diff --git a/src/cli.rs b/src/cli.rs
index 7cb613b5..a179bc7c 100644
--- a/src/cli.rs
+++ b/src/cli.rs
@@ -495,6 +495,12 @@ pub async fn playground<H: Hooks>() -> crate::Result<AppContext> {
     let cli = Playground::parse();
     let environment: Environment = cli.environment.unwrap_or_else(resolve_from_env).into();
 
+    let config = environment.load()?;
+
+    if !H::init_logger(&config, &environment)? {
+        logger::init::<H>(&config.logger)?;
+    }
+
     let app_context = create_context::<H>(&environment).await?;
     Ok(app_context)
 }
@@ -536,7 +542,7 @@ pub async fn main<H: Hooks, M: MigratorTrait>() -> crate::Result<()> {
     let config = environment.load()?;
 
     if !H::init_logger(&config, &environment)? {
-        logger::init::<H>(&config.logger);
+        logger::init::<H>(&config.logger)?;
     }
 
     let task_span = create_root_span(&environment);
@@ -682,7 +688,7 @@ pub async fn main<H: Hooks>() -> crate::Result<()> {
     let config = environment.load()?;
 
     if !H::init_logger(&config, &environment)? {
-        logger::init::<H>(&config.logger);
+        logger::init::<H>(&config.logger)?;
     }
 
     let task_span = create_root_span(&environment);
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 5cbd789f..fb29c0c9 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ mod env_vars;
 pub mod environment;
 pub mod errors;
 pub mod hash;
-mod logger;
+pub mod logger;
 pub mod mailer;
 pub mod scheduler;
 pub mod task;
diff --git a/src/logger.rs b/src/logger.rs
index cd791836..8bcd53c0 100644
--- a/src/logger.rs
+++ b/src/logger.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use tracing_subscriber::{
     fmt, fmt::MakeWriter, layer::SubscriberExt, util::SubscriberInitExt, EnvFilter, Layer, Registry,
 };
 
-use crate::{app::Hooks, config};
+use crate::{app::Hooks, config, Error, Result};
 
 // Define an enumeration for log levels
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Clone, Deserialize, Serialize)]
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ const MODULE_WHITELIST: &[&str] = &[
     "tower_http",
     "sqlx::query",
     "sidekiq",
+    "playground",
 ];
 
 // Keep nonblocking file appender work guard
@@ -96,7 +97,11 @@ static NONBLOCKING_WORK_GUARD_KEEP: OnceLock<WorkerGuard> = OnceLock::new();
 ///    use via PR)
 /// 3. regardless of (1) and (2) operators in production, or elsewhere can
 ///    always use `RUST_LOG` to quickly diagnose a service
-pub fn init<H: Hooks>(config: &config::Logger) {
+///
+/// # Errors
+/// Fails if cannot initialize logger or set up an appender (in case the option
+/// is enabled)
+pub fn init<H: Hooks>(config: &config::Logger) -> Result<()> {
     let mut layers: Vec<Box<dyn Layer<Registry> + Sync + Send>> = Vec::new();
 
     if let Some(file_appender_config) = config.file_appender.as_ref() {
@@ -138,12 +143,14 @@ pub fn init<H: Hooks>(config: &config::Logger) {
                         .map_or_else(String::new, ToString::to_string),
                 )
                 .build(dir)
-                .expect("logger file appender initialization failed");
+                .map_err(Error::msg)?;
 
             let file_appender_layer = if file_appender_config.non_blocking {
                 let (non_blocking_file_appender, work_guard) =
                     tracing_appender::non_blocking(file_appender);
-                NONBLOCKING_WORK_GUARD_KEEP.set(work_guard).unwrap();
+                NONBLOCKING_WORK_GUARD_KEEP
+                    .set(work_guard)
+                    .map_err(|_| Error::string("cannot lock for appender"))?;
                 init_layer(
                     non_blocking_file_appender,
                     &file_appender_config.format,
@@ -168,6 +175,7 @@ pub fn init<H: Hooks>(config: &config::Logger) {
             .with(env_filter)
             .init();
     }
+    Ok(())
 }
 
 fn init_env_filter<H: Hooks>(override_filter: Option<&String>, level: &LogLevel) -> EnvFilter {