diff --git a/django/conf/__init__.py b/django/conf/__init__.py
index d636ff0b6c..7452013671 100644
--- a/django/conf/__init__.py
+++ b/django/conf/__init__.py
@@ -55,16 +55,20 @@ class LazySettings(LazyObject):
         Setup logging from LOGGING_CONFIG and LOGGING settings.
         """
         if self.LOGGING_CONFIG:
+            from django.utils.log import DEFAULT_LOGGING
             # First find the logging configuration function ...
             logging_config_path, logging_config_func_name = self.LOGGING_CONFIG.rsplit('.', 1)
             logging_config_module = importlib.import_module(logging_config_path)
             logging_config_func = getattr(logging_config_module, logging_config_func_name)
 
-            # Backwards-compatibility shim for #16288 fix
-            compat_patch_logging_config(self.LOGGING)
+            logging_config_func(DEFAULT_LOGGING)
 
-            # ... then invoke it with the logging settings
-            logging_config_func(self.LOGGING)
+            if self.LOGGING:
+                # Backwards-compatibility shim for #16288 fix
+                compat_patch_logging_config(self.LOGGING)
+
+                # ... then invoke it with the logging settings
+                logging_config_func(self.LOGGING)
 
     def configure(self, default_settings=global_settings, **options):
         """
diff --git a/django/conf/global_settings.py b/django/conf/global_settings.py
index 708e9c9f70..f1cbb22880 100644
--- a/django/conf/global_settings.py
+++ b/django/conf/global_settings.py
@@ -551,33 +551,8 @@ MESSAGE_STORAGE = 'django.contrib.messages.storage.fallback.FallbackStorage'
 # The callable to use to configure logging
 LOGGING_CONFIG = 'django.utils.log.dictConfig'
 
-# The default logging configuration. This sends an email to
-# the site admins on every HTTP 500 error. All other log
-# records are sent to the bit bucket.
-
-LOGGING = {
-    'version': 1,
-    'disable_existing_loggers': False,
-    'filters': {
-        'require_debug_false': {
-            '()': 'django.utils.log.RequireDebugFalse',
-        }
-    },
-    'handlers': {
-        'mail_admins': {
-            'level': 'ERROR',
-            'filters': ['require_debug_false'],
-            'class': 'django.utils.log.AdminEmailHandler'
-        }
-    },
-    'loggers': {
-        'django.request': {
-            'handlers': ['mail_admins'],
-            'level': 'ERROR',
-            'propagate': True,
-        },
-    }
-}
+# Custom logging configuration.
+LOGGING = {}
 
 # Default exception reporter filter class used in case none has been
 # specifically assigned to the HttpRequest instance.
diff --git a/django/utils/log.py b/django/utils/log.py
index df2089f924..c111512fe8 100644
--- a/django/utils/log.py
+++ b/django/utils/log.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ from django.conf import settings
 from django.core import mail
 from django.views.debug import ExceptionReporter, get_exception_reporter_filter
 
+
 # Make sure a NullHandler is available
 # This was added in Python 2.7/3.2
 try:
@@ -23,12 +24,38 @@ except ImportError:
 
 getLogger = logging.getLogger
 
-# Ensure the creation of the Django logger
-# with a null handler. This ensures we don't get any
-# 'No handlers could be found for logger "django"' messages
-logger = getLogger('django')
-if not logger.handlers:
-    logger.addHandler(NullHandler())
+# Default logging for Django. This sends an email to
+# the site admins on every HTTP 500 error. All other log
+# records are sent to the bit bucket.
+DEFAULT_LOGGING = {
+    'version': 1,
+    'disable_existing_loggers': False,
+    'filters': {
+        'require_debug_false': {
+            '()': 'django.utils.log.RequireDebugFalse',
+        }
+    },
+    'handlers': {
+        'null': {
+            'class': 'django.utils.log.NullHandler',
+        },
+        'mail_admins': {
+            'level': 'ERROR',
+            'filters': ['require_debug_false'],
+            'class': 'django.utils.log.AdminEmailHandler'
+        }
+    },
+    'loggers': {
+        'django': {
+            'handlers': ['null'],
+        },
+        'django.request': {
+            'handlers': ['mail_admins'],
+            'level': 'ERROR',
+            'propagate': True,
+        },
+    }
+}
 
 
 class AdminEmailHandler(logging.Handler):
diff --git a/docs/topics/logging.txt b/docs/topics/logging.txt
index a4aae0bc02..a7f0a14b5b 100644
--- a/docs/topics/logging.txt
+++ b/docs/topics/logging.txt
@@ -192,6 +192,8 @@ There are two other logging calls available:
 * ``logger.exception()``: Creates an ``ERROR`` level logging
   message wrapping the current exception stack frame.
 
+.. _configuring-logging:
+
 Configuring logging
 ===================
 
@@ -216,6 +218,14 @@ handlers, filters and formatters that you want in your logging setup,
 and the log levels and other properties that you want those components
 to have.
 
+Prior to Django 1.5, the :setting:`LOGGING` setting overwrote the :ref:`default
+Django logging configuration <default-logging-configuration>`. From Django
+1.5 forward, the project's logging configuration is merged with Django's
+defaults, hence you can decide if you want to add to, or replace the existing
+configuration. To completely override the default configuration, set the
+``disable_existing_loggers`` key to True in the :setting:`LOGGING`
+dictConfig. Alternatively you can redefine some or all of the loggers.
+
 Logging is configured as soon as settings have been loaded
 (either manually using :func:`~django.conf.settings.configure` or when at least
 one setting is accessed). Since the loading of settings is one of the first
@@ -535,3 +545,15 @@ logging module.
                 'class': 'django.utils.log.AdminEmailHandler'
             }
         },
+
+.. _default-logging-configuration:
+
+Django's default logging configuration
+======================================
+
+By default, Django configures the ``django.request`` logger so that all messages
+with ``ERROR`` or ``CRITICAL`` level are sent to :class:`AdminEmailHandler`, as
+long as the :setting:`DEBUG` setting is set to ``False``.
+
+All messages reaching the ``django`` catch-all logger are discarded
+(sent to ``NullHandler``).