diff --git a/service/tcp.go b/service/tcp.go
index bb6c438..44473df 100644
--- a/service/tcp.go
+++ b/service/tcp.go
@@ -186,13 +186,16 @@ func makeValidatingTCPStreamDialer(targetIPValidator onet.TargetIPValidator) tra
 // StreamHandler is a handler that handles stream connections.
 type StreamHandler interface {
 	Handle(ctx context.Context, conn transport.StreamConn, connMetrics TCPConnMetrics)
-	// SetLogger sets the logger used to log messages.
+	// SetLogger sets the logger used to log messages. Uses a no-op logger if nil.
 	SetLogger(l Logger)
 	// SetTargetDialer sets the [transport.StreamDialer] to be used to connect to target addresses.
 	SetTargetDialer(dialer transport.StreamDialer)
 }
 
 func (s *streamHandler) SetLogger(l Logger) {
+	if l == nil {
+		l = &noopLogger{}
+	}
 	s.l = l
 }
 
diff --git a/service/tcp_test.go b/service/tcp_test.go
index d287e43..e8f234f 100644
--- a/service/tcp_test.go
+++ b/service/tcp_test.go
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func BenchmarkTCPFindCipherFail(b *testing.B) {
 		}
 		clientIP := clientConn.RemoteAddr().(*net.TCPAddr).AddrPort().Addr()
 		b.StartTimer()
-		findAccessKey(clientConn, clientIP, cipherList, nil)
+		findAccessKey(clientConn, clientIP, cipherList, &noopLogger{})
 		b.StopTimer()
 	}
 }
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ func BenchmarkTCPFindCipherRepeat(b *testing.B) {
 		cipher := cipherEntries[cipherNumber].CryptoKey
 		go shadowsocks.NewWriter(writer, cipher).Write(makeTestPayload(50))
 		b.StartTimer()
-		_, _, _, _, err := findAccessKey(&c, clientIP, cipherList, nil)
+		_, _, _, _, err := findAccessKey(&c, clientIP, cipherList, &noopLogger{})
 		b.StopTimer()
 		if err != nil {
 			b.Error(err)
diff --git a/service/udp.go b/service/udp.go
index 165da07..df034b1 100644
--- a/service/udp.go
+++ b/service/udp.go
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ func NewPacketHandler(natTimeout time.Duration, cipherList CipherList, m UDPMetr
 
 // PacketHandler is a running UDP shadowsocks proxy that can be stopped.
 type PacketHandler interface {
-	// SetLogger sets the logger used to log messages.
+	// SetLogger sets the logger used to log messages. Uses a no-op logger if nil.
 	SetLogger(l Logger)
 	// SetTargetIPValidator sets the function to be used to validate the target IP addresses.
 	SetTargetIPValidator(targetIPValidator onet.TargetIPValidator)
@@ -117,6 +117,9 @@ type PacketHandler interface {
 }
 
 func (h *packetHandler) SetLogger(l Logger) {
+	if l == nil {
+		l = &noopLogger{}
+	}
 	h.l = l
 }
 
diff --git a/service/udp_test.go b/service/udp_test.go
index 1cf020e..0d62a02 100644
--- a/service/udp_test.go
+++ b/service/udp_test.go
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ func BenchmarkUDPUnpackFail(b *testing.B) {
 	testIP := netip.MustParseAddr("192.0.2.1")
 	b.ResetTimer()
 	for n := 0; n < b.N; n++ {
-		findAccessKeyUDP(testIP, textBuf, testPayload, cipherList, nil)
+		findAccessKeyUDP(testIP, textBuf, testPayload, cipherList, &noopLogger{})
 	}
 }
 
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ func BenchmarkUDPUnpackRepeat(b *testing.B) {
 		cipherNumber := n % numCiphers
 		ip := ips[cipherNumber]
 		packet := packets[cipherNumber]
-		_, _, _, err := findAccessKeyUDP(ip, testBuf, packet, cipherList, nil)
+		_, _, _, err := findAccessKeyUDP(ip, testBuf, packet, cipherList, &noopLogger{})
 		if err != nil {
 			b.Error(err)
 		}
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ func BenchmarkUDPUnpackSharedKey(b *testing.B) {
 	b.ResetTimer()
 	for n := 0; n < b.N; n++ {
 		ip := ips[n%numIPs]
-		_, _, _, err := findAccessKeyUDP(ip, testBuf, packet, cipherList, nil)
+		_, _, _, err := findAccessKeyUDP(ip, testBuf, packet, cipherList, &noopLogger{})
 		if err != nil {
 			b.Error(err)
 		}