diff --git a/easybuild/framework/easyblock.py b/easybuild/framework/easyblock.py
index df1866b6db..95cae7608b 100644
--- a/easybuild/framework/easyblock.py
+++ b/easybuild/framework/easyblock.py
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 * Maxime Boissonneault (Compute Canada)
 * Davide Vanzo (Vanderbilt University)
 * Caspar van Leeuwen (SURF)
+* Jan Andre Reuter (Juelich Supercomputing Centre)
 """
 
 import copy
@@ -141,10 +142,11 @@ def extra_options(extra=None):
     #
     # INIT
     #
-    def __init__(self, ec):
+    def __init__(self, ec, create_log_file=True):
         """
         Initialize the EasyBlock instance.
         :param ec: a parsed easyconfig file (EasyConfig instance)
+        :param log: a logger instance from another EasyBlock instance (optional)
         """
 
         # keep track of original working directory, so we can go back there
@@ -213,9 +215,13 @@ def __init__(self, ec):
         self.rpath_include_dirs = []
 
         # logging
+        # each easyblock instance creates its own logger.
+        # however, this is not necessary if a logger is passed to the easyblock
+        # in that case, reuse the logger
         self.log = None
         self.logfile = None
         self.logdebug = build_option('debug')
+        self.create_log_file = create_log_file
         self.postmsg = ''  # allow a post message to be set, which can be shown as last output
         self.current_step = None
 
@@ -303,11 +309,11 @@ def _init_log(self):
         if self.log is not None:
             return
 
-        self.logfile = get_log_filename(self.name, self.version, add_salt=True)
-        fancylogger.logToFile(self.logfile, max_bytes=0)
+        if self.create_log_file:
+            self.logfile = get_log_filename(self.name, self.version, add_salt=True)
+            fancylogger.logToFile(self.logfile, max_bytes=0)
 
         self.log = fancylogger.getLogger(name=self.__class__.__name__, fname=False)
-
         self.log.info(this_is_easybuild())
 
         this_module = inspect.getmodule(self)
@@ -323,6 +329,9 @@ def close_log(self):
         """
         Shutdown the logger.
         """
+        # only close log if we created a logfile
+        if not self.logfile:
+            return
         self.log.info("Closing log for application name %s version %s" % (self.name, self.version))
         fancylogger.logToFile(self.logfile, enable=False)
 
diff --git a/test/framework/easyblock.py b/test/framework/easyblock.py
index 19218eca6a..fa4072a80c 100644
--- a/test/framework/easyblock.py
+++ b/test/framework/easyblock.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 @author: Jens Timmerman (Ghent University)
 @author: Kenneth Hoste (Ghent University)
 @author: Maxime Boissonneault (Compute Canada)
+@author: Jan Andre Reuter (Juelich Supercomputing Centre)
 """
 import os
 import re
@@ -2895,6 +2896,41 @@ def run_sanity_check_step(sanity_check_paths, enhance_sanity_check):
         run_sanity_check_step({}, False)
         run_sanity_check_step({}, True)
 
+    def test_create_easyblock_without_logfile(self):
+        """
+        Test creating an EasyBlock without a logfile.
+        This represents scenarios found in Bundle and QuantumESPRESSO, where an EasyBlock is
+        created within another EasyBlock.
+        """
+        self.contents = '\n'.join([
+            'easyblock = "ConfigureMake"',
+            'name = "pi"',
+            'version = "3.14"',
+            'homepage = "http://example.com"',
+            'description = "test easyconfig"',
+            'toolchain = SYSTEM',
+        ])
+        self.writeEC()
+        # Ensure that the default case works as expected
+        eb = EasyBlock(EasyConfig(self.eb_file))
+        self.assertNotEqual(eb.log, None)
+        self.assertNotEqual(eb.logfile, None)
+        # Get reference to the actual log instance and ensure that it works
+        # This is NOT eb.log, which represents a separate logger with a separate name.
+        file_log = fancylogger.getLogger(name=None)
+        self.assertNotEqual(getattr(file_log, 'logtofile_%s' % eb.logfile), False)
+        eb.close_log()
+        self.assertEqual(getattr(file_log, 'logtofile_%s' % eb.logfile), False)
+
+        # Now, create another EasyBlock without a log file
+        eb_non_logfile = EasyBlock(EasyConfig(self.eb_file), create_log_file=False)
+        self.assertNotEqual(eb_non_logfile.log, None)
+        self.assertEqual(eb_non_logfile.logfile, None)
+        # Try to log something in it
+        eb_non_logfile.log.info("Test message")
+
+        os.remove(eb.logfile)
+
 
 def suite():
     """ return all the tests in this file """