diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/fix_log_verbosity.yml b/changelogs/fragments/fix_log_verbosity.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..72ccb3a5528
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/fix_log_verbosity.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - ensure we have logger before we log when we have increased verbosity.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/display.py b/lib/ansible/utils/display.py
index ddf59179876..08a59237190 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/display.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/display.py
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ class Display(metaclass=Singleton):
 
     def _log(self, msg: str, color: str | None = None, caplevel: int | None = None):
 
-        if caplevel is None or self.log_verbosity > caplevel:
+        if logger and (caplevel is None or self.log_verbosity > caplevel):
             msg2 = msg.lstrip('\n')
 
             lvl = logging.INFO
@@ -462,6 +462,7 @@ class Display(metaclass=Singleton):
                 except KeyError:
                     # this should not happen, but JIC
                     raise AnsibleAssertionError('Invalid color supplied to display: %s' % color)
+
             # actually log
             logger.log(lvl, msg2)
 
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/ansible_log/runme.sh b/test/integration/targets/ansible_log/runme.sh
index 84c58c4d9de..5295146b6f1 100755
--- a/test/integration/targets/ansible_log/runme.sh
+++ b/test/integration/targets/ansible_log/runme.sh
@@ -21,3 +21,6 @@ if [ "$rc" == "0" ]; then
     false  # fail if we found EXEC in stdout
 fi
 grep -q EXEC "${ALOG}"
+
+# Test that setting verbosity with no log won't crash
+ANSIBLE_LOG_VERBOSITY=2 ansible-playbook logit.yml