diff --git a/logger.sh b/logger.sh
index 853cf7c..129cf43 100644
--- a/logger.sh
+++ b/logger.sh
@@ -24,30 +24,26 @@ writePlainTextLog() {
     "$2" "$3" "$1" "${4:UNSPECIFIED}" "${5:999}"
 }
 
-# $1: message, $2: level, $3: status, $4: operation, $5: code
+# $1: message, $2: level, $3: status, [$4: operation], [$5: code]
 writeJsonLog() {
-  if [ -z "$1" ]; then
-    PROPS="$(
-      jq --null-input \
-        --arg level "err" \
-        --arg pName "$LOG_PROGRAM_NAME" \
-        --arg operation "$LOG_DEFAULT_OPERATION" \
-        --arg status "$LOG_DEFAULT_STATUS" \
-        --arg code "$LOG_DEFAULT_CODE" \
-        --arg message "$LOG_DEFAULT_MESSAGE" \
-        '{"level":$level, "programName":$pName, "status":$status, "operation":$operation, "code":$code, "message":$message}' \
-    )"
-  else
-    PROPS="$(
-      jq --null-input \
-        --arg level "${2:-$LOG_DEFAULT_LEVEL}" \
-        --arg pName "$LOG_PROGRAM_NAME" \
-        --arg status "$(uppercase "${3:-$LOG_DEFAULT_STATUS}")" \
-        --arg operation "${4:-$LOG_DEFAULT_OPERATION}" \
-        --arg code "${5:-$LOG_DEFAULT_CODE}" \
-        --arg message "$1" \
-        '{"level":$level, "programName":$pName, "status":$status, "operation":$operation, "code":$code, "message":$message}' \
-    )"
+  # not enough information to generate a meaningful log message
+  if [ -z "$1" ] || [ $# -lt 3 ]; then
+    return
+  fi
+
+  PROPS="$(
+    jq --null-input \
+      --arg timestamp "$(getTimeStamp)" \
+      --arg hostname "$(getHostname)" \
+      --arg pName "$LOG_PROGRAM_NAME" \
+      --arg pid = "$$" \
+      --arg level "$2" \
+      --arg status "$(uppercase "$3")" \
+      --arg message "$1" \
+      --arg operation "${4:UNSPECIFIED}" \
+      --arg code "${5:999}" \
+      '{"level":$level, "programName":$pName, "status":$status, "operation":$operation, "code":$code, "message":$message}' \
+  )"
   fi
 
   echo "$PROPS" | jq "."