diff --git a/default/config.yaml b/default/config.yaml
index d730bfbdb..3dce817cd 100644
--- a/default/config.yaml
+++ b/default/config.yaml
@@ -85,6 +85,11 @@ cookieSecret: ''
 disableCsrfProtection: false
 # Disable startup security checks - NOT RECOMMENDED
 securityOverride: false
+# -- LOGGING CONFIGURATION --
+logging:
+  # Enable access logging to access.log file
+  # Records new connections with timestamp, IP address and user agent
+  enableAccessLog: true
 # -- RATE LIMITING CONFIGURATION --
 rateLimiting:
   # Use X-Real-IP header instead of socket IP for rate limiting
diff --git a/server.js b/server.js
index b83a79235..e020cbbdf 100644
--- a/server.js
+++ b/server.js
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ import {
 
 import getWebpackServeMiddleware from './src/middleware/webpack-serve.js';
 import basicAuthMiddleware from './src/middleware/basicAuth.js';
-import whitelistMiddleware, { getAccessLogPath, migrateAccessLog } from './src/middleware/whitelist.js';
+import whitelistMiddleware from './src/middleware/whitelist.js';
+import accessLoggerMiddleware, { getAccessLogPath, migrateAccessLog } from './src/middleware/accessLogger.js';
 import multerMonkeyPatch from './src/middleware/multerMonkeyPatch.js';
 import initRequestProxy from './src/request-proxy.js';
 import getCacheBusterMiddleware from './src/middleware/cacheBuster.js';
@@ -342,7 +343,8 @@ app.use(CORS);
 
 if (listen && basicAuthMode) app.use(basicAuthMiddleware);
 
-app.use(whitelistMiddleware(enableWhitelist, listen));
+app.use(whitelistMiddleware(enableWhitelist));
+app.use(accessLoggerMiddleware());
 
 if (enableCorsProxy) {
     app.use(bodyParser.json({
diff --git a/src/middleware/accessLogger.js b/src/middleware/accessLogger.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..26a2b49aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/middleware/accessLogger.js
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+import path from 'node:path';
+import fs from 'node:fs';
+import { getRealIpFromHeader } from '../express-common.js';
+import { color, getConfigValue } from '../util.js';
+
+const enableAccessLog = getConfigValue('logging.enableAccessLog', true);
+
+const knownIPs = new Set();
+
+export const getAccessLogPath = () => path.join(globalThis.DATA_ROOT, 'access.log');
+
+export function migrateAccessLog() {
+    try {
+        if (!fs.existsSync('access.log')) {
+            return;
+        }
+        const logPath = getAccessLogPath();
+        if (fs.existsSync(logPath)) {
+            return;
+        }
+        fs.renameSync('access.log', logPath);
+        console.log(color.yellow('Migrated access.log to new location:'), logPath);
+    } catch (e) {
+        console.error('Failed to migrate access log:', e);
+        console.info('Please move access.log to the data directory manually.');
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Creates middleware for logging access and new connections
+ * @returns {import('express').RequestHandler}
+ */
+export default function accessLoggerMiddleware() {
+    return function (req, res, next) {
+        const clientIp = getRealIpFromHeader(req);
+        const userAgent = req.headers['user-agent'];
+
+        if (!knownIPs.has(clientIp)) {
+            // Log new connection
+            console.info(color.yellow(`New connection from ${clientIp}; User Agent: ${userAgent}\n`));
+            knownIPs.add(clientIp);
+
+            // Write to access log if enabled
+            if (enableAccessLog) {
+                const logPath = getAccessLogPath();
+                const timestamp = new Date().toISOString();
+                const log = `${timestamp} ${clientIp} ${userAgent}\n`;
+
+                fs.appendFile(logPath, log, (err) => {
+                    if (err) {
+                        console.error('Failed to write access log:', err);
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+        }
+
+        next();
+    };
+}
diff --git a/src/middleware/whitelist.js b/src/middleware/whitelist.js
index cb90328ee..146f38110 100644
--- a/src/middleware/whitelist.js
+++ b/src/middleware/whitelist.js
@@ -10,9 +10,6 @@ import { color, getConfigValue, safeReadFileSync } from '../util.js';
 const whitelistPath = path.join(process.cwd(), './whitelist.txt');
 const enableForwardedWhitelist = getConfigValue('enableForwardedWhitelist', false);
 let whitelist = getConfigValue('whitelist', []);
-let knownIPs = new Set();
-
-export const getAccessLogPath = () => path.join(globalThis.DATA_ROOT, 'access.log');
 
 if (fs.existsSync(whitelistPath)) {
     try {
@@ -48,30 +45,12 @@ function getForwardedIp(req) {
     return undefined;
 }
 
-export function migrateAccessLog() {
-    try {
-        if (!fs.existsSync('access.log')) {
-            return;
-        }
-        const logPath = getAccessLogPath();
-        if (fs.existsSync(logPath)) {
-            return;
-        }
-        fs.renameSync('access.log', logPath);
-        console.log(color.yellow('Migrated access.log to new location:'), logPath);
-    } catch (e) {
-        console.error('Failed to migrate access log:', e);
-        console.info('Please move access.log to the data directory manually.');
-    }
-}
-
 /**
  * Returns a middleware function that checks if the client IP is in the whitelist.
  * @param {boolean} whitelistMode If whitelist mode is enabled via config or command line
- * @param {boolean} listen If listen mode is enabled via config or command line
  * @returns {import('express').RequestHandler} The middleware function
  */
-export default function whitelistMiddleware(whitelistMode, listen) {
+export default function whitelistMiddleware(whitelistMode) {
     const forbiddenWebpage = Handlebars.compile(
         safeReadFileSync('./public/error/forbidden-by-whitelist.html') ?? '',
     );
@@ -81,21 +60,6 @@ export default function whitelistMiddleware(whitelistMode, listen) {
         const forwardedIp = getForwardedIp(req);
         const userAgent = req.headers['user-agent'];
 
-        if (listen && !knownIPs.has(clientIp)) {
-            console.info(color.yellow(`New connection from ${clientIp}; User Agent: ${userAgent}\n`));
-            knownIPs.add(clientIp);
-
-            // Write access log
-            const logPath = getAccessLogPath();
-            const timestamp = new Date().toISOString();
-            const log = `${timestamp} ${clientIp} ${userAgent}\n`;
-            fs.appendFile(logPath, log, (err) => {
-                if (err) {
-                    console.error('Failed to write access log:', err);
-                }
-            });
-        }
-
         //clientIp = req.connection.remoteAddress.split(':').pop();
         if (whitelistMode === true && !whitelist.some(x => ipMatching.matches(clientIp, ipMatching.getMatch(x)))
             || forwardedIp && whitelistMode === true && !whitelist.some(x => ipMatching.matches(forwardedIp, ipMatching.getMatch(x)))