diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 52e0018..9c45b1d 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ name = "init4-bin-base"
 description = "Internal utilities for binaries produced by the init4 team"
 keywords = ["init4", "bin", "base"]
 
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.1.2"
 edition = "2021"
 rust-version = "1.81"
 authors = ["init4", "James Prestwich"]
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ repository = "https://github.com/init4tech/bin-base"
 # Tracing
 tracing = "0.1.40"
 tracing-core = "0.1.33"
-tracing-subscriber = { version = "0.3.18", features = ["env-filter", "registry"] }
+tracing-subscriber = { version = "0.3.18", features = ["env-filter", "json", "registry"] }
 
 # OTLP
 opentelemetry_sdk = "0.28.0"
@@ -35,10 +35,12 @@ thiserror = "2.0.11"
 alloy = { version = "0.11.1", optional = true, default-features = false, features = ["std"] }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
+ajj = "0.3.1"
+axum = "0.8.1"
 serial_test = "3.2.0"
 signal-hook = "0.3.17"
 tokio = { version = "1.43.0", features = ["macros"] }
 
 [features]
 default = ["alloy"]
-alloy = ["dep:alloy"]
\ No newline at end of file
+alloy = ["dep:alloy"]
diff --git a/examples/ajj.rs b/examples/ajj.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0ee032e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/ajj.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+//! This example allows you to play with ajj instrumentation.
+//!
+//! ## Observing traces
+//!
+//! We recommend the following:
+//! - set `RUST_LOG=info` (or `trace` for more detail) to see log lines
+//! - use [otel-desktop-viewer](https://github.com/CtrlSpice/otel-desktop-viewer)
+//!
+//! ## Running this example
+//!
+//! ```no_compile
+//! export OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT="http://localhost:4318"
+//! export OTEL_TRACES_EXPORTER="otlp"
+//! export OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_PROTOCOL="http/protobuf"
+//! export RUST_LOG=info
+//! cargo run --example ajj
+//! ```
+//!
+//! ```no_compile
+//! curl -X POST \
+//!     -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
+//!      -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":"id","method":"helloWorld"}' \
+//!      http://localhost:8080/rpc
+//! ```
+use ajj::Router;
+use init4_bin_base::init4;
+
+#[tokio::main]
+async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    let _guard = init4();
+
+    let router = Router::<()>::new()
+        .route("helloWorld", || async {
+            tracing::info!("serving hello world");
+            Ok::<_, ()>("Hello, world!")
+        })
+        .into_axum("/rpc");
+
+    let listener = tokio::net::TcpListener::bind("localhost:8080")
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    axum::serve(listener, router).await.unwrap();
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/src/utils/from_env.rs b/src/utils/from_env.rs
index 8e30ebe..7815a19 100644
--- a/src/utils/from_env.rs
+++ b/src/utils/from_env.rs
@@ -179,6 +179,15 @@ impl<const N: usize> FromEnvVar for alloy::primitives::FixedBytes<N> {
     }
 }
 
+impl FromEnvVar for bool {
+    type Error = std::str::ParseBoolError;
+
+    fn from_env_var(env_var: &str) -> Result<Self, FromEnvErr<Self::Error>> {
+        let s: String = std::env::var(env_var).map_err(|e| FromEnvErr::env_err(env_var, e))?;
+        Ok(!s.is_empty())
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
     use std::time::Duration;
diff --git a/src/utils/tracing.rs b/src/utils/tracing.rs
index 095988b..57b204b 100644
--- a/src/utils/tracing.rs
+++ b/src/utils/tracing.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,33 @@
-use crate::utils::otlp::{OtelConfig, OtelGuard};
-use tracing_subscriber::{layer::SubscriberExt, util::SubscriberInitExt, Layer};
+use crate::utils::{
+    from_env::FromEnvVar,
+    otlp::{OtelConfig, OtelGuard},
+};
+use tracing_subscriber::{filter::EnvFilter, layer::SubscriberExt, util::SubscriberInitExt, Layer};
+
+const TRACING_LOG_JSON: &str = "TRACING_LOG_JSON";
+
+/// Install a format layer based on the `TRACING_LOG_JSON` environment
+/// variable, and then install the registr
+///
+macro_rules! install_fmt {
+    (json @ $registry:ident, $filter:ident) => {{
+        let fmt = tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer().json().with_filter($filter);
+        $registry.with(fmt).init();
+    }};
+    (log @ $registry:ident, $filter:ident) => {{
+        let fmt = tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer().with_filter($filter);
+        $registry.with(fmt).init();
+    }};
+    ($registry:ident) => {{
+        let json = bool::from_env_var(TRACING_LOG_JSON).unwrap_or(false);
+        let filter = EnvFilter::from_default_env();
+        if json {
+            install_fmt!(json @ $registry, filter);
+        } else {
+            install_fmt!(log @ $registry, filter);
+        }
+    }};
+}
 
 /// Init tracing, returning an optional guard for the OTEL provider.
 ///
@@ -8,7 +36,10 @@ use tracing_subscriber::{layer::SubscriberExt, util::SubscriberInitExt, Layer};
 /// environment variables are set, it will initialize the OTEL provider
 /// with the specified configuration, as well as the `fmt` layer.
 ///
-/// See [`OtelConfig`] documentation for env var information.
+/// ## Env Reads
+///
+/// - `TRACING_LOG_JSON` - If set, will enable JSON logging.
+/// - As [`OtelConfig`] documentation for env var information.
 ///
 /// ## Panics
 ///
@@ -16,17 +47,15 @@ use tracing_subscriber::{layer::SubscriberExt, util::SubscriberInitExt, Layer};
 ///
 /// [`OtelConfig`]: crate::utils::otlp::OtelConfig
 pub fn init_tracing() -> Option<OtelGuard> {
-    let registry = tracing_subscriber::registry().with(
-        tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer()
-            .with_filter(tracing_subscriber::filter::EnvFilter::from_default_env()),
-    );
+    let registry = tracing_subscriber::registry();
 
     if let Some(cfg) = OtelConfig::load() {
         let guard = cfg.provider();
-        registry.with(guard.layer()).init();
+        let registry = registry.with(guard.layer());
+        install_fmt!(registry);
         Some(guard)
     } else {
-        registry.init();
+        install_fmt!(registry);
         None
     }
 }