diff --git a/pkg/cli/exec.go b/pkg/cli/exec.go
index 4d14d5b320..c5aab6e0d9 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/exec.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/exec.go
@@ -99,8 +99,12 @@ func execCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		gpus = "all"
 	}
 
+	// Use human-readable log format for local development
+	env := make([]string, len(envFlags))
+	copy(env, envFlags)
+	env = append(env, "LOG_FORMAT=console")
+
 	// Automatically propagate RUST_LOG for Rust coglet debugging
-	env := envFlags
 	if rustLog := os.Getenv("RUST_LOG"); rustLog != "" {
 		env = append(env, "RUST_LOG="+rustLog)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/cli/serve.go b/pkg/cli/serve.go
index 1d3471345a..1a9bc6b666 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/serve.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/serve.go
@@ -115,8 +115,12 @@ func cmdServe(cmd *cobra.Command, arg []string) error {
 		args = append(args, "--upload-url", uploadURL)
 	}
 
+	// Use human-readable log format for local development
+	env := make([]string, len(envFlags))
+	copy(env, envFlags)
+	env = append(env, "LOG_FORMAT=console")
+
 	// Automatically propagate RUST_LOG for Rust coglet debugging
-	env := envFlags
 	if rustLog := os.Getenv("RUST_LOG"); rustLog != "" {
 		env = append(env, "RUST_LOG="+rustLog)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/predict/predictor.go b/pkg/predict/predictor.go
index 82f51b5433..ab2695fc7d 100644
--- a/pkg/predict/predictor.go
+++ b/pkg/predict/predictor.go
@@ -82,12 +82,19 @@ type Predictor struct {
 // NewPredictor constructs a Predictor. See PredictorOptions for the
 // meaning of each field.
 func NewPredictor(_ context.Context, opts PredictorOptions) (*Predictor, error) {
+	// Use human-readable log format for local development
+	env := make([]string, len(opts.RunOptions.Env))
+	copy(env, opts.RunOptions.Env)
+	env = append(env, "LOG_FORMAT=console")
+
 	if global.Debug {
-		opts.RunOptions.Env = append(opts.RunOptions.Env, "COG_LOG_LEVEL=debug")
+		env = append(env, "COG_LOG_LEVEL=debug")
 	} else {
-		opts.RunOptions.Env = append(opts.RunOptions.Env, "COG_LOG_LEVEL=warning")
+		env = append(env, "COG_LOG_LEVEL=warning")
 	}
 
+	opts.RunOptions.Env = env
+
 	return &Predictor{
 		runOptions:    opts.RunOptions,
 		isTrain:       opts.IsTrain,