diff --git a/src/queue.ts b/src/queue.ts
index 49f73a0..b4936a6 100644
--- a/src/queue.ts
+++ b/src/queue.ts
@@ -1,23 +1,23 @@
-import { EventEmitter } from 'node:events'
 import { randomUUID } from 'node:crypto'
+import { EventEmitter } from 'node:events'
 import type { Logger } from 'pino'
-import type { Storage } from './storage/types.ts'
+import { Consumer } from './consumer.ts'
+import { Producer } from './producer.ts'
 import type { Serde } from './serde/index.ts'
+import { createJsonSerde } from './serde/index.ts'
+import type { Storage } from './storage/types.ts'
 import type {
-  QueueConfig,
-  EnqueueOptions,
+  AfterExecutionHook,
+  CancelResult,
   EnqueueAndWaitOptions,
+  EnqueueOptions,
   EnqueueResult,
-  CancelResult,
-  MessageStatus,
-  UpdateResultTTLResult,
   JobHandler,
+  MessageStatus,
+  QueueConfig,
   QueueEvents,
-  AfterExecutionHook
+  UpdateResultTTLResult
 } from './types.ts'
-import { Producer } from './producer.ts'
-import { Consumer } from './consumer.ts'
-import { createJsonSerde } from './serde/index.ts'
 import { abstractLogger, ensureLoggableError } from './utils/logging.ts'
 
 /**
@@ -204,8 +204,7 @@ export class Queue<TPayload, TResult = void> extends EventEmitter<QueueEvents<TR
 
     // Forward consumer events
     this.#consumer.on('error', error => {
-      this.#logger.error({ err: ensureLoggableError(error) }, 'Consumer emitted error.')
-      this.emit('error', error)
+      this.#emitError(error, 'Consumer emitted error.')
     })
 
     this.#consumer.on('completed', (id, result) => {
@@ -230,9 +229,18 @@ export class Queue<TPayload, TResult = void> extends EventEmitter<QueueEvents<TR
 
     this.#consumer.execute(this.#handler)
     this.#consumer.start().catch(err => {
-      const error = err instanceof Error ? err : new Error(String(err))
-      this.#logger.error({ err: ensureLoggableError(error) }, 'Failed to start consumer.')
-      this.emit('error', error)
+      this.#emitError(err, 'Failed to start consumer.')
     })
   }
+
+  #emitError (err: unknown, message: string): void {
+    const error = err instanceof Error ? err : new Error(String(err))
+
+    if (this.listenerCount('error') > 0) {
+      this.emit('error', error)
+      return
+    }
+
+    this.#logger.error({ err: ensureLoggableError(error) }, message)
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/reaper.ts b/src/reaper.ts
index 8dbc55e..48486f0 100644
--- a/src/reaper.ts
+++ b/src/reaper.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
-import { EventEmitter } from 'node:events'
 import { randomUUID } from 'node:crypto'
-import type { Storage } from './storage/types.ts'
+import { EventEmitter } from 'node:events'
+import type { Logger } from 'pino'
 import type { Serde } from './serde/index.ts'
-import type { QueueMessage } from './types.ts'
 import { createJsonSerde } from './serde/index.ts'
+import type { Storage } from './storage/types.ts'
+import type { QueueMessage } from './types.ts'
+import { abstractLogger, ensureLoggableError } from './utils/logging.ts'
 import { parseState } from './utils/state.ts'
 
 interface LeaderElectionConfig {
@@ -18,6 +20,7 @@ interface ReaperConfig<TPayload> {
   payloadSerde?: Serde<TPayload>
   visibilityTimeout?: number
   leaderElection?: LeaderElectionConfig
+  logger?: Logger
 }
 
 interface ReaperEvents {
@@ -46,6 +49,7 @@ export class Reaper<TPayload> extends EventEmitter<ReaperEvents> {
   #payloadSerde: Serde<TPayload>
   #visibilityTimeout: number
   #leaderElection: LeaderElectionConfig
+  #logger: Logger
 
   #running = false
   #unsubscribe: (() => Promise<void>) | null = null
@@ -63,6 +67,7 @@ export class Reaper<TPayload> extends EventEmitter<ReaperEvents> {
     this.#visibilityTimeout = config.visibilityTimeout ?? 30000
     this.#leaderElection = config.leaderElection ?? { enabled: false }
     this.#reaperId = randomUUID()
+    this.#logger = (config.logger ?? abstractLogger).child({ component: 'reaper', reaperId: this.#reaperId })
   }
 
   /**
@@ -201,7 +206,7 @@ export class Reaper<TPayload> extends EventEmitter<ReaperEvents> {
           }
         }
       } catch (err) {
-        this.emit('error', err as Error)
+        this.#emitError(err, 'Leadership check failed.')
       }
     }, interval)
   }
@@ -212,7 +217,7 @@ export class Reaper<TPayload> extends EventEmitter<ReaperEvents> {
   async #tryAcquireLock (ttlMs: number): Promise<boolean> {
     if (!this.#storage.acquireLeaderLock) {
       // Storage doesn't support leader election
-      this.emit('error', new Error('Storage does not support leader election'))
+      this.#emitError(new Error('Storage does not support leader election'))
       return false
     }
 
@@ -294,7 +299,7 @@ export class Reaper<TPayload> extends EventEmitter<ReaperEvents> {
     const timer = setTimeout(() => {
       this.#processingTimers.delete(id)
       this.#checkJob(id).catch(err => {
-        this.emit('error', err)
+        this.#emitError(err, 'Failed checking job after visibility timer.')
       })
     }, this.#visibilityTimeout)
 
@@ -337,7 +342,7 @@ export class Reaper<TPayload> extends EventEmitter<ReaperEvents> {
       const timer = setTimeout(() => {
         this.#processingTimers.delete(id)
         this.#checkJob(id).catch(err => {
-          this.emit('error', err)
+          this.#emitError(err, 'Failed re-checking job after visibility timeout.')
         })
       }, remaining)
       this.#processingTimers.set(id, timer)
@@ -353,7 +358,7 @@ export class Reaper<TPayload> extends EventEmitter<ReaperEvents> {
    */
   async #recoverStalledJob (id: string, workerId?: string): Promise<void> {
     if (!workerId) {
-      this.emit('error', new Error(`Cannot recover stalled job ${id}: no workerId in state`))
+      this.#emitError(new Error(`Cannot recover stalled job ${id}: no workerId in state`))
       return
     }
 
@@ -435,7 +440,7 @@ export class Reaper<TPayload> extends EventEmitter<ReaperEvents> {
             const timer = setTimeout(() => {
               this.#processingTimers.delete(queueMessage.id)
               this.#checkJob(queueMessage.id).catch(err => {
-                this.emit('error', err)
+                this.#emitError(err, 'Failed checking worker processing job.')
               })
             }, remaining)
             this.#processingTimers.set(queueMessage.id, timer)
@@ -446,4 +451,15 @@ export class Reaper<TPayload> extends EventEmitter<ReaperEvents> {
       }
     }
   }
+
+  #emitError (err: unknown, message = 'Reaper emitted error.'): void {
+    const error = err instanceof Error ? err : new Error(String(err))
+
+    if (this.listenerCount('error') > 0) {
+      this.emit('error', error)
+      return
+    }
+
+    this.#logger.error({ err: ensureLoggableError(error) }, message)
+  }
 }
diff --git a/test/queue.test.ts b/test/queue.test.ts
index 48f84a2..fba808f 100644
--- a/test/queue.test.ts
+++ b/test/queue.test.ts
@@ -542,6 +542,47 @@ describe('Queue', () => {
 
       await localQueue.stop()
     })
+
+    it('should log errors when no queue error listeners are registered', async t => {
+      const { promise, resolve } = Promise.withResolvers<void>()
+
+      const localStorage = new MemoryStorage()
+      const logs: string[] = []
+      const logger: Logger = {
+        fatal: () => {},
+        error: () => {
+          resolve()
+          logs.push('error')
+        },
+        warn: () => {},
+        info: () => {},
+        debug: () => {},
+        trace: () => {},
+        child () {
+          return this
+        }
+      } as unknown as Logger
+
+      const localQueue = new Queue<{ value: number }, { result: number }>({
+        storage: localStorage,
+        visibilityTimeout: 5000,
+        logger,
+        afterExecution: () => {
+          throw new Error('hook-error')
+        }
+      })
+
+      localQueue.execute(async (job: Job<{ value: number }>) => {
+        return { result: job.payload.value * 2 }
+      })
+
+      await localQueue.start()
+      t.after(() => localQueue.stop())
+      await localQueue.enqueue('job-1', { value: 21 })
+      await promise
+
+      assert.ok(logs.includes('error'))
+    })
   })
 
   describe('updateResultTTL', () => {
diff --git a/test/reaper.test.ts b/test/reaper.test.ts
index 2204e21..b16995f 100644
--- a/test/reaper.test.ts
+++ b/test/reaper.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { describe, it, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'node:test'
 import assert from 'node:assert'
 import { setTimeout as sleep } from 'node:timers/promises'
+import type { Logger } from 'pino'
 import { Queue, Reaper, MemoryStorage, type Job } from '../src/index.ts'
 import { once, waitForEvents } from './helpers/events.ts'
 
@@ -51,6 +52,36 @@ describe('Reaper', () => {
       await reaper.stop()
       await reaper.stop()
     })
+
+    it('should log errors when no reaper error listeners are registered', async () => {
+      const logs: string[] = []
+      const logger: Logger = {
+        fatal: () => {},
+        error: () => {
+          logs.push('error')
+        },
+        warn: () => {},
+        info: () => {},
+        debug: () => {},
+        trace: () => {},
+        child () {
+          return this
+        }
+      } as unknown as Logger
+
+      const localReaper = new Reaper<{ value: number }>({
+        storage,
+        visibilityTimeout: 100,
+        leaderElection: { enabled: true },
+        logger
+      })
+
+      await storage.connect()
+      await localReaper.start()
+      await localReaper.stop()
+
+      assert.ok(logs.includes('error'))
+    })
   })
 
   describe('stalled job detection', () => {