diff --git a/nix/host-modules/swarm-required-services.nix b/nix/host-modules/swarm-required-services.nix
index 80c3800a..a40b7e56 100644
--- a/nix/host-modules/swarm-required-services.nix
+++ b/nix/host-modules/swarm-required-services.nix
@@ -71,6 +71,13 @@ in
     victoriametrics.enable = lib.mkDefault swarmCfg.enableRequiredServices;
     grafana.enable = lib.mkDefault swarmCfg.enableRequiredServices;
 
+    # The log store, deriving from the same switch for the same reason —
+    # and deliberately in the same commit as the collector pipeline that
+    # writes to it, never before it. A store nothing writes to is worse
+    # than no store: it starts, answers queries, and returns nothing, so
+    # the first person to look concludes there were no logs.
+    victorialogs.enable = lib.mkDefault swarmCfg.enableRequiredServices;
+
     # The collector that feeds the pair above, and the only tier holding
     # the upstream credential. Same rule as the rest: once per swarm,
     # optional, and a hive that is not the service host is a *client* of