diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 04e723f4..c1ffde91 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -8,8 +8,10 @@ use serde::Deserialize;
 
 use crate::error;
 
+mod env_filter_clone;
 mod proxy;
 
+use env_filter_clone::EnvFilterClone;
 use proxy::ProxyConfig;
 
 #[allow(clippy::struct_excessive_bools)]
@@ -69,7 +71,7 @@ pub(crate) struct Config {
     #[serde(default = "default_trusted_servers")]
     pub(crate) trusted_servers: Vec<OwnedServerName>,
     #[serde(default = "default_log")]
-    pub(crate) log: String,
+    pub(crate) log: EnvFilterClone,
     #[serde(default)]
     pub(crate) turn_username: String,
     #[serde(default)]
@@ -146,8 +148,10 @@ fn default_trusted_servers() -> Vec<OwnedServerName> {
     vec![OwnedServerName::try_from("matrix.org").unwrap()]
 }
 
-fn default_log() -> String {
-    "warn,state_res=warn,_=off".to_owned()
+fn default_log() -> EnvFilterClone {
+    "warn,state_res=warn,_=off"
+        .parse()
+        .expect("hardcoded env filter should be valid")
 }
 
 fn default_turn_ttl() -> u64 {
diff --git a/src/config/env_filter_clone.rs b/src/config/env_filter_clone.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..183c827f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config/env_filter_clone.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+//! A workaround for [`EnvFilter`] not directly implementing [`Clone`]
+//!
+//! This will be unnecessary after [tokio-rs/tracing#2956][0] is merged.
+//!
+//! [0]: https://github.com/tokio-rs/tracing/pull/2956
+#![warn(missing_docs, clippy::missing_docs_in_private_items)]
+
+use std::str::FromStr;
+
+use serde::{de, Deserialize, Deserializer};
+use tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter;
+
+/// A workaround for [`EnvFilter`] not directly implementing [`Clone`]
+///
+/// Use [`FromStr`] or [`Deserialize`] to construct this type, then [`From`] or
+/// [`Into`] to convert it into an [`EnvFilter`] when needed.
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub(crate) struct EnvFilterClone(String);
+
+impl FromStr for EnvFilterClone {
+    type Err = <EnvFilter as FromStr>::Err;
+
+    fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self, Self::Err> {
+        EnvFilter::from_str(s)?;
+        Ok(Self(s.to_owned()))
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<&EnvFilterClone> for EnvFilter {
+    fn from(other: &EnvFilterClone) -> Self {
+        EnvFilter::from_str(&other.0)
+            .expect("env filter syntax should have been validated already")
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'de> Deserialize<'de> for EnvFilterClone {
+    fn deserialize<D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Self, D::Error>
+    where
+        D: Deserializer<'de>,
+    {
+        let s = String::deserialize(deserializer)?;
+        Self::from_str(&s).map_err(de::Error::custom)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index 94d9a847..c8e9d8e2 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -61,9 +61,6 @@ pub(crate) enum Observability {
     #[error("opentelemetry error")]
     Otel(#[from] opentelemetry::trace::TraceError),
 
-    #[error("invalid log filter syntax")]
-    EnvFilter(#[from] tracing_subscriber::filter::ParseError),
-
     #[error("failed to install global default tracing subscriber")]
     SetSubscriber(#[from] tracing::subscriber::SetGlobalDefaultError),
 
diff --git a/src/observability.rs b/src/observability.rs
index f182219f..b6ded983 100644
--- a/src/observability.rs
+++ b/src/observability.rs
@@ -82,8 +82,6 @@ pub(crate) enum FoundIn {
 
 /// Initialize observability
 pub(crate) fn init(config: &Config) -> Result<Guard, error::Observability> {
-    let config_filter_layer = || EnvFilter::try_new(&config.log);
-
     let jaeger_layer = config
         .allow_jaeger
         .then(|| {
@@ -101,7 +99,7 @@ pub(crate) fn init(config: &Config) -> Result<Guard, error::Observability> {
             let telemetry = tracing_opentelemetry::layer().with_tracer(tracer);
 
             Ok::<_, error::Observability>(
-                telemetry.with_filter(config_filter_layer()?),
+                telemetry.with_filter(EnvFilter::from(&config.log)),
             )
         })
         .transpose()?;
@@ -114,7 +112,7 @@ pub(crate) fn init(config: &Config) -> Result<Guard, error::Observability> {
             let flame_layer = flame_layer.with_empty_samples(false);
 
             Ok::<_, error::Observability>((
-                flame_layer.with_filter(config_filter_layer()?),
+                flame_layer.with_filter(EnvFilter::from(&config.log)),
                 guard,
             ))
         })
@@ -122,7 +120,7 @@ pub(crate) fn init(config: &Config) -> Result<Guard, error::Observability> {
         .unzip();
 
     let fmt_layer = tracing_subscriber::fmt::Layer::new()
-        .with_filter(config_filter_layer()?);
+        .with_filter(EnvFilter::from(&config.log));
 
     let subscriber = Registry::default()
         .with(jaeger_layer)