diff --git a/_pytest/logging.py b/_pytest/logging.py
index 095115cd9..f6affc8a2 100644
--- a/_pytest/logging.py
+++ b/_pytest/logging.py
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ class _LiveLoggingStreamHandler(logging.StreamHandler):
             if not self._first_record_emitted or self._when == 'teardown':
                 self.stream.write('\n')
                 self._first_record_emitted = True
-            if not self._section_name_shown:
+            if not self._section_name_shown and self._when:
                 self.stream.section('live log ' + self._when, sep='-', bold=True)
                 self._section_name_shown = True
             logging.StreamHandler.emit(self, record)
diff --git a/changelog/3184.bugfix b/changelog/3184.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..875358776
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/3184.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix bug where logging happening at hooks outside of "test run" hooks would cause an internal error.
diff --git a/testing/logging/test_reporting.py b/testing/logging/test_reporting.py
index f5272aa09..8dfe04ad9 100644
--- a/testing/logging/test_reporting.py
+++ b/testing/logging/test_reporting.py
@@ -272,6 +272,60 @@ def test_log_cli_default_level_sections(testdir, request):
     ])
 
 
+def test_live_logs_unknown_sections(testdir, request):
+    """Check that with live logging enable we are printing the correct headers during
+    start/setup/call/teardown/finish."""
+    filename = request.node.name + '.py'
+    testdir.makeconftest('''
+        import pytest
+        import logging
+
+        def pytest_runtest_protocol(item, nextitem):
+            logging.warning('Unknown Section!')
+
+        def pytest_runtest_logstart():
+            logging.warning('>>>>> START >>>>>')
+
+        def pytest_runtest_logfinish():
+            logging.warning('<<<<< END <<<<<<<')
+    ''')
+
+    testdir.makepyfile('''
+        import pytest
+        import logging
+
+        @pytest.fixture
+        def fix(request):
+            logging.warning("log message from setup of {}".format(request.node.name))
+            yield
+            logging.warning("log message from teardown of {}".format(request.node.name))
+
+        def test_log_1(fix):
+            logging.warning("log message from test_log_1")
+
+    ''')
+    testdir.makeini('''
+        [pytest]
+        log_cli=true
+    ''')
+
+    result = testdir.runpytest()
+    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
+        '*WARNING*Unknown Section*',
+        '{}::test_log_1 '.format(filename),
+        '*WARNING* >>>>> START >>>>>*',
+        '*-- live log setup --*',
+        '*WARNING*log message from setup of test_log_1*',
+        '*-- live log call --*',
+        '*WARNING*log message from test_log_1*',
+        'PASSED *100%*',
+        '*-- live log teardown --*',
+        '*WARNING*log message from teardown of test_log_1*',
+        '*WARNING* <<<<< END <<<<<<<*',
+        '=* 1 passed in *=',
+    ])
+
+
 def test_log_cli_level(testdir):
     # Default log file level
     testdir.makepyfile('''