diff --git a/packages/data-designer-config/src/data_designer/logging.py b/packages/data-designer-config/src/data_designer/logging.py
index 3a280eae7..fe5850253 100644
--- a/packages/data-designer-config/src/data_designer/logging.py
+++ b/packages/data-designer-config/src/data_designer/logging.py
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 
 from pythonjsonlogger.json import JsonFormatter
 
+_logging_configured = False
+
 
 @dataclass
 class LoggerConfig:
@@ -115,6 +117,7 @@ def working() -> str:
 
 
 def configure_logging(config: LoggingConfig | None = None) -> None:
+    global _logging_configured
     config = config or LoggingConfig.default()
 
     root_logger = logging.getLogger()
@@ -137,6 +140,12 @@ def configure_logging(config: LoggingConfig | None = None) -> None:
     for name in config.to_silence:
         quiet_noisy_logger(name)
 
+    _logging_configured = True
+
+
+def is_logging_configured() -> bool:
+    return _logging_configured
+
 
 def quiet_noisy_logger(name: str) -> None:
     logger = logging.getLogger(name)
diff --git a/packages/data-designer-config/tests/test_logging.py b/packages/data-designer-config/tests/test_logging.py
index e52c0f1e1..db8d10c1c 100644
--- a/packages/data-designer-config/tests/test_logging.py
+++ b/packages/data-designer-config/tests/test_logging.py
@@ -8,12 +8,14 @@
 
 import pytest
 
+import data_designer.logging as logging_mod
 from data_designer.logging import (
     LoggerConfig,
     LoggingConfig,
     OutputConfig,
     RandomEmoji,
     configure_logging,
+    is_logging_configured,
     quiet_noisy_logger,
 )
 
@@ -105,6 +107,16 @@ def test_configure_logging_basic(stub_default_logging_config):
     assert ndd_logger.level == logging.INFO
 
 
+def test_configure_logging_marks_logging_configured(stub_default_logging_config, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(logging_mod, "_logging_configured", False)
+
+    assert is_logging_configured() is False
+
+    configure_logging(stub_default_logging_config)
+
+    assert is_logging_configured() is True
+
+
 def test_configure_logging_with_file():
     with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(mode="w", delete=False, suffix=".log") as tmp_file:
         tmp_path = Path(tmp_file.name)
diff --git a/packages/data-designer/src/data_designer/interface/data_designer.py b/packages/data-designer/src/data_designer/interface/data_designer.py
index 270fff96c..0ce02b266 100644
--- a/packages/data-designer/src/data_designer/interface/data_designer.py
+++ b/packages/data-designer/src/data_designer/interface/data_designer.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
     DataDesignerProfilingError,
 )
 from data_designer.interface.results import DatasetCreationResults
-from data_designer.logging import LOG_INDENT, RandomEmoji, configure_logging
+from data_designer.logging import LOG_INDENT, RandomEmoji, configure_logging, is_logging_configured
 from data_designer.plugins.plugin import PluginType
 from data_designer.plugins.registry import PluginRegistry
 
@@ -92,7 +92,8 @@ def _initialize_interface_runtime() -> None:
     global _interface_runtime_initialized
     if _interface_runtime_initialized:
         return
-    configure_logging()
+    if not is_logging_configured():
+        configure_logging()
     resolve_seed_default_model_settings()
     _interface_runtime_initialized = True
 
diff --git a/packages/data-designer/tests/interface/test_data_designer.py b/packages/data-designer/tests/interface/test_data_designer.py
index 67fdf9dfb..e233cc8d5 100644
--- a/packages/data-designer/tests/interface/test_data_designer.py
+++ b/packages/data-designer/tests/interface/test_data_designer.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 import data_designer.interface.data_designer as dd_mod
 import data_designer.lazy_heavy_imports as lazy
+import data_designer.logging as dd_logging
 from data_designer.config.column_configs import (
     CustomColumnConfig,
     ExpressionColumnConfig,
@@ -1519,6 +1520,7 @@ def test_validate_raises_error_when_seed_collides(
 def test_initialize_interface_runtime_runs_once(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
     """_initialize_interface_runtime only runs initialization once."""
     monkeypatch.setattr(dd_mod, "_interface_runtime_initialized", False)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(dd_logging, "_logging_configured", False)
 
     with (
         patch("data_designer.interface.data_designer.configure_logging") as mock_logging,
@@ -1530,6 +1532,40 @@ def test_initialize_interface_runtime_runs_once(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch)
         mock_resolve.assert_called_once()
 
 
+def test_initialize_interface_runtime_respects_preconfigured_logging(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setattr(dd_mod, "_interface_runtime_initialized", False)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(dd_logging, "_logging_configured", True)
+
+    with (
+        patch("data_designer.interface.data_designer.configure_logging") as mock_logging,
+        patch("data_designer.interface.data_designer.resolve_seed_default_model_settings") as mock_resolve,
+    ):
+        dd_mod._initialize_interface_runtime()
+
+        mock_logging.assert_not_called()
+        mock_resolve.assert_called_once()
+
+
+def test_init_preserves_preconfigured_logging(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+    stub_artifact_path: Path,
+    stub_model_providers: list[ModelProvider],
+) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.setattr(dd_mod, "_interface_runtime_initialized", False)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(dd_logging, "_logging_configured", False)
+    data_designer_logger = logging.getLogger("data_designer")
+    previous_level = data_designer_logger.level
+
+    try:
+        dd_logging.configure_logging(dd_logging.LoggingConfig.debug())
+
+        DataDesigner(artifact_path=stub_artifact_path, model_providers=stub_model_providers)
+
+        assert data_designer_logger.level == logging.DEBUG
+    finally:
+        data_designer_logger.setLevel(previous_level)
+
+
 def test_create_dataset_e2e_with_directory_seed_source(
     stub_artifact_path: Path,
     stub_model_providers: list[ModelProvider],