diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5869c628..c48a8365 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -448,8 +448,8 @@ list (
     log/sink/console.hpp
     log/sink/null.cpp
     log/sink/null.hpp
-    log/sink/ostream.cpp
-    log/sink/ostream.hpp
+    log/sink/path.cpp
+    log/sink/path.hpp
     map/fixed.cpp
     map/fixed.hpp
     maths.cpp
diff --git a/README.adoc b/README.adoc
index adeced2a..a2084d38 100644
--- a/README.adoc
+++ b/README.adoc
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ DEBUG_WAIT:: whether to wait for a debugger to attach before executing `main`.
 LOG_LEVEL:: minimum log level that will render to the logging stream. note that a given level may have been compiled out and may not be present, eg. DEBUG tends to only be present for debug builds.
 BREAK_LEVEL:: minimum log level that will trigger a breakpoint
 
+CRUFT_LOG_SINK:: The output driver for logging. One of 'CONSOLE', 'PATH'.
+CRUFT_LOG_PATH:: The output path for the 'PATH' logging driver. This path is subject to path expansion and will be interpreted as relative to the current working directory if it is relative.
+
 JOB_THREADS:: default number of threads to spin up for job queues.
 JOB_DEPTH:: the default size of the pending work item queue for a job queue.
 
diff --git a/log/log.cpp b/log/log.cpp
index 925d6799..70e90bc3 100644
--- a/log/log.cpp
+++ b/log/log.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 #include "../string.hpp"
 
 #include "sink/console.hpp"
-#include "sink/ostream.hpp"
+#include "sink/path.hpp"
 
 #include <iostream>
 #include <mutex>
@@ -68,23 +68,13 @@ cruft::log::default_sink ()
         static char const *DEFAULT_SINK = "CONSOLE";
         char const *log_sink = getenv ("CRUFT_LOG_SINK") ?: DEFAULT_SINK;
 
-        if (!strcmp (log_sink, "FILE")) {
-            char const *log_path = getenv ("CRUFT_LOG_PATH");
-            default_sink (
-                std::make_unique<sink::ostream> (
-                    PACKAGE_NAME,
-                    log_path
-                )
-            );
-        } else if (strcmp (log_sink, "CONSOLE")) {
-            default_sink (
-                std::make_unique<sink::console> (PACKAGE_NAME)
-            );
+        if (!strcmp (log_sink, "PATH")) {
+            default_sink (std::make_unique<sink::path> (PACKAGE_NAME));
+        } else if (!strcmp (log_sink, "CONSOLE")) {
+            default_sink (std::make_unique<sink::console> (PACKAGE_NAME));
         } else {
             std::clog << "Unknown logging sink. Falling back to console.\n";
-            default_sink (
-                std::make_unique<sink::console> (PACKAGE_NAME)
-            );
+            default_sink (std::make_unique<sink::console> (PACKAGE_NAME));
         }
 
         s_sink_init = true;
diff --git a/log/sink/ostream.cpp b/log/sink/path.cpp
similarity index 69%
rename from log/sink/ostream.cpp
rename to log/sink/path.cpp
index 018cd1d8..6ce8c736 100644
--- a/log/sink/ostream.cpp
+++ b/log/sink/path.cpp
@@ -6,24 +6,37 @@
  * Copyright 2020, Danny Robson <danny@nerdcruft.net>
  */
 
-#include "ostream.hpp"
+#include "path.hpp"
 
 #include "../level.hpp"
 #include "../packet.hpp"
+#include "../../paths.hpp"
 
-using cruft::log::sink::ostream;
+using cruft::log::sink::path;
 
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-ostream::ostream (std::string name, std::filesystem::path const &dst)
+static std::filesystem::path
+find_path (void)
+{
+    if (char const *log_path = getenv ("CRUFT_LOG_PATH"); log_path)
+        return cruft::paths::expand (log_path);
+
+    static constexpr char DEFAULT_PATH[] = PACKAGE_NAME ".log";
+    return std::filesystem::current_path () / DEFAULT_PATH;
+}
+
+
+///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+path::path (std::string name)
     : crtp (std::move (name))
-    , m_output (dst)
+    , m_output (find_path ())
 { ; }
 
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void
-ostream::write (packet const &val)
+path::write (packet const &val)
 {
     if (val.level > log_level ())
         return;
diff --git a/log/sink/ostream.hpp b/log/sink/path.hpp
similarity index 77%
rename from log/sink/ostream.hpp
rename to log/sink/path.hpp
index 564b46d4..41e8b42b 100644
--- a/log/sink/ostream.hpp
+++ b/log/sink/path.hpp
@@ -16,12 +16,9 @@
 
 
 namespace cruft::log::sink {
-    class ostream : public crtp<ostream> {
+    class path : public crtp<path> {
     public:
-        ostream (
-            std::string name,
-            std::filesystem::path const &path
-        );
+        path (std::string name);
 
         void write (packet const&) override;