diff --git a/spring-bootstrap/src/main/java/org/springframework/bootstrap/logging/java/SimpleFormatter.java b/spring-bootstrap/src/main/java/org/springframework/bootstrap/logging/java/SimpleFormatter.java
index 1d84686395..691fc53d78 100644
--- a/spring-bootstrap/src/main/java/org/springframework/bootstrap/logging/java/SimpleFormatter.java
+++ b/spring-bootstrap/src/main/java/org/springframework/bootstrap/logging/java/SimpleFormatter.java
@@ -29,10 +29,14 @@ import java.util.logging.LogRecord;
  */
 public class SimpleFormatter extends Formatter {
 
-	private static final String FORMAT = "%1$tY-%1$tm-%1$td %1$tH:%1$tM:%1$tS.%1$tL - [%7$s] %4$s - %3$s : %5$s%6$s%n";
+	private static final String DEFAULT_FORMAT = "[%1$tY-%1$tm-%1$td %1$tH:%1$tM:%1$tS.%1$tL] - %8$s %4$s [%7$s] --- %3$s: %5$s%6$s%n";
+
+	private static String FORMAT = setOrUseDefault("LOG_FORMAT", DEFAULT_FORMAT);
 
 	private final Date date = new Date();
 
+	private static String PID = setOrUseDefault("PID", "????");
+
 	@Override
 	public synchronized String format(LogRecord record) {
 		this.date.setTime(record.getMillis());
@@ -41,7 +45,7 @@ public class SimpleFormatter extends Formatter {
 		String throwable = getThrowable(record);
 		String thread = getThreadName();
 		return String.format(FORMAT, this.date, source, record.getLoggerName(), record
-				.getLevel().getLocalizedName(), message, throwable, thread);
+				.getLevel().getLocalizedName(), message, throwable, thread, PID);
 	}
 
 	private String getThrowable(LogRecord record) {
@@ -61,4 +65,18 @@ public class SimpleFormatter extends Formatter {
 		return (name == null ? "" : name);
 	}
 
+	private static String setOrUseDefault(String key, String defaultValue) {
+		String value = null;
+		try {
+			value = System.getenv(key);
+		}
+		catch (Exception e) {
+			// ignore
+		}
+		if (value == null) {
+			value = defaultValue;
+		}
+		return System.getProperty(key, value);
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-bootstrap/src/test/java/org/springframework/bootstrap/logging/java/JavaLoggerSystemTests.java b/spring-bootstrap/src/test/java/org/springframework/bootstrap/logging/java/JavaLoggerSystemTests.java
index eb6db30a76..4c4265acb7 100644
--- a/spring-bootstrap/src/test/java/org/springframework/bootstrap/logging/java/JavaLoggerSystemTests.java
+++ b/spring-bootstrap/src/test/java/org/springframework/bootstrap/logging/java/JavaLoggerSystemTests.java
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import org.apache.commons.logging.impl.Jdk14Logger;
 import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
-import org.springframework.bootstrap.logging.java.JavaLoggingSystem;
+import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ public class JavaLoggerSystemTests {
 		this.savedOutput = System.err;
 		this.output = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
 		System.setErr(new PrintStream(this.output));
-
 	}
 
 	@After
@@ -62,6 +61,7 @@ public class JavaLoggerSystemTests {
 		System.clearProperty("LOG_PATH");
 		System.clearProperty("PID");
 		System.setErr(this.savedOutput);
+		System.err.println(this.output);
 	}
 
 	private String getOutput() {
@@ -69,12 +69,32 @@ public class JavaLoggerSystemTests {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void testDefaultConfigLocation() throws Exception {
-		this.loggingSystem.initialize("classpath:logging-nondefault.properties");
+	public void testCustomFormatter() throws Exception {
 		this.logger.info("Hello world");
 		String output = getOutput().trim();
 		assertTrue("Wrong output:\n" + output, output.contains("Hello world"));
-		assertTrue("Wrong output:\n" + output, output.contains("INFO"));
+		assertTrue("Wrong output:\n" + output, output.contains("???? INFO ["));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testSystemPropertyInitializesFormat() throws Exception {
+		System.setProperty("PID", "1234");
+		this.loggingSystem.initialize("classpath:"
+				+ ClassUtils.addResourcePathToPackagePath(getClass(),
+						"logging.properties"));
+		this.logger.info("Hello world");
+		this.logger.info("Hello world");
+		String output = getOutput().trim();
+		assertTrue("Wrong output:\n" + output, output.contains("Hello world"));
+		assertTrue("Wrong output:\n" + output, output.contains("1234 INFO ["));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testNonDefaultConfigLocation() throws Exception {
+		this.loggingSystem.initialize("classpath:logging-nondefault.properties");
+		this.logger.info("Hello world");
+		String output = getOutput().trim();
+		assertTrue("Wrong output:\n" + output, output.contains("INFO: Hello"));
 	}
 
 	@Test(expected = IllegalStateException.class)
diff --git a/spring-bootstrap/src/test/resources/logging.properties b/spring-bootstrap/src/test/resources/logging.properties
index 839921714a..5f28febf8e 100644
--- a/spring-bootstrap/src/test/resources/logging.properties
+++ b/spring-bootstrap/src/test/resources/logging.properties
@@ -1,9 +1,4 @@
 handlers= java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler
 .level= INFO
-java.util.logging.FileHandler.pattern = %h/java%u.log
-java.util.logging.FileHandler.limit = 50000
-java.util.logging.FileHandler.count = 1
-java.util.logging.FileHandler.formatter = java.util.logging.XMLFormatter
 java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.level = INFO
 java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.formatter = org.springframework.bootstrap.logging.java.SimpleFormatter
-java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter.format = %4$s: %5$s [%1$tc]%n