diff --git a/.changes/unreleased/Fixed-113.yaml b/.changes/unreleased/Fixed-113.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8973b11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/unreleased/Fixed-113.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+kind: Fixed
+body: Config-time warnings (deprecated `dashboard` key, unknown `DEVCLOUD_SERVICES` tier) now honor `logging.format`/`logging.level` instead of always printing as plain text before the logger is configured
+custom:
+  Issue: "113"
diff --git a/cmd/devcloud/buffer.go b/cmd/devcloud/buffer.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2399c32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/devcloud/buffer.go
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"log/slog"
+)
+
+// bufferHandler is a slog.Handler that captures every record instead of
+// emitting it, so log calls made before the operator-configured handler is
+// installed (notably config.parse() warnings) can be replayed afterwards and
+// honor logging.format / logging.level. See flushTo.
+//
+// ponytail: single-threaded startup, add a mutex if buffered logging ever
+// goes concurrent.
+type bufferHandler struct {
+	records []slog.Record
+}
+
+// Enabled buffers all levels; the real handler filters on replay in flushTo.
+func (h *bufferHandler) Enabled(context.Context, slog.Level) bool { return true }
+
+func (h *bufferHandler) Handle(_ context.Context, r slog.Record) error {
+	h.records = append(h.records, r.Clone())
+	return nil
+}
+
+// WithAttrs/WithGroup return the handler unchanged: config-time logging uses
+// plain slog.Warn/Info without attr or group chaining, so nothing is lost.
+func (h *bufferHandler) WithAttrs([]slog.Attr) slog.Handler { return h }
+func (h *bufferHandler) WithGroup(string) slog.Handler      { return h }
+
+// flushTo replays buffered records through dst, honoring dst's level filter,
+// then clears the buffer.
+func (h *bufferHandler) flushTo(dst slog.Handler) {
+	for _, r := range h.records {
+		if dst.Enabled(context.Background(), r.Level) {
+			_ = dst.Handle(context.Background(), r)
+		}
+	}
+	h.records = nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/devcloud/buffer_test.go b/cmd/devcloud/buffer_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee5e036
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/devcloud/buffer_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"log/slog"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// TestBufferHandler_FlushHonorsFormatAndLevel verifies that records buffered
+// before the real handler is installed are replayed as JSON and filtered by
+// the destination handler's level — the two acceptance criteria from #113.
+func TestBufferHandler_FlushHonorsFormatAndLevel(t *testing.T) {
+	buf := &bufferHandler{}
+	log := slog.New(buf)
+	log.Info("config file not found")
+	log.Warn("dashboard key deprecated", "token", "tierX")
+
+	var out bytes.Buffer
+	dst := slog.NewJSONHandler(&out, &slog.HandlerOptions{Level: slog.LevelWarn})
+	buf.flushTo(dst)
+
+	got := out.String()
+	if strings.Contains(got, "config file not found") {
+		t.Errorf("info record should be dropped at level=warn, got: %s", got)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(got, `"dashboard key deprecated"`) || !strings.Contains(got, `"token":"tierX"`) {
+		t.Errorf("warn record (with attrs) should be replayed as JSON, got: %s", got)
+	}
+
+	// flush clears the buffer so a second flush is a no-op.
+	out.Reset()
+	buf.flushTo(dst)
+	if out.Len() != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("second flush should emit nothing, got: %s", out.String())
+	}
+}
+
+// TestBufferHandler_EnabledBuffersAllLevels confirms buffering does not drop
+// records below the eventual threshold; the level filter applies only on flush.
+func TestBufferHandler_EnabledBuffersAllLevels(t *testing.T) {
+	buf := &bufferHandler{}
+	if !buf.Enabled(context.Background(), slog.LevelDebug) {
+		t.Fatal("bufferHandler must buffer all levels, including debug")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/devcloud/main.go b/cmd/devcloud/main.go
index 3031d0e..da866d3 100644
--- a/cmd/devcloud/main.go
+++ b/cmd/devcloud/main.go
@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ func main() {
 	cfgPath := flag.String("config", "", "Path to config file (optional; uses ./devcloud.yaml if present, else embedded defaults)")
 	flag.Parse()
 
+	// Buffer log records emitted while loading config (parse() deprecation and
+	// unknown-tier warnings, etc.) so they can be replayed through the
+	// operator-configured handler below and honor logging.format / level.
+	buf := &bufferHandler{}
+	slog.SetDefault(slog.New(buf))
+
 	var (
 		cfg *config.Config
 		err error
@@ -44,11 +50,16 @@ func main() {
 		cfg, err = config.LoadOrDefault("devcloud.yaml")
 	}
 	if err != nil {
+		// Load failed, so there is no logging config to honor; fall back to the
+		// default handler, flush any buffered warnings, then surface the error.
+		setupLogging(config.LoggingConfig{})
+		buf.flushTo(slog.Default().Handler())
 		slog.Error("failed to load config", "error", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
 	setupLogging(cfg.Logging)
+	buf.flushTo(slog.Default().Handler())
 
 	registry := plugin.DefaultRegistry