diff --git a/src/bitcoind.cpp b/src/bitcoind.cpp
index cf9e4fad44d..7e44ca7517d 100644
--- a/src/bitcoind.cpp
+++ b/src/bitcoind.cpp
@@ -170,10 +170,8 @@ static bool AppInit(NodeContext& node, int argc, char* argv[])
             return false;
         }
 
-        // -server defaults to true for bitcoind but not for the GUI so do this here
-        args.SoftSetBoolArg("-server", true);
         // Set this early so that parameter interactions go to console
-        InitLogging(args);
+        InitLogging(args, node.is_gui);
         InitParameterInteraction(args);
         if (!AppInitBasicSetup(args)) {
             // InitError will have been called with detailed error, which ends up on console
diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index 24d67f48dc1..09faa05f28c 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ void SetupServerArgs(NodeContext& node)
     SetupHelpOptions(argsman);
     argsman.AddArg("-help-debug", "Print help message with debugging options and exit", ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::DEBUG_TEST); // server-only for now
 
-    init::AddLoggingArgs(argsman);
+    init::AddLoggingArgs(argsman, /* can_daemonize= */ !node.is_gui, /* default_printtoconsole= */ !node.is_gui);
 
     const auto defaultBaseParams = CreateBaseChainParams(CBaseChainParams::MAIN);
     const auto testnetBaseParams = CreateBaseChainParams(CBaseChainParams::TESTNET);
@@ -545,11 +545,16 @@ void SetupServerArgs(NodeContext& node)
     argsman.AddArg("-rpcwhitelist=<whitelist>", "Set a whitelist to filter incoming RPC calls for a specific user. The field <whitelist> comes in the format: <USERNAME>:<rpc 1>,<rpc 2>,...,<rpc n>. If multiple whitelists are set for a given user, they are set-intersected. See -rpcwhitelistdefault documentation for information on default whitelist behavior.", ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::RPC);
     argsman.AddArg("-rpcwhitelistdefault", "Sets default behavior for rpc whitelisting. Unless rpcwhitelistdefault is set to 0, if any -rpcwhitelist is set, the rpc server acts as if all rpc users are subject to empty-unless-otherwise-specified whitelists. If rpcwhitelistdefault is set to 1 and no -rpcwhitelist is set, rpc server acts as if all rpc users are subject to empty whitelists.", ArgsManager::ALLOW_BOOL, OptionsCategory::RPC);
     argsman.AddArg("-rpcworkqueue=<n>", strprintf("Set the depth of the work queue to service RPC calls (default: %d)", DEFAULT_HTTP_WORKQUEUE), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY | ArgsManager::DEBUG_ONLY, OptionsCategory::RPC);
-    argsman.AddArg("-server", "Accept command line and JSON-RPC commands", ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::RPC);
+    argsman.AddArg("-server", strprintf("Accept command line and JSON-RPC commands (default: %u)", !node.is_gui), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::RPC);
 
 #if HAVE_DECL_FORK
+    if (!node.is_gui) {
     argsman.AddArg("-daemon", strprintf("Run in the background as a daemon and accept commands (default: %d)", DEFAULT_DAEMON), ArgsManager::ALLOW_BOOL, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
     argsman.AddArg("-daemonwait", strprintf("Wait for initialization to be finished before exiting. This implies -daemon (default: %d)", DEFAULT_DAEMONWAIT), ArgsManager::ALLOW_BOOL, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
+    } else {
+        hidden_args.emplace_back("-daemon");
+        hidden_args.emplace_back("-daemonwait");
+    }
 #else
     hidden_args.emplace_back("-daemon");
     hidden_args.emplace_back("-daemonwait");
@@ -740,9 +745,10 @@ void InitParameterInteraction(ArgsManager& args)
  * Note that this is called very early in the process lifetime, so you should be
  * careful about what global state you rely on here.
  */
-void InitLogging(const ArgsManager& args)
+void InitLogging(const ArgsManager& args, bool is_gui)
 {
-    init::SetLoggingOptions(args);
+    init::SetLoggingOptions(args, /* is_daemon= */ args.GetBoolArg("-daemon", DEFAULT_DAEMON) || args.GetBoolArg("-daemonwait", DEFAULT_DAEMONWAIT), /* default_printtoconsole= */ !is_gui);
+
     init::LogPackageVersion();
 }
 
@@ -1169,7 +1175,7 @@ bool AppInitMain(NodeContext& node, interfaces::BlockAndHeaderTipInfo* tip_info)
      * that the server is there and will be ready later).  Warmup mode will
      * be disabled when initialisation is finished.
      */
-    if (args.GetBoolArg("-server", false)) {
+    if (args.GetBoolArg("-server", !node.is_gui)) {
         uiInterface.InitMessage_connect(SetRPCWarmupStatus);
         if (!AppInitServers(node))
             return InitError(_("Unable to start HTTP server. See debug log for details."));
diff --git a/src/init.h b/src/init.h
index 328eda9c7e8..b0c953ab8a3 100644
--- a/src/init.h
+++ b/src/init.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class thread_group;
 void Interrupt(NodeContext& node);
 void Shutdown(NodeContext& node);
 //!Initialize the logging infrastructure
-void InitLogging(const ArgsManager& args);
+void InitLogging(const ArgsManager& args, bool is_gui);
 //!Parameter interaction: change current parameters depending on various rules
 void InitParameterInteraction(ArgsManager& args);
 
diff --git a/src/init/common.cpp b/src/init/common.cpp
index 79e0c9da782..8ba2262b4f3 100644
--- a/src/init/common.cpp
+++ b/src/init/common.cpp
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ bool SanityChecks()
     return true;
 }
 
-void AddLoggingArgs(ArgsManager& argsman)
+void AddLoggingArgs(ArgsManager& argsman, bool can_daemonize, bool default_printtoconsole)
 {
     argsman.AddArg("-debuglogfile=<file>", strprintf("Specify location of debug log file. Relative paths will be prefixed by a net-specific datadir location. (-nodebuglogfile to disable; default: %s)", DEFAULT_DEBUGLOGFILE), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::OPTIONS);
     argsman.AddArg("-debug=<category>", "Output debugging information (default: -nodebug, supplying <category> is optional). "
@@ -74,15 +74,19 @@ void AddLoggingArgs(ArgsManager& argsman)
 #endif
     argsman.AddArg("-logsourcelocations", strprintf("Prepend debug output with name of the originating source location (source file, line number and function name) (default: %u)", DEFAULT_LOGSOURCELOCATIONS), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::DEBUG_TEST);
     argsman.AddArg("-logtimemicros", strprintf("Add microsecond precision to debug timestamps (default: %u)", DEFAULT_LOGTIMEMICROS), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY | ArgsManager::DEBUG_ONLY, OptionsCategory::DEBUG_TEST);
-    argsman.AddArg("-printtoconsole", "Send trace/debug info to console (default: 1 when no -daemon. To disable logging to file, set -nodebuglogfile)", ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::DEBUG_TEST);
+    argsman.AddArg("-printtoconsole", strprintf("Send trace/debug info to console (default: %u).%s To disable logging to file, set -nodebuglogfile", default_printtoconsole, can_daemonize ? " Disabled when -daemon=1." : ""), ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::DEBUG_TEST);
     argsman.AddArg("-shrinkdebugfile", "Shrink debug.log file on client startup (default: 1 when no -debug)", ArgsManager::ALLOW_ANY, OptionsCategory::DEBUG_TEST);
 }
 
-void SetLoggingOptions(const ArgsManager& args)
+void SetLoggingOptions(const ArgsManager& args, bool is_daemon, bool default_printtoconsole)
 {
     LogInstance().m_print_to_file = !args.IsArgNegated("-debuglogfile");
     LogInstance().m_file_path = AbsPathForConfigVal(args.GetArg("-debuglogfile", DEFAULT_DEBUGLOGFILE));
-    LogInstance().m_print_to_console = args.GetBoolArg("-printtoconsole", !args.GetBoolArg("-daemon", false));
+    if (is_daemon) {
+        LogInstance().m_print_to_console = false;
+    } else {
+        LogInstance().m_print_to_console = args.GetBoolArg("-printtoconsole", default_printtoconsole);
+    }
     LogInstance().m_log_timestamps = args.GetBoolArg("-logtimestamps", DEFAULT_LOGTIMESTAMPS);
     LogInstance().m_log_time_micros = args.GetBoolArg("-logtimemicros", DEFAULT_LOGTIMEMICROS);
 #ifdef HAVE_THREAD_LOCAL
diff --git a/src/init/common.h b/src/init/common.h
index fc4bc1b2800..6efa7917093 100644
--- a/src/init/common.h
+++ b/src/init/common.h
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ void UnsetGlobals();
  *  necessary library support.
  */
 bool SanityChecks();
-void AddLoggingArgs(ArgsManager& args);
-void SetLoggingOptions(const ArgsManager& args);
+void AddLoggingArgs(ArgsManager& argsman, bool can_daemonize, bool default_printtoconsole);
+void SetLoggingOptions(const ArgsManager& args, bool is_daemon, bool default_printtoconsole);
 void SetLoggingCategories(const ArgsManager& args);
 bool StartLogging(const ArgsManager& args);
 void LogPackageVersion();
diff --git a/src/node/context.h b/src/node/context.h
index 06adb33a80e..1bdaaddb6b7 100644
--- a/src/node/context.h
+++ b/src/node/context.h
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ class WalletClient;
 struct NodeContext {
     //! Init interface for initializing current process and connecting to other processes.
     interfaces::Init* init{nullptr};
+    //! Bool indicating if this is a GUI process that does not support
+    //! daemonization, and should also disable the RPC server by default.
+    bool is_gui{false};
     std::unique_ptr<CAddrMan> addrman;
     std::unique_ptr<CConnman> connman;
     std::unique_ptr<CTxMemPool> mempool;
diff --git a/src/node/interfaces.cpp b/src/node/interfaces.cpp
index 8befbf5e307..8352936c182 100644
--- a/src/node/interfaces.cpp
+++ b/src/node/interfaces.cpp
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ private:
     ChainstateManager& chainman() { return *Assert(m_context->chainman); }
 public:
     explicit NodeImpl(NodeContext* context) { setContext(context); }
-    void initLogging() override { InitLogging(*Assert(m_context->args)); }
+    void initLogging() override { InitLogging(*Assert(m_context->args), m_context->is_gui); }
     void initParameterInteraction() override { InitParameterInteraction(*Assert(m_context->args)); }
     bilingual_str getWarnings() override { return GetWarnings(true); }
     uint32_t getLogCategories() override { return LogInstance().GetCategoryMask(); }
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ public:
     {
         StartShutdown();
         // Stop RPC for clean shutdown if any of waitfor* commands is executed.
-        if (gArgs.GetBoolArg("-server", false)) {
+        if (gArgs.GetBoolArg("-server", !m_context->is_gui)) {
             InterruptRPC();
             StopRPC();
         }
diff --git a/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp b/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp
index de71b7dea7d..33a9c24d281 100644
--- a/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp
@@ -311,11 +311,7 @@ void BitcoinApplication::startThread()
 
 void BitcoinApplication::parameterSetup()
 {
-    // Default printtoconsole to false for the GUI. GUI programs should not
-    // print to the console unnecessarily.
-    gArgs.SoftSetBoolArg("-printtoconsole", false);
-
-    InitLogging(gArgs);
+    InitLogging(gArgs, /* is_gui= */ true);
     InitParameterInteraction(gArgs);
 }
 
@@ -464,6 +460,7 @@ int GuiMain(int argc, char* argv[])
     util::ThreadSetInternalName("main");
 
     NodeContext node_context;
+    node_context.is_gui = true;
     std::unique_ptr<interfaces::Node> node = interfaces::MakeNode(&node_context);
 
     // Subscribe to global signals from core
diff --git a/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp b/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp
index ffc51151458..42793c1abf6 100644
--- a/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp
+++ b/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ BasicTestingSetup::BasicTestingSetup(const std::string& chainName, const std::ve
     SelectParams(chainName);
     SeedInsecureRand();
     if (G_TEST_LOG_FUN) LogInstance().PushBackCallback(G_TEST_LOG_FUN);
-    InitLogging(*m_node.args);
+    InitLogging(*m_node.args, m_node.is_gui);
     AppInitParameterInteraction(*m_node.args);
     LogInstance().StartLogging();
     SHA256AutoDetect();