diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1ac84db1..69df9537 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 # Logs
-logs/**/*
-!logs/an_empty_log.txt
 *.log
 npm-debug.log*
 yarn-debug.log*
diff --git a/packages/join-block/logs/an_empty_log.txt b/packages/join-block/logs/an_empty_log.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 427dd28b..00000000
--- a/packages/join-block/logs/an_empty_log.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-No logs yet!
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/join-block/src/Logging.php b/packages/join-block/src/Logging.php
index 60df8094..6a94ec2d 100644
--- a/packages/join-block/src/Logging.php
+++ b/packages/join-block/src/Logging.php
@@ -13,25 +13,90 @@
 
 class Logging
 {
+    public static function getLogDirectory()
+    {
+        // Prefer the uploads dir (survives plugin updates), but fall back to
+        // WP_CONTENT_DIR if uploads is misconfigured or unwritable.
+        $uploads = wp_upload_dir(null, false);
+        $basedir = (is_array($uploads) && empty($uploads['error']) && !empty($uploads['basedir']))
+            ? $uploads['basedir']
+            : null;
+
+        $candidates = [];
+        if ($basedir) {
+            $candidates[] = $basedir . '/join-block-logs';
+        }
+        if (defined('WP_CONTENT_DIR')) {
+            $candidates[] = WP_CONTENT_DIR . '/join-block-logs';
+        }
+
+        $logLocation = null;
+        $created = false;
+        foreach ($candidates as $candidate) {
+            $existed = is_dir($candidate);
+            if (!$existed && !wp_mkdir_p($candidate)) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            if (!is_writable($candidate)) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            $logLocation = $candidate;
+            $created = !$existed;
+            break;
+        }
+
+        if ($logLocation === null) {
+            error_log(
+                'join-block: unable to create a writable log directory (tried: '
+                . implode(', ', $candidates ?: ['<none>']) . '); '
+                . 'file-based logging disabled for this request'
+            );
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        // On first creation, migrate any pre-existing logs from the old
+        // in-plugin location, which WordPress wipes on plugin update.
+        if ($created) {
+            $legacyLocation = __DIR__ . '/../logs';
+            if (is_dir($legacyLocation)) {
+                $legacyFiles = scandir($legacyLocation) ?: [];
+                foreach ($legacyFiles as $file) {
+                    if ($file === '.' || $file === '..') {
+                        continue;
+                    }
+                    $src = $legacyLocation . '/' . $file;
+                    $dst = $logLocation . '/' . $file;
+                    if (is_file($src) && !file_exists($dst)) {
+                        @copy($src, $dst);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        return $logLocation;
+    }
+
     public static function init()
     {
         global $joinBlockLog;
         $joinBlockLog = new Logger('join-block');
-        $logFilenameHash = null;
-        $logLocation = __DIR__ . "/../logs";
-        $logFiles = scandir($logLocation);
-        foreach ($logFiles as $logFile) {
-            if (str_starts_with($logFile, "debug-")) {
-                $parts = explode("-", $logFile);
-                $logFilenameHash = $parts[1];
-                break;
+        $logLocation = self::getLogDirectory();
+        if ($logLocation !== null) {
+            $logFilenameHash = null;
+            $logFiles = scandir($logLocation) ?: [];
+            foreach ($logFiles as $logFile) {
+                if (str_starts_with($logFile, "debug-")) {
+                    $parts = explode("-", $logFile);
+                    $logFilenameHash = $parts[1];
+                    break;
+                }
             }
+            if (!$logFilenameHash) {
+                $logFilenameHash = bin2hex(random_bytes(18));
+            }
+            $logFilename = "debug-$logFilenameHash.log";
+            $joinBlockLog->pushHandler(new RotatingFileHandler("$logLocation/$logFilename", 10, Level::Info));
         }
-        if (!$logFilenameHash) {
-            $logFilenameHash = bin2hex(random_bytes(18));
-        }
-        $logFilename = "debug-$logFilenameHash.log";
-        $joinBlockLog->pushHandler(new RotatingFileHandler("$logLocation/$logFilename", 10, Level::Info));
         $joinBlockLog->pushProcessor(new WebProcessor());
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/join-block/src/Settings.php b/packages/join-block/src/Settings.php
index 7bbf61a6..c9ca6488 100644
--- a/packages/join-block/src/Settings.php
+++ b/packages/join-block/src/Settings.php
@@ -239,8 +239,8 @@ public static function init()
         /** @var Html_Field $logField */
         $logField = Field::make('html', 'ck_join_flow_log_contents');
         $logField->set_html(function () {
-            $joinBlockLogLocation = __DIR__ . "/../logs";
-            $logfiles = scandir($joinBlockLogLocation, SCANDIR_SORT_DESCENDING) ?: [];
+            $joinBlockLogLocation = Logging::getLogDirectory();
+            $logfiles = $joinBlockLogLocation ? scandir($joinBlockLogLocation, SCANDIR_SORT_DESCENDING) : [];
             $logfiles = array_values(array_filter($logfiles, function ($file) use ($joinBlockLogLocation) {
                 return str_starts_with($file, 'debug-') && is_file($joinBlockLogLocation . '/' . $file);
             }));
diff --git a/packages/join-block/tests/SessionLockTest.php b/packages/join-block/tests/SessionLockTest.php
index 8cf21a81..0651a239 100644
--- a/packages/join-block/tests/SessionLockTest.php
+++ b/packages/join-block/tests/SessionLockTest.php
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ public function testLockSerializesByKey(): void
         $scriptPath = __DIR__ . "/SessionLockTestProcess.php";
         // Use an email-shaped key to cover the typical webhook/join lock-key form.
         $lockKey = "test+" . microtime(true) . "@example.com";
-        $logFile = __DIR__ . "/../logs/tests.log";
+        $logFile = sys_get_temp_dir() . "/join-block-tests.log";
         // Ensure clean log file output
         // phpcs:ignore WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.unlink_unlink
         @unlink($logFile);
diff --git a/packages/join-block/tests/SessionLockTestProcess.php b/packages/join-block/tests/SessionLockTestProcess.php
index 04c89862..bc9a14e6 100644
--- a/packages/join-block/tests/SessionLockTestProcess.php
+++ b/packages/join-block/tests/SessionLockTestProcess.php
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 // Set up log file so SessionLockTest can monitor progress of this script
 global $joinBlockLog;
 $joinBlockLog = new Logger('join-block-test');
-$joinBlockLogLocation = __DIR__ . '/../logs/tests.log';
+$joinBlockLogLocation = sys_get_temp_dir() . '/join-block-tests.log';
 // phpcs:ignore WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.file_system_operations_fopen
 $joinBlockLogFile = fopen($joinBlockLogLocation, 'a');
 $joinBlockLog->pushHandler(new StreamHandler($joinBlockLogFile, Level::Info));