diff --git a/jetty-centralized-logging/pom.xml b/jetty-centralized-logging/pom.xml
index 2f79f7f379d..9f9a87fb00f 100644
--- a/jetty-centralized-logging/pom.xml
+++ b/jetty-centralized-logging/pom.xml
@@ -28,27 +28,6 @@
   <artifactId>jetty-centralized-logging</artifactId>
   <name>Jetty :: Centralized Logging</name>
   <packaging>jar</packaging>
-  <build>
-    <plugins>
-      <plugin>
-        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
-        <artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
-        <executions>
-          <execution>
-            <phase>package</phase>
-            <goals>
-              <goal>single</goal>
-            </goals>
-            <configuration>
-              <descriptors>
-                <descriptor>config.xml</descriptor>
-              </descriptors>
-            </configuration>
-          </execution>
-        </executions>
-      </plugin>
-    </plugins>
-  </build>
   <dependencies>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.eclipse.jetty</groupId>
diff --git a/jetty-centralized-logging/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/logging/impl/CentralLoggerConfig.java b/jetty-centralized-logging/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/logging/impl/CentralLoggerConfig.java
index c596cb8ab25..b1494f4b0d4 100644
--- a/jetty-centralized-logging/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/logging/impl/CentralLoggerConfig.java
+++ b/jetty-centralized-logging/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/logging/impl/CentralLoggerConfig.java
@@ -232,6 +232,7 @@ public class CentralLoggerConfig
         root.appenders = getAppenders(props,"root.appenders",declaredAppenders);
         if (root.appenders == null)
         {
+            root.appenders = new ArrayList<Appender>();
             // Default (if not specified for root)
             root.appenders.add(new ConsoleAppender());
         }