diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/x11/display-managers/kdm.nix b/nixos/modules/services/x11/display-managers/kdm.nix
index 9b937ff7ee18..d9f7f8f0dfc4 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/x11/display-managers/kdm.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/x11/display-managers/kdm.nix
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ in
             mkdir -m 0755 -p /var/lib/kdm
             chown kdm /var/lib/kdm
             ${(optionalString (config.system.boot.loader.id == "grub" && config.system.build.grub != null) "PATH=${config.system.build.grub}/sbin:$PATH ") +
-              "KDEDIRS=/run/current-system/sw exec ${kdebase_workspace}/bin/kdm -config ${kdmrc} -nodaemon"}
+              "KDEDIRS=/run/current-system/sw exec ${kdebase_workspace}/bin/kdm -config ${kdmrc} -nodaemon -logfile /dev/stderr"}
           '';
         logsXsession = true;
       };
diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/x11/xserver.nix b/nixos/modules/services/x11/xserver.nix
index 4f65ed72d36e..82d3e31e2a01 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/x11/xserver.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/x11/xserver.nix
@@ -520,6 +520,7 @@ in
         serviceConfig = {
           Restart = "always";
           RestartSec = "200ms";
+          SyslogIdentifier = "display-manager";
         };
       };
 
@@ -527,10 +528,11 @@ in
       [ "-terminate"
         "-config ${configFile}"
         "-xkbdir" "${cfg.xkbDir}"
+        # Log at the default verbosity level to stderr rather than /var/log/X.*.log.
+        "-verbose" "3" "-logfile" "/dev/null"
       ] ++ optional (cfg.display != null) ":${toString cfg.display}"
         ++ optional (cfg.tty     != null) "vt${toString cfg.tty}"
         ++ optional (cfg.dpi     != null) "-dpi ${toString cfg.dpi}"
-        ++ optionals (cfg.display != null) [ "-logfile" "/var/log/X.${toString cfg.display}.log" ]
         ++ optional (!cfg.enableTCP) "-nolisten tcp";
 
     services.xserver.modules =