diff --git a/packages/cli/index.ts b/packages/cli/index.ts
index 94b2f34848..3e033c097a 100755
--- a/packages/cli/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/index.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@ function printHeader() {
 }
 
 program
-  .hook('preAction', () => preFlightChecks());
+  .hook('preAction', () => {
+    logger.initializeFileLogging();
+    preFlightChecks();
+  });
 
 program
   .addHelpText('beforeAll', printHeader())
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/util/logger.ts b/packages/cli/src/util/logger.ts
index 4c6f2ea004..28d69eb1f0 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/util/logger.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/util/logger.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ function useVerboseConsole(): void {
   consoleTransport.level = 'verbose';
 }
 
-const dailyRotateFileTransport = new DailyRotateFile({
+const dailyRotateFileTransportOptions: DailyRotateFile.DailyRotateFileTransportOptions = {
   format: fileFormat,
   datePattern: 'YYYY-MM-DD',
   dirname: '_markbind/logs',
@@ -43,15 +43,24 @@ const dailyRotateFileTransport = new DailyRotateFile({
   level: 'debug',
   maxFiles: 5,
   auditFile: '_markbind/logs/audit.json',
-});
+};
+
+let isFileLoggingInitialized = false;
+
+function initializeFileLogging(): void {
+  if (isFileLoggingInitialized) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  winston.add(new DailyRotateFile(dailyRotateFileTransportOptions));
+  isFileLoggingInitialized = true;
+}
 
-// Reconfigure the default instance logger winston provides with DailyRotateFile for markbind-cli
+// Reconfigure the default instance logger winston provides for markbind-cli.
+// File logging is added only when a command is about to run.
 winston.configure({
   exitOnError: false,
-  transports: [
-    consoleTransport,
-    dailyRotateFileTransport,
-  ],
+  transports: [consoleTransport],
 });
 
 export {
@@ -65,6 +74,7 @@ export {
 export {
   useDebugConsole,
   useVerboseConsole,
+  initializeFileLogging,
 };
 
 // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/unit/index.test.ts b/packages/cli/test/unit/index.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..05dd37ef78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/test/unit/index.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import fs from 'fs-extra';
+import os from 'os';
+import path from 'path';
+import { spawnSync } from 'child_process';
+
+test('running MarkBind without a command does not create log files', () => {
+  const workingDirectory = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'markbind-cli-'));
+  const cliPath = path.resolve(__dirname, '../../dist/index.js');
+
+  const result = spawnSync(process.execPath, [cliPath], { cwd: workingDirectory });
+
+  expect(result.status).toBe(1);
+  expect(fs.existsSync(path.join(workingDirectory, '_markbind'))).toBe(false);
+  fs.removeSync(workingDirectory);
+});