diff --git a/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClient.cpp b/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClient.cpp
index 978882f358..272bd45a30 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClient.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClient.cpp
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 
 #include "AssignmentClient.h"
 
-const char ASSIGNMENT_CLIENT_TARGET_NAME[] = "assignment-client";
+const QString ASSIGNMENT_CLIENT_TARGET_NAME = "assignment-client";
 const long long ASSIGNMENT_REQUEST_INTERVAL_MSECS = 1 * 1000;
 
 int hifiSockAddrMeta = qRegisterMetaType<HifiSockAddr>("HifiSockAddr");
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClientMonitor.cpp b/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClientMonitor.cpp
index 4386ccfff0..64c9b31147 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClientMonitor.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClientMonitor.cpp
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 const char* NUM_FORKS_PARAMETER = "-n";
 
-const char ASSIGNMENT_CLIENT_MONITOR_TARGET_NAME[] = "assignment-client-monitor";
+const QString ASSIGNMENT_CLIENT_MONITOR_TARGET_NAME = "assignment-client-monitor";
 
 AssignmentClientMonitor::AssignmentClientMonitor(int &argc, char **argv, int numAssignmentClientForks) :
     QCoreApplication(argc, argv)
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp b/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
index 30359f85c4..91b932a36c 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
 const short JITTER_BUFFER_MSECS = 12;
 const short JITTER_BUFFER_SAMPLES = JITTER_BUFFER_MSECS * (SAMPLE_RATE / 1000.0);
 
-const char AUDIO_MIXER_LOGGING_TARGET_NAME[] = "audio-mixer";
+const QString AUDIO_MIXER_LOGGING_TARGET_NAME = "audio-mixer";
 
 void attachNewBufferToNode(Node *newNode) {
     if (!newNode->getLinkedData()) {
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp b/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp
index 63bdccbab7..d4a83d00f0 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 #include "AvatarMixer.h"
 
-const char AVATAR_MIXER_LOGGING_NAME[] = "avatar-mixer";
+const QString AVATAR_MIXER_LOGGING_NAME = "avatar-mixer";
 
 const unsigned int AVATAR_DATA_SEND_INTERVAL_USECS = (1 / 60.0) * 1000 * 1000;
 
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/metavoxels/MetavoxelServer.cpp b/assignment-client/src/metavoxels/MetavoxelServer.cpp
index c10215cb57..912f5c22ee 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/metavoxels/MetavoxelServer.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/metavoxels/MetavoxelServer.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ void MetavoxelServer::removeSession(const QUuid& sessionId) {
     _sessions.take(sessionId)->deleteLater();
 }
 
-const char METAVOXEL_SERVER_LOGGING_NAME[] = "metavoxel-server";
+const QString METAVOXEL_SERVER_LOGGING_NAME = "metavoxel-server";
 
 void MetavoxelServer::run() {
     commonInit(METAVOXEL_SERVER_LOGGING_NAME, NodeType::MetavoxelServer);
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/Logging.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/Logging.cpp
index a9f71e346e..1713382fcf 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/Logging.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/Logging.cpp
@@ -27,27 +27,27 @@
 
 #include "Logging.h"
 
-HifiSockAddr Logging::logstashSocket = HifiSockAddr();
-char* Logging::targetName = NULL;
+HifiSockAddr Logging::_logstashSocket = HifiSockAddr();
+QString Logging::_targetName = QString();
 
 const HifiSockAddr& Logging::socket() {
 
-    if (logstashSocket.getAddress().isNull()) {
+    if (_logstashSocket.getAddress().isNull()) {
         // we need to construct the socket object
         // use the constant port
-        logstashSocket.setPort(htons(LOGSTASH_UDP_PORT));
+        _logstashSocket.setPort(htons(LOGSTASH_UDP_PORT));
 
         // lookup the IP address for the constant hostname
         QHostInfo hostInfo = QHostInfo::fromName(LOGSTASH_HOSTNAME);
         if (!hostInfo.addresses().isEmpty()) {
             // use the first IP address
-            logstashSocket.setAddress(hostInfo.addresses().first());
+            _logstashSocket.setAddress(hostInfo.addresses().first());
         } else {
             printf("Failed to lookup logstash IP - will try again on next log attempt.\n");
         }
     }
 
-    return logstashSocket;
+    return _logstashSocket;
 }
 
 bool Logging::shouldSendStats() {
@@ -66,19 +66,10 @@ void Logging::stashValue(char statType, const char* key, float value) {
 
     if (nodeList) {
         nodeList->getNodeSocket().writeDatagram(logstashPacket, numPacketBytes,
-                                                logstashSocket.getAddress(), logstashSocket.getPort());
+                                                _logstashSocket.getAddress(), _logstashSocket.getPort());
     }
 }
 
-void Logging::setTargetName(const char* targetName) {
-    // remove the old target name, if it exists
-    delete Logging::targetName;
-
-    // copy over the new target name
-    Logging::targetName = new char[strlen(targetName)];
-    strcpy(Logging::targetName, targetName);
-}
-
 const char* stringForLogType(QtMsgType msgType) {
     switch (msgType) {
         case QtDebugMsg:
@@ -124,8 +115,8 @@ void Logging::verboseMessageHandler(QtMsgType type, const QMessageLogContext& co
         prefixString.append("]");
     }
 
-    if (Logging::targetName) {
-        prefixString.append(QString(" [%1]").arg(Logging::targetName));
+    if (!_targetName.isEmpty()) {
+        prefixString.append(QString(" [%1]").arg(_targetName));
     }
     
     fprintf(stdout, "%s %s\n", prefixString.toLocal8Bit().constData(), message.toLocal8Bit().constData());
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/Logging.h b/libraries/shared/src/Logging.h
index 175ed063d1..abd5bfaab1 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/Logging.h
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/Logging.h
@@ -44,14 +44,14 @@ public:
 
     /// sets the target name to output via the verboseMessageHandler, called once before logging begins
     /// \param targetName the desired target name to output in logs
-    static void setTargetName(const char* targetName);
+    static void setTargetName(const QString& targetName) { _targetName = targetName; }
 
     /// a qtMessageHandler that can be hooked up to a target that links to Qt
     /// prints various process, message type, and time information
     static void verboseMessageHandler(QtMsgType type, const QMessageLogContext& context, const QString &message);
 private:
-    static HifiSockAddr logstashSocket;
-    static char* targetName;
+    static HifiSockAddr _logstashSocket;
+    static QString _targetName;
 };
 
 #endif /* defined(__hifi__Logstash__) */
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/ThreadedAssignment.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/ThreadedAssignment.cpp
index 5f66ae4a4e..e2d42883f6 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/ThreadedAssignment.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/ThreadedAssignment.cpp
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ void ThreadedAssignment::setFinished(bool isFinished) {
     }
 }
 
-void ThreadedAssignment::commonInit(const char* targetName, NodeType_t nodeType) {
+void ThreadedAssignment::commonInit(const QString& targetName, NodeType_t nodeType) {
     // change the logging target name while the assignment is running
     Logging::setTargetName(targetName);
     
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/ThreadedAssignment.h b/libraries/shared/src/ThreadedAssignment.h
index c8aa1c419c..25489a8e25 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/ThreadedAssignment.h
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/ThreadedAssignment.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public slots:
 protected:
     bool readAvailableDatagram(QByteArray& destinationByteArray, HifiSockAddr& senderSockAddr);
     
-    void commonInit(const char* targetName, NodeType_t nodeType);
+    void commonInit(const QString& targetName, NodeType_t nodeType);
     bool _isFinished;
 private slots:
     void checkInWithDomainServerOrExit();