diff --git a/backend/Dockerfile b/backend/Dockerfile
index 0f1f475..b363917 100644
--- a/backend/Dockerfile
+++ b/backend/Dockerfile
@@ -16,4 +16,5 @@ ENV OSM_CACHE_DIR=/cache
 ENV MEMCACHED_HOST_PATH=none
 ENV LOKI_URL=none
 
-CMD ["fastapi", "src/main.py", "--port", "8000", "--workers", "$NUM_WORKERS"]
+# explicitly use a string instead of an argument list to force a shell and variable expansion
+CMD fastapi run src/main.py --port 8000 --workers $NUM_WORKERS
diff --git a/backend/src/logging_config.py b/backend/src/logging_config.py
index 0f93fa7..c43a246 100644
--- a/backend/src/logging_config.py
+++ b/backend/src/logging_config.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ def configure_logging():
     is_kubernetes = os.getenv('KUBERNETES_SERVICE_HOST') is not None
 
 
-    if not is_kubernetes:
+    if is_kubernetes:
         # in that case we want to log to stdout and also to loki
         from loki_logger_handler.loki_logger_handler import LokiLoggerHandler
         loki_url = os.getenv('LOKI_URL')
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ def configure_logging():
         logger.info(f"Logging to Loki at {loki_url} with {loki_handler.labels} and {is_debug=}")
         logging_handlers = [loki_handler, logging.StreamHandler()]
         logging_level = logging.DEBUG if is_debug else logging.INFO
+        # silence the chatty logs loki generates itself
+        logging.getLogger('urllib3.connectionpool').setLevel(logging.WARNING)
         # no need for time since it's added by loki or can be shown in kube logs
         logging_format = '%(name)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s'