diff --git a/etc/opensc.conf.in b/etc/opensc.conf.in
index a1e7be3b40..440c6f6947 100644
--- a/etc/opensc.conf.in
+++ b/etc/opensc.conf.in
@@ -21,14 +21,14 @@ app default {
 	#
 	# debug_file = @DEBUG_FILE@
 
-	# Re-open debug file  (used in WIN32)
+	# Reopen debug file at the every debug message.
 	#
-	# In Windows, file handles can not be shared between DLL-s,
-	#  each DLL has a separate file handle table.
-	# For that reason reopen debug file before every debug message.
+	# For Windows it's forced to 'true'. The reason is that
+	#   in Windows file handles can not be shared between DLL-s,
+	#   each DLL has a separate file handle table.
 	#
-	# Default: true
-	# reopen_debug_file = false;
+	# Default: false
+	# reopen_debug_file = true;
 
 	# PKCS#15 initialization / personalization
 	# profiles directory for pkcs15-init.
diff --git a/src/libopensc/ctx.c b/src/libopensc/ctx.c
index 2445c4beb4..4bd0006f87 100644
--- a/src/libopensc/ctx.c
+++ b/src/libopensc/ctx.c
@@ -283,6 +283,17 @@ int sc_ctx_log_to_file(sc_context_t *ctx, const char* filename)
 		ctx->debug_file = NULL;
 	}
 
+	if (ctx->reopen_log_file)   {
+		if (!ctx->debug_filename)   {
+			if (!filename)
+				filename = "stderr";
+			ctx->debug_filename = strdup(filename);
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (!filename)
+		return SC_SUCCESS;
+
 	/* Handle special names */
 	if (!strcmp(filename, "stdout"))
 		ctx->debug_file = stdout;
@@ -304,13 +315,16 @@ load_parameters(sc_context_t *ctx, scconf_block *block, struct _sc_ctx_options *
 	const scconf_list *list;
 	const char *val, *s_internal = "internal";
 	int debug;
-	int reopen;
 #ifdef _WIN32
 	char expanded_val[PATH_MAX];
 	DWORD expanded_len;
 #endif
 
-	reopen = scconf_get_bool(block, "reopen_debug_file", 1);
+#ifdef _WIN32
+	ctx->reopen_log_file = 1;
+#else
+	ctx->reopen_log_file = scconf_get_bool(block, "reopen_debug_file", 0);
+#endif
 
 	debug = scconf_get_int(block, "debug", ctx->debug);
 	if (debug > ctx->debug)
@@ -324,11 +338,11 @@ load_parameters(sc_context_t *ctx, scconf_block *block, struct _sc_ctx_options *
 		if (expanded_len > 0)
 			val = expanded_val;
 #endif
-		if (reopen)
-			ctx->debug_filename = strdup(val);
-
 		sc_ctx_log_to_file(ctx, val);
 	}
+	else if (ctx->debug)   {
+		sc_ctx_log_to_file(ctx, NULL);
+	}
 
 	if (scconf_get_bool (block, "paranoid-memory",
 				ctx->flags & SC_CTX_FLAG_PARANOID_MEMORY))
diff --git a/src/libopensc/log.c b/src/libopensc/log.c
index 9c6f8a1e20..5edb732e59 100644
--- a/src/libopensc/log.c
+++ b/src/libopensc/log.c
@@ -112,13 +112,11 @@ static void sc_do_log_va(sc_context_t *ctx, int level, const char *file, int lin
 	if (r < 0)
 		return;
 
-#ifdef _WIN32
-	if (ctx->debug_filename)   {
+	if (ctx->reopen_log_file)   {
 		r = sc_ctx_log_to_file(ctx, ctx->debug_filename);
 		if (r < 0)
 			return;
 	}
-#endif
 
 	outf = ctx->debug_file;
 	if (outf == NULL)
@@ -130,15 +128,11 @@ static void sc_do_log_va(sc_context_t *ctx, int level, const char *file, int lin
 		fprintf(outf, "\n");
 	fflush(outf);
 
-#ifdef _WIN32
-	if (ctx->debug_filename)   {
-		if (ctx->debug_file && (ctx->debug_file != stderr && ctx->debug_file != stdout))   {
+	if (ctx->reopen_log_file)   {
+		if (ctx->debug_file && (ctx->debug_file != stderr && ctx->debug_file != stdout))
 			fclose(ctx->debug_file);
-			ctx->debug_file = NULL;
-		}
+		ctx->debug_file = NULL;
 	}
-#endif
-
 
 	return;
 }
@@ -147,9 +141,9 @@ void _sc_debug(struct sc_context *ctx, int level, const char *format, ...)
 {
 	va_list ap;
 
-        va_start(ap, format);
-        sc_do_log_va(ctx, level, NULL, 0, NULL, format, ap);
-        va_end(ap);
+	va_start(ap, format);
+	sc_do_log_va(ctx, level, NULL, 0, NULL, format, ap);
+	va_end(ap);
 }
 
 void _sc_log(struct sc_context *ctx, const char *format, ...)
@@ -162,7 +156,7 @@ void _sc_log(struct sc_context *ctx, const char *format, ...)
 }
 
 void _sc_debug_hex(sc_context_t *ctx, int type, const char *file, int line,
-        const char *func, const char *label, const u8 *data, size_t len)
+		const char *func, const char *label, const u8 *data, size_t len)
 {
 	size_t blen = len * 5 + 128;
 	char *buf = malloc(blen);
diff --git a/src/libopensc/opensc.h b/src/libopensc/opensc.h
index 2c4d776fba..c0ec82b89c 100644
--- a/src/libopensc/opensc.h
+++ b/src/libopensc/opensc.h
@@ -679,6 +679,7 @@ typedef struct sc_context {
 	scconf_block *conf_blocks[3];
 	char *app_name;
 	int debug;
+	int reopen_log_file;
 	unsigned long flags;
 
 	FILE *debug_file;