diff --git a/functions/functions.sh b/functions/functions.sh
index 43dc82fb..b19dcd38 100644
--- a/functions/functions.sh
+++ b/functions/functions.sh
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ dir_prep() {
     rm -rf "$symlink.old"
   fi
 
-  log i "$symlink is now $real\n"
+  log i "$symlink is now $real"
 }
 
 check_bios_files() {
diff --git a/functions/logger.sh b/functions/logger.sh
index 08bba936..d37dafb6 100755
--- a/functions/logger.sh
+++ b/functions/logger.sh
@@ -30,10 +30,6 @@ log() {
   else
     logfile="$rd_logs_folder/retrodeck.log"
   fi
-  if [[ ! -f "$logfile" ]]; then
-    touch "$logfile"
-    echo "$timestamp [WARN] \"$logfile\" not found, creating."
-  fi
 
   # Check if the shell is sh (not bash or zsh) to avoid colorization
   if [ "${SHELL##*/}" = "sh" ]; then
diff --git a/functions/prepare_component.sh b/functions/prepare_component.sh
index f93c9961..003c72fa 100644
--- a/functions/prepare_component.sh
+++ b/functions/prepare_component.sh
@@ -22,11 +22,17 @@ prepare_component() {
         if [[ ! $current_setting_name =~ (rdhome|sdcard) ]]; then # Ignore these locations
           local current_setting_value=$(get_setting_value "$rd_conf" "$current_setting_name" "retrodeck" "paths")
           declare -g "$current_setting_name=$rdhome/$(basename $current_setting_value)"
-          create_dir "$rdhome/$(basename $current_setting_value)"
+          if [[ ! $current_setting_name == "logs_folder" ]]; then # Don't create a logs folder normally, we want to maintain the current files exactly to not lose early-install logs.
+            create_dir "$rdhome/$(basename $current_setting_value)"
+          else # Log folder-specific actions
+            mv "$rd_logs_folder" "$logs_folder" # Move existing logs folder from internal to userland
+            ln -sf "$logs_folder" "$rd_logs_folder" # Link userland logs folder back to statically-written location
+            log d "Logs folder moved to $logs_folder and linked back to $rd_logs_folder"
+          fi
         fi
       done < <(grep -v '^\s*$' $rd_conf | awk '/^\[paths\]/{f=1;next} /^\[/{f=0} f')
       create_dir "/var/config/retrodeck/godot"
-      dir_prep "$logs_folder" "$rd_logs_folder"
+
     fi
     if [[ "$action" == "postmove" ]]; then # Update the paths of any folders that came with the retrodeck folder during a move
       while read -r config_line; do