diff --git a/src/Writer/AbstractWriter.php b/src/Writer/AbstractWriter.php
index 86313367..9d78be27 100644
--- a/src/Writer/AbstractWriter.php
+++ b/src/Writer/AbstractWriter.php
@@ -306,6 +306,26 @@ public function setFormatter($formatter, array $options = null)
         return $this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Get formatter
+     *
+     * @return Formatter\FormatterInterface
+     */
+    public function getFormatter()
+    {
+        return $this->formatter;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Check if the writer has a formatter
+     *
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    public function hasFormatter()
+    {
+        return $this->formatter instanceof Formatter\FormatterInterface;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Set convert write errors to exception flag
      *
diff --git a/src/Writer/Db.php b/src/Writer/Db.php
index a8d1b156..41b1006c 100644
--- a/src/Writer/Db.php
+++ b/src/Writer/Db.php
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 use Traversable;
 use Zend\Db\Adapter\Adapter;
 use Zend\Log\Exception;
-use Zend\Log\Formatter;
 use Zend\Log\Formatter\Db as DbFormatter;
 
 class Db extends AbstractWriter
@@ -87,7 +86,9 @@ public function __construct($db, $tableName = null, array $columnMap = null, $se
             $this->separator = $separator;
         }
 
-        $this->setFormatter(new DbFormatter());
+        if (!$this->hasFormatter()) {
+            $this->setFormatter(new DbFormatter());
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/test/Writer/AbstractTest.php b/test/Writer/AbstractTest.php
index f1a952e4..2cfdb675 100644
--- a/test/Writer/AbstractTest.php
+++ b/test/Writer/AbstractTest.php
@@ -102,4 +102,34 @@ public function testConstructorWithOptions()
         $this->assertInstanceOf('Zend\Log\Filter\Priority', $filters[1]);
         $this->assertEquals(3, $this->readAttribute($filters[1], 'priority'));
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @covers Zend\Log\Writer\AbstractWriter::getFormatter
+     */
+    public function testFormatterDefaultsToNull()
+    {
+        $this->assertNull($this->_writer->getFormatter());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @covers Zend\Log\Writer\AbstractWriter::getFormatter
+     * @covers Zend\Log\Writer\AbstractWriter::setFormatter
+     */
+    public function testCanSetFormatter()
+    {
+        $formatter = new SimpleFormatter;
+        $this->_writer->setFormatter($formatter);
+        $this->assertSame($formatter, $this->_writer->getFormatter());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @covers Zend\Log\Writer\AbstractWriter::hasFormatter
+     */
+    public function testHasFormatter()
+    {
+        $this->assertFalse($this->_writer->hasFormatter());
+
+        $this->_writer->setFormatter(new SimpleFormatter);
+        $this->assertTrue($this->_writer->hasFormatter());
+    }
 }
diff --git a/test/Writer/DbTest.php b/test/Writer/DbTest.php
index 6f368106..5c9c9da7 100644
--- a/test/Writer/DbTest.php
+++ b/test/Writer/DbTest.php
@@ -242,5 +242,11 @@ public function testConstructWithOptions()
         $filters = self::readAttribute($writer, 'filters');
         $this->assertCount(1, $filters);
         $this->assertEquals($filter, $filters[0]);
+
+        $registeredFormatter = self::readAttribute($writer, 'formatter');
+        $this->assertSame($formatter, $registeredFormatter);
+
+        $registeredDb = self::readAttribute($writer, 'db');
+        $this->assertSame($this->db, $registeredDb);
     }
 }