diff --git a/api/admin_config.py b/api/admin_config.py
index edc7f40..cb4f7ab 100644
--- a/api/admin_config.py
+++ b/api/admin_config.py
@@ -413,14 +413,6 @@ FIELDS: tuple[ConfigFieldSpec, ...] = (
         default="8082",
         restart_required=True,
     ),
-    ConfigFieldSpec(
-        "LOG_FILE",
-        "Log File",
-        "runtime",
-        settings_attr="log_file",
-        default="logs/server.log",
-        restart_required=True,
-    ),
     ConfigFieldSpec(
         "MESSAGING_PLATFORM",
         "Messaging Platform",
diff --git a/api/app.py b/api/app.py
index 51f0406..05f5519 100644
--- a/api/app.py
+++ b/api/app.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from loguru import logger
 from starlette.types import Receive, Scope, Send
 
 from config.logging_config import configure_logging
+from config.paths import server_log_path
 from config.settings import get_settings
 from core.trace import extract_claude_session_id_from_headers, trace_event
 from providers.exceptions import ProviderError
@@ -85,7 +86,7 @@ def create_app(*, lifespan_enabled: bool = True) -> FastAPI:
     """Create and configure the FastAPI application."""
     settings = get_settings()
     configure_logging(
-        settings.log_file, verbose_third_party=settings.log_raw_api_payloads
+        server_log_path(), verbose_third_party=settings.log_raw_api_payloads
     )
 
     app_kwargs: dict[str, Any] = {
diff --git a/config/logging_config.py b/config/logging_config.py
index 1f09bb0..dd100fa 100644
--- a/config/logging_config.py
+++ b/config/logging_config.py
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ class InterceptHandler(logging.Handler):
 
 
 def configure_logging(
-    log_file: str, *, force: bool = False, verbose_third_party: bool = False
+    log_file: str | Path, *, force: bool = False, verbose_third_party: bool = False
 ) -> None:
     """Configure loguru with JSON output to log_file and intercept stdlib logging.
 
diff --git a/config/paths.py b/config/paths.py
index 0ab4e36..75bae73 100644
--- a/config/paths.py
+++ b/config/paths.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ from pathlib import Path
 FCC_CONFIG_DIRNAME = ".fcc"
 FCC_ENV_FILENAME = ".env"
 CLAUDE_WORKSPACE_DIRNAME = "agent_workspace"
+FCC_LOGS_DIRNAME = "logs"
+SERVER_LOG_FILENAME = "server.log"
 
 
 def config_dir_path() -> Path:
@@ -23,3 +25,9 @@ def default_claude_workspace_path() -> Path:
     """Return the default Claude workspace path."""
 
     return config_dir_path() / CLAUDE_WORKSPACE_DIRNAME
+
+
+def server_log_path() -> Path:
+    """Return the canonical server log path."""
+
+    return config_dir_path() / FCC_LOGS_DIRNAME / SERVER_LOG_FILENAME
diff --git a/config/settings.py b/config/settings.py
index 15f9f45..e451761 100644
--- a/config/settings.py
+++ b/config/settings.py
@@ -310,7 +310,6 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
     # ==================== Server ====================
     host: str = "0.0.0.0"
     port: int = 8082
-    log_file: str = "logs/server.log"
     # Optional server API key to protect endpoints (Anthropic-style)
     # Set via env `ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN`. When empty, no auth is required.
     anthropic_auth_token: str = Field(
diff --git a/tests/api/test_admin.py b/tests/api/test_admin.py
index 80f1064..89d3e74 100644
--- a/tests/api/test_admin.py
+++ b/tests/api/test_admin.py
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ def test_admin_config_masks_secrets_and_exposes_manifest(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
     keys = {field["key"] for field in body["fields"]}
     assert "ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN" in keys
     assert "OPENROUTER_API_KEY" in keys
+    assert "LOG_FILE" not in keys
     auth_field = next(
         field for field in body["fields"] if field["key"] == "ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN"
     )
diff --git a/tests/api/test_app_lifespan_and_errors.py b/tests/api/test_app_lifespan_and_errors.py
index 7f287f0..cbb0a1c 100644
--- a/tests/api/test_app_lifespan_and_errors.py
+++ b/tests/api/test_app_lifespan_and_errors.py
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ def test_create_app_provider_error_handler_returns_anthropic_format():
         claude_workspace="./agent_workspace",
         host="127.0.0.1",
         port=8082,
-        log_file="server.log",
     )
     with (
         patch.object(api_app_mod, "get_settings", return_value=settings),
@@ -122,7 +121,6 @@ def test_create_app_provider_error_default_logs_exclude_provider_message():
         claude_workspace="./agent_workspace",
         host="127.0.0.1",
         port=8082,
-        log_file="server.log",
         log_api_error_tracebacks=False,
     )
     with (
@@ -160,7 +158,6 @@ def test_create_app_general_exception_handler_returns_500():
         claude_workspace="./agent_workspace",
         host="127.0.0.1",
         port=8082,
-        log_file="server.log",
     )
     with (
         patch.object(api_app_mod, "get_settings", return_value=settings),
@@ -197,7 +194,6 @@ def test_create_app_general_exception_default_logs_exclude_exception_message():
         claude_workspace="./agent_workspace",
         host="127.0.0.1",
         port=8082,
-        log_file="server.log",
         log_api_error_tracebacks=False,
     )
     with (
@@ -236,7 +232,6 @@ def test_app_lifespan_sets_state_and_cleans_up(tmp_path, messaging_enabled):
         claude_workspace=str(tmp_path / "data"),
         host="127.0.0.1",
         port=8082,
-        log_file=str(tmp_path / "server.log"),
     )
 
     fake_platform = MagicMock()
@@ -315,7 +310,6 @@ def test_app_lifespan_cleanup_continues_if_platform_stop_raises(tmp_path):
         claude_workspace=str(tmp_path / "data"),
         host="127.0.0.1",
         port=8082,
-        log_file=str(tmp_path / "server.log"),
     )
 
     fake_platform = MagicMock()
@@ -366,7 +360,6 @@ async def test_runtime_startup_validation_failure_does_not_block_server(tmp_path
         claude_workspace=str(tmp_path / "data"),
         host="127.0.0.1",
         port=8082,
-        log_file=str(tmp_path / "server.log"),
     )
     app = FastAPI()
     runtime = api_runtime_mod.AppRuntime(
@@ -414,7 +407,6 @@ async def test_graceful_asgi_lifespan_model_validation_failure_starts(tmp_path):
         claude_workspace=str(tmp_path / "data"),
         host="127.0.0.1",
         port=8082,
-        log_file=str(tmp_path / "server.log"),
     )
     app = api_app_mod.GracefulLifespanApp(FastAPI())
     sent: list[MutableMapping[str, Any]] = []
@@ -460,7 +452,6 @@ def test_app_lifespan_messaging_import_error_no_crash(tmp_path, caplog):
         claude_workspace=str(tmp_path / "data"),
         host="127.0.0.1",
         port=8082,
-        log_file=str(tmp_path / "server.log"),
     )
 
     api_app_mod = importlib.import_module("api.app")
@@ -496,7 +487,6 @@ def test_app_lifespan_platform_start_exception_cleanup_still_runs(tmp_path):
         claude_workspace=str(tmp_path / "data"),
         host="127.0.0.1",
         port=8082,
-        log_file=str(tmp_path / "server.log"),
     )
 
     fake_platform = MagicMock()
@@ -547,7 +537,6 @@ def test_app_lifespan_flush_pending_save_exception_warning_only(tmp_path):
         claude_workspace=str(tmp_path / "data"),
         host="127.0.0.1",
         port=8082,
-        log_file=str(tmp_path / "server.log"),
     )
 
     fake_platform = MagicMock()
@@ -582,3 +571,29 @@ def test_app_lifespan_flush_pending_save_exception_warning_only(tmp_path):
 
     session_store.flush_pending_save.assert_called_once()
     registry_cleanup.assert_awaited_once()
+
+
+def test_create_app_writes_server_log_under_fcc_home(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    """App logging uses ~/.fcc/logs/server.log regardless of cwd."""
+    from loguru import logger
+
+    import config.logging_config as logging_config_mod
+    from api.app import create_app
+    from config.paths import server_log_path
+
+    run_dir = tmp_path / "run"
+    run_dir.mkdir()
+    monkeypatch.chdir(run_dir)
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HOME", str(tmp_path))
+    monkeypatch.setenv("USERPROFILE", str(tmp_path))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(logging_config_mod, "_configured", False)
+
+    create_app(lifespan_enabled=False)
+    logger.info("canonical log path test")
+    logger.complete()
+
+    canonical_log = server_log_path()
+    assert canonical_log == tmp_path / ".fcc" / "logs" / "server.log"
+    assert canonical_log.is_file()
+    assert "canonical log path test" in canonical_log.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    assert not (run_dir / "logs" / "server.log").exists()
diff --git a/tests/api/test_runtime_safe_logging.py b/tests/api/test_runtime_safe_logging.py
index 5c86c15..8b13147 100644
--- a/tests/api/test_runtime_safe_logging.py
+++ b/tests/api/test_runtime_safe_logging.py
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ async def test_messaging_start_failure_default_logs_exclude_traceback(caplog):
         claude_workspace="./agent_workspace",
         host="127.0.0.1",
         port=8082,
-        log_file="server.log",
         log_api_error_tracebacks=False,
     )
     runtime = api_runtime_mod.AppRuntime(app=MagicMock(), settings=settings)
diff --git a/tests/config/test_config.py b/tests/config/test_config.py
index c71002f..86549d3 100644
--- a/tests/config/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/config/test_config.py
@@ -57,6 +57,26 @@ class TestSettings:
 
         assert settings.claude_workspace == str(tmp_path / ".fcc" / "agent_workspace")
 
+    def test_server_log_path_uses_fcc_home(self, monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+        """The server log location is fixed under ~/.fcc."""
+        from config.paths import server_log_path
+
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HOME", str(tmp_path))
+        monkeypatch.setenv("USERPROFILE", str(tmp_path))
+
+        assert server_log_path() == tmp_path / ".fcc" / "logs" / "server.log"
+
+    def test_removed_log_file_env_is_ignored(self, monkeypatch):
+        """Legacy LOG_FILE values do not affect Settings or block startup."""
+        from config.settings import Settings
+
+        monkeypatch.setenv("LOG_FILE", "custom/server.log")
+        monkeypatch.setitem(Settings.model_config, "env_file", ())
+
+        settings = Settings()
+
+        assert not hasattr(settings, "log_file")
+
     def test_blank_claude_workspace_uses_fcc_home(self, monkeypatch, tmp_path):
         """An explicit blank env value keeps the default workspace path."""
         from config.settings import Settings