diff --git a/awx/main/utils/handlers.py b/awx/main/utils/handlers.py
index 82d3a285bb..289f64d064 100644
--- a/awx/main/utils/handlers.py
+++ b/awx/main/utils/handlers.py
@@ -288,13 +288,17 @@ class AWXProxyHandler(logging.Handler):
     '''
 
     thread_local = threading.local()
+    _auditor = None
 
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         # TODO: process 'level' kwarg
         super(AWXProxyHandler, self).__init__(**kwargs)
         self._handler = None
         self._old_kwargs = {}
-        if settings.LOG_AGGREGATOR_AUDIT:
+
+    @property
+    def auditor(self):
+        if not self._auditor:
             self._auditor = logging.handlers.RotatingFileHandler(
                 filename='/var/log/tower/external.log',
                 maxBytes=1024 * 1024 * 50, # 50 MB
@@ -307,6 +311,7 @@ class AWXProxyHandler(logging.Handler):
                     return json.dumps(message)
 
             self._auditor.setFormatter(WritableLogstashFormatter())
+        return self._auditor
 
     def get_handler_class(self, protocol):
         return HANDLER_MAPPING.get(protocol, AWXNullHandler)
@@ -341,8 +346,8 @@ class AWXProxyHandler(logging.Handler):
         if AWXProxyHandler.thread_local.enabled:
             actual_handler = self.get_handler()
             if settings.LOG_AGGREGATOR_AUDIT:
-                self._auditor.setLevel(settings.LOG_AGGREGATOR_LEVEL)
-                self._auditor.emit(record)
+                self.auditor.setLevel(settings.LOG_AGGREGATOR_LEVEL)
+                self.auditor.emit(record)
             return actual_handler.emit(record)
 
     def perform_test(self, custom_settings):