diff --git a/node/config.go b/node/config.go
index baa7a8f50d..a9fb55335e 100644
--- a/node/config.go
+++ b/node/config.go
@@ -502,13 +502,13 @@ func (c *Config) warnOnce(w *bool, format string, args ...interface{}) {
 }
 
 type LogConfig struct {
-	FileRoot     *string
-	FilePath     *string
-	MaxBytesSize *uint
-	Level        *string
+	FileRoot     string
+	FilePath     string
+	MaxBytesSize uint
+	Level        string
 
 	// TermTimeFormat is the time format used for console logging.
-	TermTimeFormat *string
+	TermTimeFormat string
 	// TimeFormat is the time format used for file logging.
-	TimeFormat *string
+	TimeFormat string
 }
diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index ef256f77e7..caaac232a8 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -86,25 +86,21 @@ func New(conf *Config) (*Node, error) {
 		conf.DataDir = absdatadir
 	}
 	if conf.LogConfig != nil {
-		if conf.LogConfig.TermTimeFormat != nil && *conf.LogConfig.TermTimeFormat != "" {
-			log.SetTermTimeFormat(*conf.LogConfig.TermTimeFormat)
+		if conf.LogConfig.TermTimeFormat != "" {
+			log.SetTermTimeFormat(conf.LogConfig.TermTimeFormat)
 		}
 
-		if conf.LogConfig.TimeFormat != nil && *conf.LogConfig.TimeFormat != "" {
-			log.SetTimeFormat(*conf.LogConfig.TimeFormat)
+		if conf.LogConfig.TimeFormat != "" {
+			log.SetTimeFormat(conf.LogConfig.TimeFormat)
 		}
 
-		if conf.LogConfig.FileRoot != nil && conf.LogConfig.FilePath != nil &&
-			conf.LogConfig.MaxBytesSize != nil && conf.LogConfig.Level != nil {
-			// log to file
-			logFilePath := ""
-			if *conf.LogConfig.FileRoot == "" {
-				logFilePath = path.Join(conf.DataDir, *conf.LogConfig.FilePath)
-			} else {
-				logFilePath = path.Join(*conf.LogConfig.FileRoot, *conf.LogConfig.FilePath)
-			}
-			log.Root().SetHandler(log.NewFileLvlHandler(logFilePath, *conf.LogConfig.MaxBytesSize, *conf.LogConfig.Level))
+		logFilePath := ""
+		if conf.LogConfig.FileRoot == "" {
+			logFilePath = path.Join(conf.DataDir, conf.LogConfig.FilePath)
+		} else {
+			logFilePath = path.Join(conf.LogConfig.FileRoot, conf.LogConfig.FilePath)
 		}
+		log.Root().SetHandler(log.NewFileLvlHandler(logFilePath, conf.LogConfig.MaxBytesSize, conf.LogConfig.Level))
 	}
 	if conf.Logger == nil {
 		conf.Logger = log.New()