diff --git a/awx/conf/views.py b/awx/conf/views.py
index 0bd93bf7f2..ad1d62ad3a 100644
--- a/awx/conf/views.py
+++ b/awx/conf/views.py
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ class SettingLoggingTest(GenericAPIView):
         # Error if logging is not enabled
         enabled = getattr(settings, 'LOG_AGGREGATOR_ENABLED', False)
         if not enabled:
-            return Response({'error': 'Logging not enabled'}, status=status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST)
+            return Response({'error': 'Logging not enabled'}, status=status.HTTP_409_CONFLICT)
         
         # Send test message to configured logger based on db settings
         logging.getLogger('awx').error('AWX Connection Test Message')
@@ -183,7 +183,11 @@ class SettingLoggingTest(GenericAPIView):
         else:
             # if http/https by this point, domain is reacheable
             return Response(status=status.HTTP_202_ACCEPTED)
-        s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+
+        if protocol is 'udp':
+            s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_DGRAM)
+        else:
+            s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
         try:
             s.settimeout(.5)
             s.connect((hostname, int(port)))
diff --git a/awx/main/utils/external_logging.py b/awx/main/utils/external_logging.py
index 672fb2fdec..fd580d64cf 100644
--- a/awx/main/utils/external_logging.py
+++ b/awx/main/utils/external_logging.py
@@ -26,8 +26,10 @@ def construct_rsyslog_conf_template(settings=settings):
                     port = parsed.port
             except ValueError:
                 port = settings.LOG_AGGREGATOR_PORT
-
         parts.extend([
+            '$WorkDirectory /var/lib/awx/rsyslog',
+            '$IncludeConfig /etc/rsyslog.d/*.conf',
+            '$ModLoad imuxsock',
             'input(type="imuxsock" Socket="' + settings.LOGGING['handlers']['external_logger']['address'] + '" unlink="on")',
             'template(name="awx" type="string" string="%msg%")',
         ])
@@ -63,10 +65,14 @@ def construct_rsyslog_conf_template(settings=settings):
             parts.append(
                 f'action(type="omfwd" target="{host}" port="{port}" protocol="{protocol}" action.resumeRetryCount="-1" template="awx")'  # noqa
             )
-    parts.extend([
-        '$WorkDirectory /var/lib/awx/rsyslog',
-        '$IncludeConfig /etc/rsyslog.d/*.conf'
-    ])
+    else:
+        # If logging is disabled, add a valid config and discard all messages
+        parts = [
+            '$WorkDirectory /var/lib/awx/rsyslog',
+            '$IncludeConfig /etc/rsyslog.d/*.conf',
+            '*.* stop'
+            f'action(type="omfwd" target="localhost" port="9000" protocol="udp")'
+        ]
     tmpl = '\n'.join(parts)
     return tmpl
 
diff --git a/tools/docker-compose/Dockerfile b/tools/docker-compose/Dockerfile
index 00c2167986..ef7b8ba57a 100644
--- a/tools/docker-compose/Dockerfile
+++ b/tools/docker-compose/Dockerfile
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ ADD tools/docker-compose/entrypoint.sh /
 ADD tools/scripts/awx-python /usr/bin/awx-python
 
 # Pre-create things that we need to write to
-RUN for dir in /var/lib/awx/rsyslog /var/run/tower/rsyslog /var/log/tower/ /var/lib/awx/projects /.ansible /var/log/nginx /var/lib/nginx /.local; \
+RUN for dir in /var/lib/awx/rsyslog /var/run/rsyslog /var/log/tower/ /var/lib/awx/projects /.ansible /var/log/nginx /var/lib/nginx /.local; \
     do mkdir -p $dir; chmod -R g+rwx $dir; chgrp -R root $dir; done && \
     \
     for file in /etc/passwd /etc/supervisord.conf /venv/awx/lib/python3.6/site-packages/awx.egg-link /var/run/nginx.pid; \