diff --git a/src/FileServer.jl b/src/FileServer.jl
index 49010c5..cad5d86 100644
--- a/src/FileServer.jl
+++ b/src/FileServer.jl
@@ -22,6 +22,24 @@ include("server.jl")   # registers routes (references CONFIG/QUEUE at call time)
 
 export run
 
+# When stderr is a live terminal Julia flushes each write, but when it's
+# redirected to a file or pipe (a log file, `tee`, journald, a container log
+# driver) Julia block-buffers it — so a long-running server's logs sit unseen in
+# the buffer until it fills or the process exits, making it look like nothing is
+# happening. This wrapper delegates to a normal logger and flushes after every
+# message so output appears immediately wherever stderr is pointed.
+struct FlushLogger{L<:AbstractLogger} <: AbstractLogger
+    inner::L
+end
+Logging.min_enabled_level(f::FlushLogger) = Logging.min_enabled_level(f.inner)
+Logging.shouldlog(f::FlushLogger, args...) = Logging.shouldlog(f.inner, args...)
+Logging.catch_exceptions(f::FlushLogger) = Logging.catch_exceptions(f.inner)
+function Logging.handle_message(f::FlushLogger, args...; kwargs...)
+    Logging.handle_message(f.inner, args...; kwargs...)
+    flush(f.inner.stream)
+    return nothing
+end
+
 """
     run(; overrides...)
 
@@ -38,6 +56,10 @@ function run(; overrides...)
     # us drain the queue gracefully below.
     Base.exit_on_sigint(false)
 
+    # Flush every log message so output is visible in real time even when stderr
+    # is redirected to a file/pipe (see FlushLogger). Set before anything logs.
+    global_logger(FlushLogger(ConsoleLogger(stderr)))
+
     cfg = config_from_env(; overrides...)
     ensure_dirs(cfg)