diff --git a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/LoggingApplicationListener.java b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/LoggingApplicationListener.java
index dcc45363d8c..6122c5499f9 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/LoggingApplicationListener.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/LoggingApplicationListener.java
@@ -120,17 +120,17 @@ public class LoggingApplicationListener implements GenericApplicationListener {
 	public static final String LOG_PATH = "LOG_PATH";
 
 	/**
-	 * The name of the System property that contains the console log pattern
+	 * The name of the System property that contains the console log pattern.
 	 */
 	public static final String CONSOLE_LOG_PATTERN = "CONSOLE_LOG_PATTERN";
 
 	/**
-	 * The name of the System property that contains the file log pattern
+	 * The name of the System property that contains the file log pattern.
 	 */
 	public static final String FILE_LOG_PATTERN = "FILE_LOG_PATTERN";
 
 	/**
-	 * The name of the System property that contains the log level pattern
+	 * The name of the System property that contains the log level pattern.
 	 */
 	public static final String LOG_LEVEL_PATTERN = "LOG_LEVEL_PATTERN";
 
diff --git a/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/AbstractLoggingSystemTests.java b/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/AbstractLoggingSystemTests.java
index 275c801e95d..01724c44524 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/AbstractLoggingSystemTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/AbstractLoggingSystemTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2014 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2016 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -62,7 +62,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractLoggingSystemTests {
 	}
 
 	protected final LogFile getLogFile(String file, String path) {
-		return new LogFile(file, path);
+		LogFile logFile = new LogFile(file, path);
+		logFile.applyToSystemProperties();
+		return logFile;
 	}
 
 	protected final String tmpDir() {
diff --git a/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/LoggingApplicationListenerTests.java b/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/LoggingApplicationListenerTests.java
index c30dfb740a7..dc627a20453 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/LoggingApplicationListenerTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/LoggingApplicationListenerTests.java
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ public class LoggingApplicationListenerTests {
 	@Test
 	public void systemPropertiesAreSetForLoggingConfiguration() {
 		EnvironmentTestUtils.addEnvironment(this.context,
-				"logging.exception-conversion-word=conversion", "logging.file=file",
+				"logging.exception-conversion-word=conversion", "logging.file=target/log",
 				"logging.path=path", "logging.pattern.console=console",
 				"logging.pattern.file=file", "logging.pattern.level=level");
 		this.initializer.initialize(this.context.getEnvironment(),
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ public class LoggingApplicationListenerTests {
 		assertThat(System.getProperty("FILE_LOG_PATTERN")).isEqualTo("file");
 		assertThat(System.getProperty("LOG_EXCEPTION_CONVERSION_WORD"))
 				.isEqualTo("conversion");
-		assertThat(System.getProperty("LOG_FILE")).isEqualTo("file");
+		assertThat(System.getProperty("LOG_FILE")).isEqualTo("target/log");
 		assertThat(System.getProperty("LOG_LEVEL_PATTERN")).isEqualTo("level");
 		assertThat(System.getProperty("LOG_PATH")).isEqualTo("path");
 		assertThat(System.getProperty("PID")).isNotNull();