diff --git a/lib/iris/__init__.py b/lib/iris/__init__.py
index 77fd7cda5a..3344f1b498 100644
--- a/lib/iris/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/iris/__init__.py
@@ -103,7 +103,6 @@ def callback(cube, field, filename):
 import contextlib
 import glob
 import itertools
-import logging
 import os.path
 import threading
 
@@ -131,11 +130,6 @@ def callback(cube, field, filename):
            'IrisDeprecation']
 
 
-# When required, log the usage of Iris.
-if iris.config.IMPORT_LOGGER:
-    logging.getLogger(iris.config.IMPORT_LOGGER).info('iris %s' % __version__)
-
-
 Constraint = iris._constraints.Constraint
 AttributeConstraint = iris._constraints.AttributeConstraint
 
diff --git a/lib/iris/config.py b/lib/iris/config.py
index a20b7bb5a0..eb44ec0bd8 100644
--- a/lib/iris/config.py
+++ b/lib/iris/config.py
@@ -116,17 +116,9 @@ def get_dir_option(section, option, default=None):
 PALETTE_PATH = get_dir_option(_RESOURCE_SECTION, 'palette_path',
                               os.path.join(CONFIG_PATH, 'palette'))
 
-
-#################
-# Logging options
-_LOGGING_SECTION = 'Logging'
-
-IMPORT_LOGGER = get_option(_LOGGING_SECTION, 'import_logger')
-
-
-#################
 # Runtime options
 
+
 class NetCDF(object):
     """Control Iris NetCDF options."""
 
diff --git a/lib/iris/etc/site.cfg.template b/lib/iris/etc/site.cfg.template
index b78e9c4b97..ef5459cc92 100644
--- a/lib/iris/etc/site.cfg.template
+++ b/lib/iris/etc/site.cfg.template
@@ -6,5 +6,3 @@ dot_path = /path/to/dot # see iris.fileformats.dot
 sample_data_dir = /path/to/iris/resources/sample_data
 test_data_dir = /path/to/iris/resources/test_data
 
-[Logging]
-import_logger = logger_name
diff --git a/lib/iris/tests/__init__.py b/lib/iris/tests/__init__.py
index 480239c295..8c37a9785b 100644
--- a/lib/iris/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/iris/tests/__init__.py
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@
 import inspect
 import json
 import io
-import logging
 import math
 import os
 import os.path
@@ -146,9 +145,6 @@
     os.environ['IRIS_TEST_CREATE_MISSING'] = 'true'
 
 
-# A shared logger for use by unit tests
-logger = logging.getLogger('tests')
-
 # Whether to display matplotlib output to the screen.
 _DISPLAY_FIGURES = False
 
@@ -430,7 +426,6 @@ def assertDataAlmostEqual(self, data, reference_filename, **kwargs):
                     self.assertArrayAllClose(nstats, data_stats, **kwargs)
         else:
             self._ensure_folder(reference_path)
-            logger.warning('Creating result file: %s', reference_path)
             stats = collections.OrderedDict([
                 ('std', np.float_(data.std())),
                 ('min', np.float_(data.min())),
@@ -449,7 +444,6 @@ def assertFilesEqual(self, test_filename, reference_filename):
                             fmt.format(test_filename, reference_path))
         else:
             self._ensure_folder(reference_path)
-            logger.warning('Creating result file: %s', reference_path)
             shutil.copy(test_filename, reference_path)
 
     def assertString(self, string, reference_filename=None):
@@ -492,7 +486,6 @@ def _check_same(self, item, reference_path, type_comparison_name='CML'):
                                   type_comparison_name)
         else:
             self._ensure_folder(reference_path)
-            logger.warning('Creating result file: %s', reference_path)
             with open(reference_path, 'wb') as reference_fh:
                 reference_fh.writelines(
                     part.encode('utf-8')
@@ -694,7 +687,6 @@ def _check_reference_file(self, reference_path):
     def _ensure_folder(self, path):
         dir_path = os.path.dirname(path)
         if not os.path.exists(dir_path):
-            logger.warning('Creating folder: %s', dir_path)
             os.makedirs(dir_path)
 
     def check_graphic(self):
diff --git a/lib/iris/tests/pp.py b/lib/iris/tests/pp.py
index 6f166bc1eb..02f72e80b9 100644
--- a/lib/iris/tests/pp.py
+++ b/lib/iris/tests/pp.py
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ def cube_save_test(self, reference_txt_path, reference_cubes=None, reference_pp_
         """
         # Watch out for a missing reference text file
         if not os.path.isfile(reference_txt_path):
-            tests.logger.warning('Creating result file: %s', reference_txt_path)
             if reference_cubes:
                 temp_pp_path = iris.util.create_temp_filename(".pp")
                 try:
diff --git a/lib/iris/tests/test_cdm.py b/lib/iris/tests/test_cdm.py
index 1e03bdfbf4..f7e5a3c4a5 100644
--- a/lib/iris/tests/test_cdm.py
+++ b/lib/iris/tests/test_cdm.py
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ def check_dot(self, cube, reference_filename):
                 reference = ''.join(reference_fh.readlines())
             self._assert_str_same(reference, test_string, reference_filename, type_comparison_name='DOT files')
         else:
-            tests.logger.warning('Creating result file: %s', reference_path)
             with open(reference_path, 'w') as reference_fh:
                 reference_fh.writelines(test_string)
 
diff --git a/lib/iris/tests/test_coord_api.py b/lib/iris/tests/test_coord_api.py
index d7c0f25d99..4708e2febb 100644
--- a/lib/iris/tests/test_coord_api.py
+++ b/lib/iris/tests/test_coord_api.py
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 import iris.tests as tests
 
 from xml.dom.minidom import Document
-import logging
 
 import cf_units
 import numpy as np
@@ -37,7 +36,6 @@
 import iris.tests.stock
 
 
-logger = logging.getLogger('tests')
 
 
 @tests.skip_data
diff --git a/lib/iris/tests/test_coordsystem.py b/lib/iris/tests/test_coordsystem.py
index 0c1f7a501b..25be9bb1be 100644
--- a/lib/iris/tests/test_coordsystem.py
+++ b/lib/iris/tests/test_coordsystem.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# (C) British Crown Copyright 2010 - 2016, Met Office
+# (C) British Crown Copyright 2010 - 2017, Met Office
 #
 # This file is part of Iris.
 #
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 # import iris tests first so that some things can be initialised before importing anything else
 import iris.tests as tests
 
-import logging
 
 import cartopy.crs as ccrs
 import cf_units
@@ -34,7 +33,6 @@
 from iris.coord_systems import *
 
 
-logger = logging.getLogger('tests')
 
 
 def osgb():
diff --git a/lib/iris/tests/test_image_json.py b/lib/iris/tests/test_image_json.py
index 972edeb28e..d04cc4e1bd 100644
--- a/lib/iris/tests/test_image_json.py
+++ b/lib/iris/tests/test_image_json.py
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 import codecs
 import itertools
 import json
-import logging
 import os
 import requests
 import unittest
diff --git a/lib/iris/tests/test_pp_module.py b/lib/iris/tests/test_pp_module.py
index e3106f95e4..acdaff158e 100644
--- a/lib/iris/tests/test_pp_module.py
+++ b/lib/iris/tests/test_pp_module.py
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ def check_pp(self, pp_fields, reference_filename):
                 reference = ''.join(reference_fh.readlines())
             self._assert_str_same(reference+'\n', test_string+'\n', reference_filename, type_comparison_name='PP files')
         else:
-            tests.logger.warning('Creating result file: %s', reference_path)
             with open(reference_path, 'w') as reference_fh:
                 reference_fh.writelines(test_string)