diff --git a/cluster/gce/config-default.sh b/cluster/gce/config-default.sh
index 2b98bc6fd8d..15a581ea643 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/config-default.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/config-default.sh
@@ -37,3 +37,10 @@ POLL_SLEEP_INTERVAL=3
 PORTAL_NET="10.0.0.0/16"
 # When set to true, heapster will be setup as part of the cluster bring up.
 MONITORING=true
+# Turn on Elasticsearch logging unless Google Cloud Logging has been selected or
+# if Elasticsearch logging has been specifically turned off.
+if [[ "${FLUENTD_GCP-}" != "true" ]]; then
+  if [[ "${FLUENTD_ELASTICSEARCH-}" != "false" ]]; then
+    FLUENTD_ELASTICSEARCH="true"
+  fi
+fi
diff --git a/cluster/gce/util.sh b/cluster/gce/util.sh
index 5dc0719991d..102336a539a 100755
--- a/cluster/gce/util.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/util.sh
@@ -299,6 +299,14 @@ function kube-up {
     grep -v "^#" "${KUBE_ROOT}/cluster/gce/templates/salt-master.sh"
   ) > "${KUBE_TEMP}/master-start.sh"
 
+  # Report logging choice (if any).
+  if [[ "${FLUENTD_ELASTICSEARCH-}" == "true" ]]; then
+    echo "+++ Logging using Fluentd to Elasticsearch"
+  fi
+  if [[ "${FLUENTD_GCP-}" == "true" ]]; then
+    echo "+++ Logging using Fluentd to Google Cloud Logging"
+  fi
+
   # For logging to GCP we need to enable some minion scopes.
   if [[ "${FLUENTD_GCP-}" == "true" ]]; then
      MINION_SCOPES="${MINION_SCOPES}, https://www.googleapis.com/auth/logging.write"