diff --git a/internal/logging/accesslog/access_logger.go b/internal/logging/accesslog/access_logger.go
index f17b20e8..d2627097 100644
--- a/internal/logging/accesslog/access_logger.go
+++ b/internal/logging/accesslog/access_logger.go
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ type (
 		cfg  *Config
 
 		rawWriter     io.Writer
-		closer        []io.Closer
-		supportRotate []supportRotate
+		closer        io.Closer
+		supportRotate supportRotate
 		writer        *ioutils.BufferedWriter
 		writeLock     sync.Mutex
 		closed        bool
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ type (
 	}
 
 	WriterWithName interface {
-		io.Writer
+		io.WriteCloser
 		Name() string // file name or path
 	}
 
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ type (
 )
 
 const (
-	MinBufferSize = 4 * kilobyte
-	MaxBufferSize = 8 * megabyte
+	InitialBufferSize = 4 * kilobyte
+	MaxBufferSize     = 8 * megabyte
 
 	bufferAdjustInterval = 5 * time.Second // How often we check & adjust
 )
@@ -83,9 +83,6 @@ func NewAccessLogger(parent task.Parent, cfg AnyConfig) (*AccessLogger, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if io == nil {
-		return nil, nil //nolint:nilnil
-	}
 	return NewAccessLoggerWithIO(parent, io, cfg), nil
 }
 
@@ -93,22 +90,6 @@ func NewMockAccessLogger(parent task.Parent, cfg *RequestLoggerConfig) *AccessLo
 	return NewAccessLoggerWithIO(parent, NewMockFile(), cfg)
 }
 
-func unwrap[Writer any](w io.Writer) []Writer {
-	var result []Writer
-	if unwrapped, ok := w.(MultiWriterInterface); ok {
-		for _, w := range unwrapped.Unwrap() {
-			if unwrapped, ok := w.(Writer); ok {
-				result = append(result, unwrapped)
-			}
-		}
-		return result
-	}
-	if unwrapped, ok := w.(Writer); ok {
-		return []Writer{unwrapped}
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 func NewAccessLoggerWithIO(parent task.Parent, writer WriterWithName, anyCfg AnyConfig) *AccessLogger {
 	cfg := anyCfg.ToConfig()
 	if cfg.RotateInterval == 0 {
@@ -119,14 +100,20 @@ func NewAccessLoggerWithIO(parent task.Parent, writer WriterWithName, anyCfg Any
 		task:           parent.Subtask("accesslog."+writer.Name(), true),
 		cfg:            cfg,
 		rawWriter:      writer,
-		writer:         ioutils.NewBufferedWriter(writer, MinBufferSize),
-		bufSize:        MinBufferSize,
+		bufSize:        InitialBufferSize,
 		errRateLimiter: rate.NewLimiter(rate.Every(errRateLimit), errBurst),
 		logger:         log.With().Str("file", writer.Name()).Logger(),
 	}
 
-	l.supportRotate = unwrap[supportRotate](writer)
-	l.closer = unwrap[io.Closer](writer)
+	if writer != nil {
+		l.writer = ioutils.NewBufferedWriter(writer, InitialBufferSize)
+		if supportRotate, ok := writer.(SupportRotate); ok {
+			l.supportRotate = supportRotate
+		}
+		if closer, ok := writer.(io.Closer); ok {
+			l.closer = closer
+		}
+	}
 
 	if cfg.req != nil {
 		fmt := CommonFormatter{cfg: &cfg.req.Fields}
@@ -144,7 +131,9 @@ func NewAccessLoggerWithIO(parent task.Parent, writer WriterWithName, anyCfg Any
 		l.ACLFormatter = ACLLogFormatter{}
 	}
 
-	go l.start()
+	if l.writer != nil {
+		go l.start()
+	} // otherwise stdout only
 	return l
 }
 
@@ -194,26 +183,17 @@ func (l *AccessLogger) ShouldRotate() bool {
 	return l.supportRotate != nil && l.cfg.Retention.IsValid()
 }
 
-func (l *AccessLogger) Rotate() (result *RotateResult, err error) {
+func (l *AccessLogger) Rotate(result *RotateResult) (rotated bool, err error) {
 	if !l.ShouldRotate() {
-		return nil, nil //nolint:nilnil
+		return false, nil
 	}
 
 	l.writer.Flush()
 	l.writeLock.Lock()
 	defer l.writeLock.Unlock()
 
-	result = new(RotateResult)
-	for _, sr := range l.supportRotate {
-		r, err := rotateLogFile(sr, l.cfg.Retention)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		if r != nil {
-			result.Add(r)
-		}
-	}
-	return result, nil
+	rotated, err = rotateLogFile(l.supportRotate, l.cfg.Retention, result)
+	return
 }
 
 func (l *AccessLogger) handleErr(err error) {
@@ -247,9 +227,10 @@ func (l *AccessLogger) start() {
 				continue
 			}
 			l.logger.Info().Msg("rotating access log file")
-			if res, err := l.Rotate(); err != nil {
+			var res RotateResult
+			if rotated, err := l.Rotate(&res); err != nil {
 				l.handleErr(err)
-			} else if res != nil {
+			} else if rotated {
 				res.Print(&l.logger)
 			} else {
 				l.logger.Info().Msg("no rotation needed")
@@ -267,9 +248,7 @@ func (l *AccessLogger) Close() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 	if l.closer != nil {
-		for _, c := range l.closer {
-			c.Close()
-		}
+		l.closer.Close()
 	}
 	l.writer.Release()
 	l.closed = true
@@ -288,18 +267,23 @@ func (l *AccessLogger) Flush() {
 }
 
 func (l *AccessLogger) write(data []byte) {
-	l.writeLock.Lock()
-	defer l.writeLock.Unlock()
-	if l.closed {
-		return
+	if l.writer != nil {
+		l.writeLock.Lock()
+		defer l.writeLock.Unlock()
+		if l.closed {
+			return
+		}
+		n, err := l.writer.Write(data)
+		if err != nil {
+			l.handleErr(err)
+		} else if n < len(data) {
+			l.handleErr(gperr.Errorf("%w, writing %d bytes, only %d written", io.ErrShortWrite, len(data), n))
+		}
+		atomic.AddInt64(&l.writeCount, int64(n))
 	}
-	n, err := l.writer.Write(data)
-	if err != nil {
-		l.handleErr(err)
-	} else if n < len(data) {
-		l.handleErr(gperr.Errorf("%w, writing %d bytes, only %d written", io.ErrShortWrite, len(data), n))
+	if l.cfg.Stdout {
+		log.Logger.Write(data) // write to stdout immediately
 	}
-	atomic.AddInt64(&l.writeCount, int64(n))
 }
 
 func (l *AccessLogger) adjustBuffer() {
@@ -321,8 +305,8 @@ func (l *AccessLogger) adjustBuffer() {
 		}
 	case origBufSize > wps:
 		newBufSize -= step
-		if newBufSize < MinBufferSize {
-			newBufSize = MinBufferSize
+		if newBufSize < InitialBufferSize {
+			newBufSize = InitialBufferSize
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/logging/accesslog/config.go b/internal/logging/accesslog/config.go
index eeb575af..20acfa9b 100644
--- a/internal/logging/accesslog/config.go
+++ b/internal/logging/accesslog/config.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ type (
 		Fields  Fields  `json:"fields"`
 	} // @name RequestLoggerConfig
 	Config struct {
-		*ConfigBase
+		ConfigBase
 		acl *ACLLoggerConfig
 		req *RequestLoggerConfig
 	}
@@ -65,34 +65,29 @@ func (cfg *ConfigBase) Validate() gperr.Error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// IO returns a writer for the config.
+// If only stdout is enabled, it returns nil, nil.
 func (cfg *ConfigBase) IO() (WriterWithName, error) {
-	ios := make([]WriterWithName, 0, 2)
-	if cfg.Stdout {
-		ios = append(ios, stdoutIO)
-	}
 	if cfg.Path != "" {
 		io, err := newFileIO(cfg.Path)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		ios = append(ios, io)
+		return io, nil
 	}
-	if len(ios) == 0 {
-		return nil, nil
-	}
-	return NewMultiWriter(ios...), nil
+	return nil, nil
 }
 
 func (cfg *ACLLoggerConfig) ToConfig() *Config {
 	return &Config{
-		ConfigBase: &cfg.ConfigBase,
+		ConfigBase: cfg.ConfigBase,
 		acl:        cfg,
 	}
 }
 
 func (cfg *RequestLoggerConfig) ToConfig() *Config {
 	return &Config{
-		ConfigBase: &cfg.ConfigBase,
+		ConfigBase: cfg.ConfigBase,
 		req:        cfg,
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/logging/accesslog/file_logger.go b/internal/logging/accesslog/file_logger.go
index 393193f6..418e8f41 100644
--- a/internal/logging/accesslog/file_logger.go
+++ b/internal/logging/accesslog/file_logger.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ var (
 	openedFilesMu sync.Mutex
 )
 
-func newFileIO(path string) (SupportRotate, error) {
+func newFileIO(path string) (WriterWithName, error) {
 	openedFilesMu.Lock()
 	defer openedFilesMu.Unlock()
 
diff --git a/internal/logging/accesslog/multi_writer.go b/internal/logging/accesslog/multi_writer.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 830e04ba..00000000
--- a/internal/logging/accesslog/multi_writer.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,49 +0,0 @@
-package accesslog
-
-import (
-	"io"
-	"strings"
-)
-
-type MultiWriter struct {
-	writers []WriterWithName
-}
-
-type MultiWriterInterface interface {
-	Unwrap() []io.Writer
-}
-
-func NewMultiWriter(writers ...WriterWithName) WriterWithName {
-	if len(writers) == 0 {
-		return nil
-	}
-	if len(writers) == 1 {
-		return writers[0]
-	}
-	return &MultiWriter{
-		writers: writers,
-	}
-}
-
-func (w *MultiWriter) Unwrap() []io.Writer {
-	writers := make([]io.Writer, len(w.writers))
-	for i, writer := range w.writers {
-		writers[i] = writer
-	}
-	return writers
-}
-
-func (w *MultiWriter) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
-	for _, writer := range w.writers {
-		writer.Write(p)
-	}
-	return len(p), nil
-}
-
-func (w *MultiWriter) Name() string {
-	names := make([]string, len(w.writers))
-	for i, writer := range w.writers {
-		names[i] = writer.Name()
-	}
-	return strings.Join(names, ", ")
-}
diff --git a/internal/logging/accesslog/rotate.go b/internal/logging/accesslog/rotate.go
index 536e02ac..0bf220e5 100644
--- a/internal/logging/accesslog/rotate.go
+++ b/internal/logging/accesslog/rotate.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package accesslog
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"errors"
 	"io"
 	"time"
 
@@ -52,15 +53,6 @@ func (r *RotateResult) Print(logger *zerolog.Logger) {
 		Msg("log rotate result")
 }
 
-func (r *RotateResult) Add(other *RotateResult) {
-	r.OriginalSize += other.OriginalSize
-	r.NumBytesRead += other.NumBytesRead
-	r.NumBytesKeep += other.NumBytesKeep
-	r.NumLinesRead += other.NumLinesRead
-	r.NumLinesKeep += other.NumLinesKeep
-	r.NumLinesInvalid += other.NumLinesInvalid
-}
-
 type lineInfo struct {
 	Pos  int64 // Position from the start of the file
 	Size int64 // Size of this line
@@ -69,7 +61,7 @@ type lineInfo struct {
 var rotateBytePool = synk.GetBytesPoolWithUniqueMemory()
 
 // rotateLogFile rotates the log file based on the retention policy.
-// It returns the result of the rotation and an error if any.
+// It writes to the result and returns an error if any.
 //
 // The file is rotated by reading the file backward line-by-line
 // and stop once error occurs or found a line that should not be kept.
@@ -77,25 +69,19 @@ var rotateBytePool = synk.GetBytesPoolWithUniqueMemory()
 // Any invalid lines will be skipped and not included in the result.
 //
 // If the file does not need to be rotated, it returns nil, nil.
-func rotateLogFile(file supportRotate, config *Retention) (result *RotateResult, err error) {
+func rotateLogFile(file supportRotate, config *Retention, result *RotateResult) (rotated bool, err error) {
 	if config.KeepSize > 0 {
-		result, err = rotateLogFileBySize(file, config)
+		rotated, err = rotateLogFileBySize(file, config, result)
 	} else {
-		result, err = rotateLogFileByPolicy(file, config)
+		rotated, err = rotateLogFileByPolicy(file, config, result)
 	}
 
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	if _, err := file.Seek(0, io.SeekEnd); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	return result, nil
+	_, ferr := file.Seek(0, io.SeekEnd)
+	err = errors.Join(err, ferr)
+	return
 }
 
-func rotateLogFileByPolicy(file supportRotate, config *Retention) (result *RotateResult, err error) {
+func rotateLogFileByPolicy(file supportRotate, config *Retention, result *RotateResult) (rotated bool, err error) {
 	var shouldStop func() bool
 	t := utils.TimeNow()
 
@@ -107,23 +93,21 @@ func rotateLogFileByPolicy(file supportRotate, config *Retention) (result *Rotat
 		cutoff := utils.TimeNow().AddDate(0, 0, -int(config.Days)+1)
 		shouldStop = func() bool { return t.Before(cutoff) }
 	default:
-		return nil, nil // should not happen
+		return false, nil // should not happen
 	}
 
 	fileSize, err := file.Size()
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return false, err
 	}
 
 	// nothing to rotate, return the nothing
 	if fileSize == 0 {
-		return nil, nil
+		return false, nil
 	}
 
 	s := NewBackScanner(file, fileSize, defaultChunkSize)
-	result = &RotateResult{
-		OriginalSize: fileSize,
-	}
+	result.OriginalSize = fileSize
 
 	// Store the line positions and sizes we want to keep
 	linesToKeep := make([]lineInfo, 0)
@@ -167,17 +151,17 @@ func rotateLogFileByPolicy(file supportRotate, config *Retention) (result *Rotat
 	}
 
 	if s.Err() != nil {
-		return nil, s.Err()
+		return false, s.Err()
 	}
 
 	// nothing to keep, truncate to empty
 	if len(linesToKeep) == 0 {
-		return nil, file.Truncate(0)
+		return true, file.Truncate(0)
 	}
 
 	// nothing to rotate, return nothing
 	if result.NumBytesKeep == result.OriginalSize {
-		return nil, nil
+		return false, nil
 	}
 
 	// Read each line and write it to the beginning of the file
@@ -196,23 +180,23 @@ func rotateLogFileByPolicy(file supportRotate, config *Retention) (result *Rotat
 
 		// Read the line from its original position
 		if _, err := file.ReadAt(buf, line.Pos); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			return false, err
 		}
 
 		// Write it to the new position
 		if _, err := file.WriteAt(buf, writePos); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			return false, err
 		} else if n < line.Size {
-			return nil, gperr.Errorf("%w, writing %d bytes, only %d written", io.ErrShortWrite, line.Size, n)
+			return false, gperr.Errorf("%w, writing %d bytes, only %d written", io.ErrShortWrite, line.Size, n)
 		}
 		writePos += n
 	}
 
 	if err := file.Truncate(writePos); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return false, err
 	}
 
-	return result, nil
+	return true, nil
 }
 
 // rotateLogFileBySize rotates the log file by size.
@@ -221,29 +205,27 @@ func rotateLogFileByPolicy(file supportRotate, config *Retention) (result *Rotat
 // The file is not being read, it just truncate the file to the new size.
 //
 // Invalid lines will not be detected and included in the result.
-func rotateLogFileBySize(file supportRotate, config *Retention) (result *RotateResult, err error) {
+func rotateLogFileBySize(file supportRotate, config *Retention, result *RotateResult) (rotated bool, err error) {
 	filesize, err := file.Size()
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return false, err
 	}
 
-	result = &RotateResult{
-		OriginalSize: filesize,
-	}
+	result.OriginalSize = filesize
 
 	keepSize := int64(config.KeepSize)
 	if keepSize >= filesize {
 		result.NumBytesKeep = filesize
-		return result, nil
+		return false, nil
 	}
 	result.NumBytesKeep = keepSize
 
 	err = file.Truncate(keepSize)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return false, err
 	}
 
-	return result, nil
+	return true, nil
 }
 
 // ParseLogTime parses the time from the log line.
diff --git a/internal/logging/accesslog/rotate_test.go b/internal/logging/accesslog/rotate_test.go
index 7d049d13..9d101813 100644
--- a/internal/logging/accesslog/rotate_test.go
+++ b/internal/logging/accesslog/rotate_test.go
@@ -76,8 +76,10 @@ func TestRotateKeepLast(t *testing.T) {
 			expect.Equal(t, retention.KeepSize, 0)
 			logger.Config().Retention = retention
 
-			result, err := logger.Rotate()
+			var result RotateResult
+			rotated, err := logger.Rotate(&result)
 			expect.NoError(t, err)
+			expect.Equal(t, rotated, true)
 			expect.Equal(t, file.NumLines(), int(retention.Last))
 			expect.Equal(t, result.NumLinesKeep, int(retention.Last))
 			expect.Equal(t, result.NumLinesInvalid, 0)
@@ -104,14 +106,15 @@ func TestRotateKeepLast(t *testing.T) {
 			logger.Config().Retention = retention
 
 			utils.MockTimeNow(testTime)
-			result, err := logger.Rotate()
+			var result RotateResult
+			rotated, err := logger.Rotate(&result)
 			expect.NoError(t, err)
+			expect.Equal(t, rotated, true)
 			expect.Equal(t, file.NumLines(), int(retention.Days))
 			expect.Equal(t, result.NumLinesKeep, int(retention.Days))
 			expect.Equal(t, result.NumLinesInvalid, 0)
 
-			rotated := file.Content()
-			rotatedLines := bytes.Split(rotated, []byte("\n"))
+			rotatedLines := bytes.Split(file.Content(), []byte("\n"))
 			for i, line := range rotatedLines {
 				if i >= int(retention.Days) { // may ends with a newline
 					break
@@ -149,10 +152,12 @@ func TestRotateKeepFileSize(t *testing.T) {
 			logger.Config().Retention = retention
 
 			utils.MockTimeNow(testTime)
-			result, err := logger.Rotate()
+			var result RotateResult
+			rotated, err := logger.Rotate(&result)
 			expect.NoError(t, err)
 
 			// file should be untouched as 100KB > 10 lines * bytes per line
+			expect.Equal(t, rotated, false)
 			expect.Equal(t, result.NumBytesKeep, file.Len())
 			expect.Equal(t, result.NumBytesRead, 0, "should not read any bytes")
 		})
@@ -179,8 +184,10 @@ func TestRotateKeepFileSize(t *testing.T) {
 		logger.Config().Retention = retention
 
 		utils.MockTimeNow(testTime)
-		result, err := logger.Rotate()
+		var result RotateResult
+		rotated, err := logger.Rotate(&result)
 		expect.NoError(t, err)
+		expect.Equal(t, rotated, true)
 		expect.Equal(t, result.NumBytesKeep, int64(retention.KeepSize))
 		expect.Equal(t, file.Len(), int64(retention.KeepSize))
 		expect.Equal(t, result.NumBytesRead, 0, "should not read any bytes")
@@ -213,8 +220,10 @@ func TestRotateSkipInvalidTime(t *testing.T) {
 			expect.Equal(t, retention.Last, 0)
 			logger.Config().Retention = retention
 
-			result, err := logger.Rotate()
+			var result RotateResult
+			rotated, err := logger.Rotate(&result)
 			expect.NoError(t, err)
+			expect.Equal(t, rotated, true)
 			// should read one invalid line after every valid line
 			expect.Equal(t, result.NumLinesKeep, int(retention.Days))
 			expect.Equal(t, result.NumLinesInvalid, nLines-int(retention.Days)*2)
@@ -230,7 +239,7 @@ func BenchmarkRotate(b *testing.B) {
 		{KeepSize: 24 * 1024},
 	}
 	for _, retention := range tests {
-		b.Run(fmt.Sprintf("retention_%s", retention), func(b *testing.B) {
+		b.Run(fmt.Sprintf("retention_%s", retention.String()), func(b *testing.B) {
 			file := NewMockFile()
 			logger := NewAccessLoggerWithIO(task.RootTask("test", false), file, &RequestLoggerConfig{
 				ConfigBase: ConfigBase{
@@ -250,7 +259,8 @@ func BenchmarkRotate(b *testing.B) {
 				file = NewMockFile()
 				_, _ = file.Write(content)
 				b.StartTimer()
-				_, _ = logger.Rotate()
+				var result RotateResult
+				_, _ = logger.Rotate(&result)
 			}
 		})
 	}
@@ -263,7 +273,7 @@ func BenchmarkRotateWithInvalidTime(b *testing.B) {
 		{KeepSize: 24 * 1024},
 	}
 	for _, retention := range tests {
-		b.Run(fmt.Sprintf("retention_%s", retention), func(b *testing.B) {
+		b.Run(fmt.Sprintf("retention_%s", retention.String()), func(b *testing.B) {
 			file := NewMockFile()
 			logger := NewAccessLoggerWithIO(task.RootTask("test", false), file, &RequestLoggerConfig{
 				ConfigBase: ConfigBase{
@@ -286,7 +296,8 @@ func BenchmarkRotateWithInvalidTime(b *testing.B) {
 				file = NewMockFile()
 				_, _ = file.Write(content)
 				b.StartTimer()
-				_, _ = logger.Rotate()
+				var result RotateResult
+				_, _ = logger.Rotate(&result)
 			}
 		})
 	}
diff --git a/internal/logging/accesslog/stdout_logger.go b/internal/logging/accesslog/stdout_logger.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 9f7e33e8..00000000
--- a/internal/logging/accesslog/stdout_logger.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-package accesslog
-
-import (
-	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
-)
-
-type StdoutLogger struct{}
-
-var stdoutIO StdoutLogger
-
-func (l StdoutLogger) Write(p []byte) (int, error) {
-	return log.Logger.Write(p)
-}
-
-func (l StdoutLogger) Name() string {
-	return "stdout"
-}