diff --git a/cmd/cli/log_writer.go b/cmd/cli/log_writer.go
index 609b1d6..201968a 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/log_writer.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/log_writer.go
@@ -318,6 +318,12 @@ func (p *prog) initInternalLogging(writers []io.Writer) {
 
 // needInternalLogging reports whether prog needs to run internal logging.
 func (p *prog) needInternalLogging() bool {
+	// Do not run in silent mode: the user explicitly asked for no logging, so
+	// ctrld must not create or write the persisted internal log file (nor reset
+	// the global level back to debug). See https://github.com/Control-D-Inc/ctrld/issues/320.
+	if silent {
+		return false
+	}
 	// Do not run in non-cd mode.
 	if cdUID == "" {
 		return false
diff --git a/cmd/cli/log_writer_silent_test.go b/cmd/cli/log_writer_silent_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e40f779
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/cli/log_writer_silent_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package cli
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/Control-D-Inc/ctrld"
+)
+
+// Test_needInternalLogging_silent is a regression test for
+// https://github.com/Control-D-Inc/ctrld/issues/320: running with --silent must
+// not enable internal logging, otherwise ctrld creates and writes
+// <homedir>/ctrld.log (and, when verbose==0, resets the global level back to
+// debug) despite the user asking for silence.
+func Test_needInternalLogging_silent(t *testing.T) {
+	origSilent, origCdUID := silent, cdUID
+	t.Cleanup(func() { silent, cdUID = origSilent, origCdUID })
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		silent  bool
+		cdUID   string
+		logPath string
+		want    bool
+	}{
+		{"silent suppresses internal logging in cd mode", true, "test-uid", "", false},
+		{"cd mode enables internal logging", false, "test-uid", "", true},
+		{"non-cd mode disabled", false, "", "", false},
+		{"explicit log path disables internal logging", false, "test-uid", "/var/log/ctrld.log", false},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		tt := tt
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			silent = tt.silent
+			cdUID = tt.cdUID
+			p := &prog{cfg: &ctrld.Config{}}
+			p.cfg.Service.LogPath = tt.logPath
+			if got := p.needInternalLogging(); got != tt.want {
+				t.Fatalf("needInternalLogging() = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// Test_initInternalLogging_silentCreatesNoFile drives the real initInternalLogging
+// path and asserts that a --silent --cd run does not create <homedir>/ctrld.log,
+// which is the observable failure reported in
+// https://github.com/Control-D-Inc/ctrld/issues/320.
+func Test_initInternalLogging_silentCreatesNoFile(t *testing.T) {
+	origSilent, origCdUID, origHomedir := silent, cdUID, homedir
+	t.Cleanup(func() { silent, cdUID, homedir = origSilent, origCdUID, origHomedir })
+
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	homedir = dir
+	cdUID = "test-uid" // cd mode, which would otherwise enable internal logging
+	silent = true
+
+	p := &prog{cfg: &ctrld.Config{}}
+	p.initInternalLogging(nil)
+
+	logPath := filepath.Join(dir, logFileName)
+	if _, err := os.Stat(logPath); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		t.Fatalf("silent mode must not create %s (stat err = %v)", logPath, err)
+	}
+}