diff --git a/app.ts b/app.ts
index 70aba2df9..94ba5f3e3 100644
--- a/app.ts
+++ b/app.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,11 @@ import * as cookieParser from 'cookie-parser'
 import * as cors from 'cors'
 import * as https from 'https'
 import * as http from 'http'
-import logger, { logging, sphinxLogger } from './src/utils/logger'
+import logger, {
+  installConsoleTimestampPrefix,
+  logging,
+  sphinxLogger,
+} from './src/utils/logger'
 import { checkInvitesHubInterval } from './src/hub'
 import { genUsersInterval } from './src/utils/proxy'
 import {
@@ -29,6 +33,7 @@ import rateLimit from 'express-rate-limit'
 
 // force UTC time
 process.env.TZ = 'UTC'
+installConsoleTimestampPrefix()
 
 const env = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development'
 const config = loadConfig()
diff --git a/src/tests/unit_tests/logger.test.ts b/src/tests/unit_tests/logger.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..35c22801c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/unit_tests/logger.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+jest.mock('../../utils/config', () => ({
+  loadConfig: () => ({
+    logging: '',
+    logging_level: 'info',
+  }),
+}))
+
+import { timestampConsoleArgs } from '../../utils/logger'
+
+describe('tests for src/utils/logger.ts', () => {
+  const timestamp = new Date(2026, 5, 14, 12, 0, 0)
+
+  test('prefixes string console messages with a timestamp', () => {
+    const args = timestampConsoleArgs(['hello', 'world'], timestamp)
+
+    expect(args).toStrictEqual(['-> 2026-06-14 12:00:00: hello', 'world'])
+  })
+
+  test('adds a timestamp argument before non-string console messages', () => {
+    const data = { ok: true }
+    const args = timestampConsoleArgs([data], timestamp)
+
+    expect(args).toStrictEqual(['-> 2026-06-14 12:00:00:', data])
+  })
+
+  test('does not prefix existing express logger timestamps again', () => {
+    const args = ['-> 2026-06-14 12:00:00: POST /messages 200 71ms']
+
+    expect(timestampConsoleArgs(args, timestamp)).toBe(args)
+  })
+
+  test('does not prefix existing sphinx logger timestamps again', () => {
+    const args = ['26-06-14T12:00:00', '[MISC]', 'hello']
+
+    expect(timestampConsoleArgs(args, timestamp)).toBe(args)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/utils/logger.ts b/src/utils/logger.ts
index 127a0b170..6cec96896 100644
--- a/src/utils/logger.ts
+++ b/src/utils/logger.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,40 @@ const config = loadConfig()
 
 const blgrLogger = new blgr(config.logging_level)
 const tsFormat = (ts) => moment(ts).format('YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss').trim()
+const consoleTimestampFlag = '__sphinxConsoleTimestampsInstalled'
+const consoleMethods: Array<'debug' | 'error' | 'info' | 'log' | 'warn'> = [
+  'debug',
+  'error',
+  'info',
+  'log',
+  'warn',
+]
+const timestampedConsoleLineRegex =
+  /^(?:\x1b\[[0-9;]*m)*(?:-> \d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2} \d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2}:|\d{2}-\d{2}-\d{2}T\d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2})/
+
+function alreadyTimestamped(arg: any): boolean {
+  return typeof arg === 'string' && timestampedConsoleLineRegex.test(arg)
+}
+
+function timestampConsoleArgs(args: any[], ts: Date = new Date()): any[] {
+  if (args.length > 0 && alreadyTimestamped(args[0])) return args
+
+  const prefix = `-> ${tsFormat(ts)}:`
+  if (typeof args[0] === 'string') return [`${prefix} ${args[0]}`, ...args.slice(1)]
+
+  return [prefix, ...args]
+}
+
+function installConsoleTimestampPrefix() {
+  const consoleState = console as Console & { [key: string]: boolean | undefined }
+  if (consoleState[consoleTimestampFlag]) return
+
+  consoleState[consoleTimestampFlag] = true
+  consoleMethods.forEach((method) => {
+    const original = console[method].bind(console)
+    console[method] = (...args: any[]) => original(...timestampConsoleArgs(args))
+  })
+}
 
 const logger = expressWinston.logger({
   transports: [new winston.transports.Console()],
@@ -132,4 +166,4 @@ const sphinxLogger = {
   spam: sphinxLoggerSpam,
 }
 
-export { logging, sphinxLogger }
+export { installConsoleTimestampPrefix, logging, sphinxLogger, timestampConsoleArgs }