diff --git a/opm/models/utils/start.hh b/opm/models/utils/start.hh
index 0e1954758..656d950b4 100644
--- a/opm/models/utils/start.hh
+++ b/opm/models/utils/start.hh
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@
 #include <opm/models/utils/terminal.hpp>
 #include <opm/models/utils/simulator.hh>
 
+#include <opm/simulators/utils/readDeck.hpp>
+
 #include <opm/material/common/ResetLocale.hpp>
 
 #include <dune/common/parallel/mpihelper.hh>
@@ -226,6 +228,10 @@ static inline int start(int argc, char **argv,  bool registerParams=true)
 #else
         myRank = Dune::MPIHelper::instance(argc, argv).rank();
 #endif
+        // setting up backend for STDCOUT logger
+        if (myRank == 0) {
+            setupStreamLogging("STDOUT_LOGGER");
+        }
 
         // read the initial time step and the end time
         Scalar endTime = Parameters::Get<Parameters::EndTime<Scalar>>();
diff --git a/opm/simulators/utils/readDeck.cpp b/opm/simulators/utils/readDeck.cpp
index aeb79a7c3..d05edb1b3 100644
--- a/opm/simulators/utils/readDeck.cpp
+++ b/opm/simulators/utils/readDeck.cpp
@@ -515,15 +515,7 @@ Opm::setupLogging(Parallel::Communication& comm,
     }
 
     if (comm.rank() == 0) {
-        std::shared_ptr<Opm::StreamLog> streamLog = std::make_shared<Opm::StreamLog>(std::cout, Opm::Log::StdoutMessageTypes);
-        Opm::OpmLog::addBackend(stdout_log_id, streamLog);
-        // Set a tag limit of 10 (no category limit). Will later in
-        // the run be replaced by calling setupMessageLimiter(), after
-        // the deck is read and the (possibly user-set) category
-        // limits are known.
-        streamLog->setMessageLimiter(std::make_shared<Opm::MessageLimiter>(10));
-        bool use_color_coding = OpmLog::stdoutIsTerminal();
-        streamLog->setMessageFormatter(std::make_shared<Opm::SimpleMessageFormatter>(use_color_coding));
+        setupStreamLogging(stdout_log_id);
     }
 
     return output;
@@ -664,3 +656,16 @@ std::unique_ptr<Opm::ParseContext> Opm::setupParseContext(const bool strictParsi
 
     return parseContext;
 }
+
+void Opm::setupStreamLogging(const std::string& stdout_log_id)
+{
+    std::shared_ptr<Opm::StreamLog> streamLog = std::make_shared<Opm::StreamLog>(std::cout, Opm::Log::StdoutMessageTypes);
+    Opm::OpmLog::addBackend(stdout_log_id, streamLog);
+    // Set a tag limit of 10 (no category limit). Will later in
+    // the run be replaced by calling setupMessageLimiter(), after
+    // the deck is read and the (possibly user-set) category
+    // limits are known.
+    streamLog->setMessageLimiter(std::make_shared<Opm::MessageLimiter>(10));
+    const bool use_color_coding = OpmLog::stdoutIsTerminal();
+    streamLog->setMessageFormatter(std::make_shared<Opm::SimpleMessageFormatter>(use_color_coding));
+}
diff --git a/opm/simulators/utils/readDeck.hpp b/opm/simulators/utils/readDeck.hpp
index 3c517b5ef..3be4ad036 100644
--- a/opm/simulators/utils/readDeck.hpp
+++ b/opm/simulators/utils/readDeck.hpp
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ prepareResultOutputDirectory(const std::string& baseName, const std::filesystem:
 
 std::unique_ptr<ParseContext> setupParseContext(const bool exitOnAllErrors);
 
+// Setup the OpmLog backends for screen output
+void setupStreamLogging(const std::string& stdout_log_id);
+
 // Setup the OpmLog backends
 FileOutputMode
 setupLogging(Parallel::Communication& comm,