diff --git a/samza-core/src/main/java/org/apache/samza/runtime/ContainerLaunchUtil.java b/samza-core/src/main/java/org/apache/samza/runtime/ContainerLaunchUtil.java
index 40d3d5c..1a613f7 100644
--- a/samza-core/src/main/java/org/apache/samza/runtime/ContainerLaunchUtil.java
+++ b/samza-core/src/main/java/org/apache/samza/runtime/ContainerLaunchUtil.java
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 import org.apache.samza.util.ScalaJavaUtil;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+import org.slf4j.MDC;
 import scala.Option;
 
 
@@ -78,6 +79,12 @@
       String jobName, String jobId, String containerId, Optional<String> execEnvContainerId,
       JobModel jobModel) {
 
+    // populate MDC for logging
+    MDC.put("containerName", "samza-container-" + containerId);
+    MDC.put("jobName", jobName);
+    MDC.put("jobId", jobId);
+
+
     Config config = jobModel.getConfig();
     DiagnosticsUtil.writeMetadataFile(jobName, jobId, containerId, execEnvContainerId, config);
     run(appDesc, jobName, jobId, containerId, execEnvContainerId, jobModel, config, buildExternalContext(config));
diff --git a/samza-core/src/main/java/org/apache/samza/runtime/LocalContainerRunner.java b/samza-core/src/main/java/org/apache/samza/runtime/LocalContainerRunner.java
index f8d5e40..2c38f73 100644
--- a/samza-core/src/main/java/org/apache/samza/runtime/LocalContainerRunner.java
+++ b/samza-core/src/main/java/org/apache/samza/runtime/LocalContainerRunner.java
@@ -67,9 +67,6 @@
     String jobName = jobConfig.getName()
         .orElseThrow(() -> new SamzaException(String.format("Config %s is missing", JobConfig.JOB_NAME)));
     String jobId = jobConfig.getJobId();
-    MDC.put("containerName", "samza-container-" + containerId);
-    MDC.put("jobName", jobName);
-    MDC.put("jobId", jobId);
 
     ApplicationDescriptorImpl<? extends ApplicationDescriptor> appDesc =
         ApplicationDescriptorUtil.getAppDescriptor(ApplicationUtil.fromConfig(config), config);