diff --git a/bitbake/lib/bb/tinfoil.py b/bitbake/lib/bb/tinfoil.py
index 2200caa54c..dcd3910cc4 100644
--- a/bitbake/lib/bb/tinfoil.py
+++ b/bitbake/lib/bb/tinfoil.py
@@ -325,11 +325,11 @@ class Tinfoil:
         self.recipes_parsed = False
         self.quiet = 0
         self.oldhandlers = self.logger.handlers[:]
+        self.localhandlers = []
         if setup_logging:
             # This is the *client-side* logger, nothing to do with
             # logging messages from the server
             bb.msg.logger_create('BitBake', output)
-            self.localhandlers = []
             for handler in self.logger.handlers:
                 if handler not in self.oldhandlers:
                     self.localhandlers.append(handler)