diff --git a/lightningd/log.c b/lightningd/log.c
index 09a510e19..8828f6996 100644
--- a/lightningd/log.c
+++ b/lightningd/log.c
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ static void log_to_files(const char *log_prefix,
 			 struct log_file **log_files)
 {
 	char tstamp[sizeof("YYYY-mm-ddTHH:MM:SS.nnnZ ")];
-	char *entry, *nodestr;
+	char *entry, nodestr[hex_str_size(PUBKEY_CMPR_LEN)];
 	bool filtered;
 
 	if (print_timestamps) {
@@ -218,9 +218,10 @@ static void log_to_files(const char *log_prefix,
 		tstamp[0] = '\0';
 
 	if (node_id)
-		nodestr = fmt_node_id(tmpctx, node_id);
+		hex_encode(node_id->k, sizeof(node_id->k),
+			   nodestr, sizeof(nodestr));
 	else
-		nodestr = "";
+		nodestr[0] = '\0';
 	if (level == LOG_IO_IN || level == LOG_IO_OUT) {
 		const char *dir = level == LOG_IO_IN ? "[IN]" : "[OUT]";
 		char *hex = tal_hexstr(NULL, io, io_len);