diff --git a/common/log.cpp b/common/log.cpp
index b6c9ff79..d019dd50 100644
--- a/common/log.cpp
+++ b/common/log.cpp
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ struct common_log {
 
     common_log(size_t capacity) {
         file = nullptr;
+        file_owned = false;
         prefix = false;
         timestamps = false;
         running = false;
@@ -165,7 +166,7 @@ struct common_log {
 
     ~common_log() {
         pause();
-        if (file) {
+        if (file && file_owned) {
             fclose(file);
         }
     }
@@ -176,6 +177,7 @@ private:
     std::condition_variable cv;
 
     FILE * file;
+    bool file_owned;
 
     bool prefix;
     bool timestamps;
@@ -330,19 +332,35 @@ public:
     void set_file(const char * path) {
         pause();
 
-        if (file) {
+        if (file && file_owned) {
             fclose(file);
         }
 
         if (path) {
             file = fopen(path, "w");
+            file_owned = true;
         } else {
             file = nullptr;
+            file_owned = false;
         }
 
         resume();
     }
 
+    // Use an externally-owned FILE* (no fopen, no fclose on destruction).
+    void set_file_ptr(FILE * f) {
+        pause();
+
+        if (file && file_owned) {
+            fclose(file);
+        }
+
+        file = f;
+        file_owned = false;
+
+        resume();
+    }
+
     void set_colors(bool colors) {
         pause();
 
@@ -420,6 +438,13 @@ void common_log_set_file(struct common_log * log, const char * file) {
     log->set_file(file);
 }
 
+// Share an externally-opened FILE* (e.g. log_handler's LOG_TARGET) so common_log
+// tees to it without a second fopen() on the same path. common_log will not
+// close it on destruction (the caller owns the handle).
+void common_log_set_file_ptr(struct common_log * log, FILE * file) {
+    log->set_file_ptr(file);
+}
+
 void common_log_set_colors(struct common_log * log, log_colors colors) {
     if (colors == LOG_COLORS_AUTO) {
         log->set_colors(common_log_should_use_colors_auto());
diff --git a/common/log.h b/common/log.h
index 783ccf92..7bd1978a 100644
--- a/common/log.h
+++ b/common/log.h
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ void common_log_add(struct common_log* log, enum ggml_log_level level, const cha
 //
 
 void common_log_set_file(struct common_log* log, const char* file); // not thread-safe
+// Share an externally-opened FILE* (e.g. LOG_TARGET) so common_log tees to it
+// without a second fopen() on the same path; common_log will not close it.
+void common_log_set_file_ptr(struct common_log* log, FILE* file); // not thread-safe
 void common_log_set_colors(struct common_log* log, log_colors colors); // not thread-safe
 void common_log_set_prefix(struct common_log* log, bool prefix);       // whether to output prefix to each log
 void common_log_set_timestamps(struct common_log* log, bool timestamps);   // whether to output timestamps in the prefix
@@ -441,6 +444,18 @@ inline std::string log_filename_generator_impl(LogTriState multilog, const std::
     #define LOG_TEELN(str, ...) LOG_TEE_IMPL("%s" str, "", ##__VA_ARGS__, "\n")
 #endif
 
+// True only when the log target was explicitly set via log_set_target() (e.g.
+// by --log-file). LOG_TARGET is non-null by default (log_handler() lazily opens
+// "llama.log"), so a null check cannot tell a user-requested file from the
+// default. Tee callers should gate on this instead of `LOG_TARGET != nullptr`.
+inline bool log_target_changed(bool mark_changed = false) {
+    static bool changed = false;
+    if (mark_changed) {
+        changed = true;
+    }
+    return changed;
+}
+
 // INTERNAL, DO NOT USE
 inline FILE *log_handler1_impl(bool change = false, LogTriState append = LogTriStateSame, LogTriState disable = LogTriStateSame, const std::string & filename = LOG_DEFAULT_FILE_NAME, FILE *target = nullptr)
 {
@@ -561,8 +576,12 @@ inline FILE *log_enable_impl()
 #define log_set_target(target) log_set_target_impl(target)
 
 // INTERNAL, DO NOT USE
-inline FILE *log_set_target_impl(const std::string & filename) { return log_handler1_impl(true, LogTriStateSame, LogTriStateSame, filename); }
-inline FILE *log_set_target_impl(FILE *target) { return log_handler2_impl(true, LogTriStateSame, LogTriStateSame, target); }
+// Mark log_target_changed() here (not inside log_handler1_impl): when --log-file
+// is parsed before any LOG() call, this is the first invocation, so
+// log_handler1_impl's static filename initializes to the requested name and its
+// `!= filename` check never fires.
+inline FILE *log_set_target_impl(const std::string & filename) { log_target_changed(true); return log_handler1_impl(true, LogTriStateSame, LogTriStateSame, filename); }
+inline FILE *log_set_target_impl(FILE *target) { log_target_changed(true); return log_handler2_impl(true, LogTriStateSame, LogTriStateSame, target); }
 
 // INTERNAL, DO NOT USE
 inline FILE *log_handler() { return log_handler1_impl(); }
diff --git a/examples/server/server-common.cpp b/examples/server/server-common.cpp
index c8ec90d6..bf17d0e2 100644
--- a/examples/server/server-common.cpp
+++ b/examples/server/server-common.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "server-common.h"
 
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <cstdio>
 
 using raw_buffer = std::vector<uint8_t>;
 
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ void server_log(const char* level, const char* function, int line, const char* m
         {"timestamp", time(nullptr)},
     };
 
+    std::string out;
     if (server_log_json) {
         log.merge_patch({
             {"level",    level},
@@ -45,7 +47,7 @@ void server_log(const char* level, const char* function, int line, const char* m
             log.merge_patch(extra);
         }
 
-        printf("%s\n", log.dump(-1, ' ', false, json::error_handler_t::replace).c_str());
+        out = log.dump(-1, ' ', false, json::error_handler_t::replace);
     }
     else {
         char buf[1024];
@@ -62,10 +64,19 @@ void server_log(const char* level, const char* function, int line, const char* m
             ss << " " << el.key() << "=" << value;
         }
 
-        const std::string str = ss.str();
-        printf("%.*s\n", (int)str.size(), str.data());
+        out = ss.str();
     }
+    printf("%s\n", out.c_str());
     fflush(stdout);
+
+    // Mirror to --log-file when explicitly set (see log_target_changed()).
+    if (log_target_changed()) {
+        FILE * tgt = LOG_TARGET;
+        if (tgt != nullptr && tgt != stdout && tgt != stderr) {
+            fprintf(tgt, "%s\n", out.c_str());
+            fflush(tgt);
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 //
diff --git a/examples/server/server.cpp b/examples/server/server.cpp
index 814f0d8d..6bf0ad13 100644
--- a/examples/server/server.cpp
+++ b/examples/server/server.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,25 @@
 // mime type for sending response
 #define MIMETYPE_JSON "application/json; charset=utf-8"
 
+// Tee llama/ggml log output to --log-file (when set) and stderr. Gated on
+// log_target_changed() so it's a no-op unless --log-file was passed (LOG_TARGET
+// is non-null by default). The stdout/stderr guard mirrors LOG_TEE_IMPL and
+// avoids doubled output when fopen() falls back to stderr.
+static void llama_log_tee_callback(enum ggml_log_level level, const char * text, void * /*user_data*/) {
+    if (text == nullptr) {
+        return;
+    }
+    if (log_target_changed()) {
+        FILE * tgt = LOG_TARGET;
+        if (tgt != nullptr && tgt != stdout && tgt != stderr) {
+            fprintf(tgt, "%s", text);
+            fflush(tgt);
+        }
+    }
+    fputs(text, stderr);
+    fflush(stderr);
+}
+
 
 #ifndef NDEBUG
 // crash the server in debug mode, otherwise send an http 500 error
@@ -466,6 +485,23 @@ int main(int argc, char ** argv) {
     // parse arguments from environment variables
     gpt_params_parse_from_env(params);
 
+    // Tee llama/ggml logs to --log-file; installed before model load so that
+    // load-time logs are captured too.
+    llama_log_set(llama_log_tee_callback, nullptr);
+
+    // Route common_log (SLT_*/SRV_*/QUE_*/RES_*/bare LOG_* slot+queue output) to
+    // --log-file via its native file sink. The worker tees to stderr and file
+    // (common/log.cpp), so this captures every common_log line in one call
+    // instead of mirroring each macro. Share LOG_TARGET's already-opened FILE*
+    // so there's a single handle on the file (a second fopen would truncate and
+    // the two handles' writes would corrupt each other).
+    if (log_target_changed()) {
+        FILE * tgt = LOG_TARGET;
+        if (tgt != nullptr && tgt != stdout && tgt != stderr) {
+            common_log_set_file_ptr(common_log_main(), tgt);
+        }
+    }
+
     // TODO: not great to use extern vars
     server_log_json = params.log_json;
     server_verbose = params.verbosity > 0;