diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index cc13c2f5..92650925 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 All notable changes to the ZSS package will be documented in this file.
 
 ## `3.0.0`
-
+- Enhancement: if no `zowe.logDirectory` is defined in config, logging is disabled. (#726)
 
 ## `2.18.0`
 - Change log level for setting default value of 'httpRequestHeapMaxBlocks' to DEBUG instead of INFO.(#719)
diff --git a/bin/start.sh b/bin/start.sh
index 0f7e1238..6f4a6e5c 100755
--- a/bin/start.sh
+++ b/bin/start.sh
@@ -74,7 +74,13 @@ if [[ "${OSNAME}" == "OS/390" ]]; then
       then
         ZWES_LOG_DIR=${ZWE_zowe_logDirectory}
       else
-        ZWES_LOG_DIR="../log"
+        if [ -z "${ZWE_zowe_runtimeDirectory}" ]; then
+          ZWES_LOG_DIR="../log"
+        else
+          echo "No log directory. Logging disabled."
+          ZWES_LOG_DIR=
+          ZWES_LOG_FILE=/dev/null
+        fi
       fi
     fi
     if [ -f "$ZWES_LOG_DIR" ]
@@ -82,12 +88,13 @@ if [[ "${OSNAME}" == "OS/390" ]]; then
       ZWES_LOG_FILE=$ZWES_LOG_DIR
     elif [ ! -d "$ZWES_LOG_DIR" ]
     then
-      echo "Will make log directory $ZWES_LOG_DIR"
-      mkdir -p $ZWES_LOG_DIR
-      if [ $? -ne 0 ]
-      then
-        echo "Cannot make log directory.  Logging disabled."
-        ZWES_LOG_FILE=/dev/null
+      if [ -n "${ZWES_LOG_DIR}" ]; then
+        echo "Will make log directory $ZWES_LOG_DIR"
+        mkdir -p $ZWES_LOG_DIR
+        if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+          echo "Cannot make log directory.  Logging disabled."
+          ZWES_LOG_FILE=/dev/null
+        fi
       fi
     fi
     ZWES_ROTATE_LOGS=0