diff --git a/data/common/common.yaml b/data/common/common.yaml
--- a/data/common/common.yaml
+++ b/data/common/common.yaml
@@ -1653,10 +1653,38 @@
 swh::deploy::journal::backfill::config_file: "%{hiera('swh::deploy::journal::conf_directory')}/backfill.yml"
 swh::deploy::journal::backfill::user: swhstorage
 swh::deploy::journal::backfill::group: swhstorage
+
+swh::deploy::storage::config::local-read-only:
+  cls: local
+  db: "host=%{hiera('swh::deploy::storage::db::host')} port=%{hiera('swh::deploy::storage::db::port')} user=guest dbname=%{hiera('swh::deploy::storage::db::dbname')} password=guest"
+  # objstorage is required but it's not used in that context
+  objstorage:
+    cls: memory
+
 swh::deploy::journal::backfill::config:
-  storage: "%{alias('swh::deploy::storage::config::local')}"
+  storage: "%{alias('swh::deploy::storage::config::local-read-only')}"
   journal_writer: "%{alias('swh::deploy::journal::writer::config')}"
 
+swh::deploy::journal::backfill::config_logging_file: "%{hiera('swh::deploy::journal::conf_directory')}/backfill_logger.yml"
+swh::deploy::journal::backfill::config_logging:
+  version: 1
+  handlers:
+    console:
+      class: logging.StreamHandler
+      formatter: detail
+      level: INFO
+      stream: ext://sys.stdout
+  formatters:
+    detail:
+      format: '%(asctime)s %(levelname)-8s %(name)-15s %(message)s'
+      datefmt: '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S'
+  loggers:
+    swh: {}
+  root:
+    level: INFO
+    handlers:
+    - console
+
 swh::deploy::indexer::storage::sentry_swh_package: swh.indexer
 swh::deploy::indexer::storage::sentry_environment: "%{alias('swh::deploy::environment')}"
 swh::deploy::indexer::storage::sentry_dsn: "%{alias('swh::deploy::indexer::sentry_dsn')}"
diff --git a/site-modules/profile/manifests/swh/deploy/journal/backfill.pp b/site-modules/profile/manifests/swh/deploy/journal/backfill.pp
--- a/site-modules/profile/manifests/swh/deploy/journal/backfill.pp
+++ b/site-modules/profile/manifests/swh/deploy/journal/backfill.pp
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
   $config_path = lookup('swh::deploy::journal::backfill::config_file')
   $config = lookup('swh::deploy::journal::backfill::config')
 
+  $config_logging_path = lookup('swh::deploy::journal::backfill::config_logging_file')
+  $config_logging = lookup('swh::deploy::journal::backfill::config_logging')
+
   $user = lookup('swh::deploy::journal::backfill::user')
   $group = lookup('swh::deploy::journal::backfill::group')
 
@@ -14,4 +17,12 @@
     content => inline_template("<%= @config.to_yaml %>\n")
   }
 
+  file {$config_logging_path:
+    ensure  => present,
+    owner   => $user,
+    group   => $group,
+    mode    => '0644',
+    content => inline_template("<%= @config_logging.to_yaml %>\n")
+  }
+
 }