(
+                Mutex::new(slog_json::Json::default(std::io::stderr())).map(slog::Fuse),
+                o!(),
+            ),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Logger {
+    pub fn start_cib(&self) {
+        info!(&self.root, "CI broker starts");
+    }
+
+    pub fn end_cib_successfully(&self) {
+        info!(&self.root, "CI broker ends successfully");
+    }
+
+    pub fn end_cib_in_error(&self) {
+        info!(&self.root, "CI broker ends in unrecoverable error");
+    }
+}