diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaApplication.cpp b/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaApplication.cpp
index 5aeaa342c0..2bb6405649 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaApplication.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaApplication.cpp
@@ -1697,6 +1697,13 @@ void RiaApplication::initialize()
     m_preferences->initAfterReadRecursively();
     applyPreferences();
 
+    // Parse log level early so it's available when the loggers are created
+    parseLogLevelFromQtArguments();
+
+    // Create loggers before reading the cloud configuration, to make sure the messages from the config file search
+    // are reported
+    initializeLoggers();
+
     RiaConnectorTools::configureCloudServices();
 
     // Start with a project
@@ -1710,9 +1717,6 @@ void RiaApplication::initialize()
     RiaCafLoggingManager::initializeCafLogging();
 
     initializeDataLoadController();
-
-    // Parse log level early so it's available before logger is created in subclass initialize()
-    parseLogLevelFromQtArguments();
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaApplication.h b/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaApplication.h
index 80c0e60898..78c64615af 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaApplication.h
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaApplication.h
@@ -233,6 +233,10 @@ protected:
     static std::vector<caf::PdmDeprecation> defaultDeprecations();
 
 protected:
+    // Create the logger instances required to report messages during application startup. Called from initialize()
+    // before any startup configuration is read, to make sure messages from the startup sequence are logged.
+    virtual void initializeLoggers() {}
+
     void initializeDataLoadController();
     void parseLogLevelFromQtArguments();
 
diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaConsoleApplication.cpp b/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaConsoleApplication.cpp
index 6d9049669c..abf076a6e0 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaConsoleApplication.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaConsoleApplication.cpp
@@ -109,6 +109,14 @@ void RiaConsoleApplication::initialize()
 
     RiaApplication::initialize();
 
+    m_socketServer = new RiaSocketServer( this );
+}
+
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+///
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+void RiaConsoleApplication::initializeLoggers()
+{
     auto logger = std::make_unique<RiaStdOutLogger>();
 
     // Use command line log level if provided, otherwise use preference-based level
@@ -122,8 +130,6 @@ void RiaConsoleApplication::initialize()
     }
 
     RiaLogging::appendLoggerInstance( std::move( logger ) );
-
-    m_socketServer = new RiaSocketServer( this );
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaConsoleApplication.h b/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaConsoleApplication.h
index 4137347e7d..695eafb606 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaConsoleApplication.h
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaConsoleApplication.h
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ public:
 
 protected:
     // Protected implementation specific overrides
+    void initializeLoggers() override;
     void invokeProcessEvents( QEventLoop::ProcessEventsFlags flags = QEventLoop::AllEvents ) override;
     void onProjectOpeningError( const QString& errMsg ) override;
     void onProjectOpened() override;
diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaGuiApplication.cpp b/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaGuiApplication.cpp
index a493e3ebf2..6f66dcf694 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaGuiApplication.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaGuiApplication.cpp
@@ -551,16 +551,23 @@ void RiaGuiApplication::initialize()
         RiaLogging::appendLoggerInstance( std::move( logger ) );
     }
 
-    {
-        auto logFolder  = QDir::homePath() + "/.resinsight/logs";
-        auto fileLogger = std::make_unique<RiaFileLogger>( logFolder.toStdString() );
-        fileLogger->setLevel( int( RiaLogging::logLevelBasedOnPreferences() ) );
-
-        RiaLogging::appendLoggerInstance( std::move( fileLogger ) );
-    }
     m_socketServer = new RiaSocketServer( this );
 }
 
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+///
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+void RiaGuiApplication::initializeLoggers()
+{
+    // The message panel logger requires the main windows, and is created in initialize(). The file logger has no
+    // such dependency, and is created here to capture messages from the early startup sequence.
+    auto logFolder  = QDir::homePath() + "/.resinsight/logs";
+    auto fileLogger = std::make_unique<RiaFileLogger>( logFolder.toStdString() );
+    fileLogger->setLevel( int( RiaLogging::logLevelBasedOnPreferences() ) );
+
+    RiaLogging::appendLoggerInstance( std::move( fileLogger ) );
+}
+
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ///
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaGuiApplication.h b/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaGuiApplication.h
index 21bc588d15..3969e69283 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaGuiApplication.h
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaGuiApplication.h
@@ -126,6 +126,8 @@ public:
     void              showFormattedTextInMessageBoxOrConsole( const QString& errMsg ) override;
 
 protected:
+    void initializeLoggers() override;
+
     bool notify( QObject* receiver, QEvent* event ) override;
 
     // use the checkWithUserBeforeClose function, to get all checks in one go
diff --git a/Fwk/AppFwk/cafProjectDataModel/cafPdmXml/cafPdmSettings.cpp b/Fwk/AppFwk/cafProjectDataModel/cafPdmXml/cafPdmSettings.cpp
index 3e4f50f61f..6f66ab2a91 100644
--- a/Fwk/AppFwk/cafProjectDataModel/cafPdmXml/cafPdmSettings.cpp
+++ b/Fwk/AppFwk/cafProjectDataModel/cafPdmXml/cafPdmSettings.cpp
@@ -131,6 +131,9 @@ void PdmSettings::writeFieldsToApplicationStore( const caf::PdmObjectHandle* obj
 
         if ( children.empty() )
         {
+            // Do not write value if field is not writable
+            if ( fieldHandle->xmlCapability() && !fieldHandle->xmlCapability()->isIOWritable() ) continue;
+
             if ( caf::PdmValueField* valueField = dynamic_cast<caf::PdmValueField*>( fieldHandle ) )
             {
                 settings.setValue( context + fieldHandle->keyword(), valueField->toQVariant() );