diff --git a/btc/env b/btc/env
index 83fb6ba..29adf40 100644
--- a/btc/env
+++ b/btc/env
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ BITCOIN_CORE_VERSION_DIR_AARCH64=bitcoin-24.0.1
 BITCOIN_CORE_URL_AARCH64=https://bitcoincore.org/bin/bitcoin-core-24.0.1/bitcoin-24.0.1-aarch64-linux-gnu.tar.gz
 BITCOIN_CORE_SHA256_AARCH64=0b48b9e69b30037b41a1e6b78fb7cbcc48c7ad627908c99686e81f3802454609
 
+# binaries and config root; data is elsewhere, in /ssd/bitcoind as per conf file.
 BITCOIN_HOME=/home/bitcoind
+# no root slash since it's combined with other path prefixes.
+BITCOIN_SVDIR=etc/sv/bitcoind
 
 bitcoin_core_bin_install() {
     cd $BITCOIN_HOME
@@ -21,22 +24,31 @@ bitcoin_core_bin_install() {
 }
 
 bitcoind_svc_install() {
-    local svdir=/etc/sv/bitcoind
-    mkdir -p $svdir
-    cat <<EOF > $svdir/run.new
+    # service directories
+    mkdir -p /$BITCOIN_SVDIR
+    mkdir -p /$BITCOIN_SVDIR/log
+
+    # logging facility
+    if [ ! -f /$BITCOIN_SVDIR/log/run ]; then
+        cp $SYSUPDATES_ROOTDIR/files/$BITCOIN_SVDIR/log/run /$BITCOIN_SVDIR/log/
+        chmod +x /$BITCOIN_SVDIR/log/run
+    fi
+
+    # the actual bitcoin service
+    cat <<EOF > /$BITCOIN_SVDIR/run.new
 #!/bin/sh
 exec chpst -u bitcoind $BITCOIN_HOME/$BITCOIN_CORE_VERSION_DIR_AARCH64/bin/bitcoind -conf=$BITCOIN_HOME/mainnet.conf 2>&1
 EOF
-    chmod +x $svdir/run.new
-    test -f $svdir/run && diff $svdir/run $svdir/run.new
+    chmod +x /$BITCOIN_SVDIR/run.new
+    test -f /$BITCOIN_SVDIR/run && diff /$BITCOIN_SVDIR/run /$BITCOIN_SVDIR/run.new
     if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
-        mv $svdir/run.new $svdir/run
+        mv /$BITCOIN_SVDIR/run.new /$BITCOIN_SVDIR/run
         # don't touch the actual service if on manual control - the down file
-        test -f $svdir/down && return 0
+        test -f /$BITCOIN_SVDIR/down && return 0
         sv -w 600 stop bitcoind || printf "ERROR: sv stop bitcoind failed\n" 1>&2
         sv start bitcoind || printf "ERROR: sv start bitcoind failed\n" 1>&2
     fi
-    rm -f $svdir/run.new
+    rm -f /$BITCOIN_SVDIR/run.new
 }
 
 bitcoin_cli_install() {
diff --git a/files/etc/sv/bitcoind/log/run b/files/etc/sv/bitcoind/log/run
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..62d846c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/files/etc/sv/bitcoind/log/run
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+exec vlogger -t bitcoind -p daemon
diff --git a/files/etc/sv/lnd/log/run b/files/etc/sv/lnd/log/run
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..5670a25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/files/etc/sv/lnd/log/run
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+exec vlogger -t lnd -p daemon
diff --git a/lnd/env b/lnd/env
index 67eee54..1c3cd2e 100644
--- a/lnd/env
+++ b/lnd/env
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ LND_VERSION_DIR_AARCH64=lnd-linux-arm64-v0.16.2-beta
 LND_URL_AARCH64=https://github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/releases/download/v0.16.2-beta/lnd-linux-arm64-v0.16.2-beta.tar.gz
 LND_SHA256_AARCH64=21e2b6640e06c84c43c5610f7f7613f609cdb09129e6704772436d6209a862af
 
+# binaries and config root; data is elsewhere, in /ssd/lnd as per lnd conf.
 LND_HOME=/home/lnd
+# no root slash since it's combined with other path prefixes.
+LND_SVDIR=etc/sv/lnd
 
 lnd_bin_install() {
     cd $LND_HOME
@@ -21,24 +24,34 @@ lnd_bin_install() {
 }
 
 lnd_svc_install() {
-    mkdir -p /etc/sv/lnd
-    cat <<EOF > /etc/sv/lnd/run.new
+    # service directories
+    mkdir -p /$LND_SVDIR
+    mkdir -p /$LND_SVDIR/log
+
+    # logging facility
+    if [ ! -f /$LND_SVDIR/log/run ]; then
+        cp $SYSUPDATES_ROOTDIR/files/$LND_SVDIR/log/run /$LND_SVDIR/log/
+        chmod +x /$LND_SVDIR/log/run
+    fi
+
+    # the actual lnd service
+    cat <<EOF > /$LND_SVDIR/run.new
 #!/bin/sh
 [ -r conf ] && . ./conf
 sv start bitcoind || exit 1
 exec chpst -u lnd $LND_HOME/$LND_VERSION_DIR_AARCH64/lnd -C /home/lnd/lnd.mainnet.conf 2>&1
 EOF
-    chmod +x /etc/sv/lnd/run.new
-    test -f /etc/sv/lnd/run && diff /etc/sv/lnd/run /etc/sv/lnd/run.new
+    chmod +x /$LND_SVDIR/run.new
+    test -f /$LND_SVDIR/run && diff /$LND_SVDIR/run /$LND_SVDIR/run.new
     if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
         sv -w 600 stop lnd || printf "ERROR: sv stop lnd failed\n" 1>&2
-        mv /etc/sv/lnd/run.new /etc/sv/lnd/run
+        mv /$LND_SVDIR/run.new /$LND_SVDIR/run
         sv start lnd || printf "ERROR: sv start lnd failed\n" 1>&2
     fi
-    rm -f /etc/sv/lnd/run.new
+    rm -f /$LND_SVDIR/run.new
     # whatever happened above, try to ensure the service is up
-    chmod +x /etc/sv/lnd/run
-    [ ! -f /etc/sv/lnd/down ] && sv start lnd
+    chmod +x /$LND_SVDIR/run
+    [ ! -f /$LND_SVDIR/down ] && sv start lnd
 }
 
 lnd_cli_install() {