diff --git a/alerts/client.go b/alerts/client.go
index 213c9df7a0..3c69d3b463 100644
--- a/alerts/client.go
+++ b/alerts/client.go
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/kelseyhightower/envconfig"
 
 	"github.com/tidepool-org/platform/client"
+	"github.com/tidepool-org/platform/log"
+	"github.com/tidepool-org/platform/log/null"
 	"github.com/tidepool-org/platform/platform"
 )
 
@@ -29,12 +31,15 @@ func NewClient(cfg *ClientConfig) (*Client, error) {
 
 // Upsert updates cfg in the service if it exists, or creates it if it doesn't.
 func (c *Client) Upsert(ctx context.Context, cfg *Config) error {
+	ctx = log.NewContextWithLogger(ctx, null.NewLogger())
 	url := c.client.ConstructURL("v1", "alerts", cfg.UserID, cfg.FollowedUserID)
 	return c.client.RequestData(ctx, http.MethodPost, url, nil, cfg, nil)
 }
 
 // Delete the alerts config.
 func (c *Client) Delete(ctx context.Context, cfg *Config) error {
+	// Ideally the base client wouldn't require a logger, or if it found a nil, would use a null logger itself.
+	ctx = log.NewContextWithLogger(ctx, null.NewLogger())
 	url := c.client.ConstructURL("v1", "alerts", cfg.UserID, cfg.FollowedUserID)
 	return c.client.RequestData(ctx, http.MethodDelete, url, nil, nil, nil)
 }
@@ -42,7 +47,7 @@ func (c *Client) Delete(ctx context.Context, cfg *Config) error {
 // ClientConfig leverages platform.Config for the alerts client.
 type ClientConfig struct {
 	*platform.Config
-	Address string `envconfig:"TIDEPOOL_DATA_CLIENT_ADDRESS"`
+	Address string `envconfig:"TIDEPOOL_DATA_CLIENT_ADDRESS" required:"true"`
 }
 
 // ConfigLoader abstracts the method by which config values are loaded.
diff --git a/log/context.go b/log/context.go
index 5d1a550391..d1ea5e253a 100644
--- a/log/context.go
+++ b/log/context.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ func LoggerFromContext(ctx context.Context) Logger {
 			return logger
 		}
 	}
-	return nil
+	return NewNullLogger()
 }
 
 func ContextWithField(ctx context.Context, key string, value interface{}) context.Context {
diff --git a/log/null.go b/log/null.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fa52ddcfb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/log/null.go
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+package log
+
+func NewNullLogger() *nullLogger {
+	return &nullLogger{}
+}
+
+type nullLogger struct{}
+
+func (l *nullLogger) Log(level Level, message string) {
+	return
+}
+
+func (l *nullLogger) Debug(message string) {
+	return
+}
+
+func (l *nullLogger) Info(message string) {
+	return
+}
+
+func (l *nullLogger) Warn(message string) {
+	return
+}
+
+func (l *nullLogger) Error(message string) {
+	return
+}
+
+func (l *nullLogger) Debugf(message string, args ...interface{}) {
+	return
+}
+
+func (l *nullLogger) Infof(message string, args ...interface{}) {
+	return
+}
+
+func (l *nullLogger) Warnf(message string, args ...interface{}) {
+	return
+}
+
+func (l *nullLogger) Errorf(message string, args ...interface{}) {
+	return
+}
+
+func (l *nullLogger) WithError(err error) Logger {
+	return l
+}
+
+func (l *nullLogger) WithField(key string, value interface{}) Logger {
+	return l
+}
+
+func (l *nullLogger) WithFields(fields Fields) Logger {
+	return l
+}
+
+func (l *nullLogger) WithLevelRank(level Level, rank Rank) Logger {
+	return l
+}
+
+func (l *nullLogger) WithLevelRanks(levelRanks LevelRanks) Logger {
+	return l
+}
+
+func (l *nullLogger) WithLevel(level Level) Logger {
+	return l
+}
+
+func (l *nullLogger) Level() Level {
+	return DebugLevel
+}
diff --git a/platform/config.go b/platform/config.go
index e045dbc384..e8b114c110 100644
--- a/platform/config.go
+++ b/platform/config.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 // Config extends client.Config with additional properties.
 type Config struct {
 	*client.Config
-	ServiceSecret string `envconfig:"TIDEPOOL_SERVICE_SECRET"`
+	ServiceSecret string `envconfig:"TIDEPOOL_SERVER_SECRET" required:"true"`
 }
 
 func NewConfig() *Config {