diff --git a/ansible/logging.yml b/ansible/logging.yml
index 326fe66d822de3d771850808c87b6354803b78b0..801ee3a72785a17f40d59a02e77fd5c744c717c1 100644
--- a/ansible/logging.yml
+++ b/ansible/logging.yml
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@
       file:
         path: /var/log/journal
         owner: "root"
-        group: "root"
-        mode: 0755
+        group: "systemd-journal"
+        mode: 02755
         state: directory
       notify: Flush journal to disk
       when: journald_storage == "persistent"
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/fix-var-log-journal-group-mode-3e7c4c822d050c8f.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/fix-var-log-journal-group-mode-3e7c4c822d050c8f.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..1c9e1d444cbd6176e3b13b4238fbda8961bd9c8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/fix-var-log-journal-group-mode-3e7c4c822d050c8f.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - |
+    Updates the group and mode set on the ``/var/log/journal`` directory to
+    match default ownership and permissions used by ``systemd-journald``.
+    `LP#2083494 <https://launchpad.net/bugs/2083494>`__