diff --git a/pw_log/BUILD.gn b/pw_log/BUILD.gn
index 913e840..d94926b 100644
--- a/pw_log/BUILD.gn
+++ b/pw_log/BUILD.gn
@@ -34,6 +34,28 @@
     "public/pw_log/short.h",
     "public/pw_log/shorter.h",
   ]
+
+  # TODO(pwbug/372): Update projects to properly list pw_log:impl.
+  # require_link_deps = [ ":impl" ]
+}
+
+# pw_log is low-level and ubiquitous. Because of this, it can often cause
+# circular dependencies. This target collects dependencies from the backend that
+# cannot be used because they would cause circular deps.
+#
+# This group ("$dir_pw_log:impl") must listed in pw_build_LINK_DEPS if
+# pw_log_BACKEND is set.
+#
+# pw_log backends must provide their own "impl" target that collects their
+# actual dependencies. The backend "impl" group may be empty if everything can
+# go directly in the backend target without causing circular dependencies.
+group("impl") {
+  public_deps = []
+
+  if (pw_log_BACKEND != "") {
+    public_deps +=
+        [ get_label_info(pw_log_BACKEND, "label_no_toolchain") + ".impl" ]
+  }
 }
 
 pw_test_group("tests") {
diff --git a/pw_log/docs.rst b/pw_log/docs.rst
index 2a2b0a9..159d9b6 100644
--- a/pw_log/docs.rst
+++ b/pw_log/docs.rst
@@ -269,6 +269,31 @@
 between call site code size, call site run time, wire format size, logging
 complexity, and more.
 
+.. _module-pw_log-circular-deps:
+
+Avoiding circular dependencies with ``PW_LOG``
+-------------------------------------------------
+Because logs are so widely used, including in low-level libraries, it is
+common for the ``pw_log`` backend to cause circular dependencies. Because of
+this, log backends may avoid declaring explicit dependencies, instead relying
+on include paths to access header files.
+
+In GN, the ``pw_log`` backend's full implementation with true dependencies is
+made available through the ``$dir_pw_log:impl`` group. When ``pw_log_BACKEND``
+is set, ``$dir_pw_log:impl`` must be listed in the ``pw_build_LINK_DEPS``
+variable. See :ref:`module-pw_build-link-deps`.
+
+In the ``pw_log``, the backend's full implementation is placed in the
+``$pw_log_BACKEND.impl`` target. ``$dir_pw_log:impl`` depends on this
+backend target. The ``$pw_log_BACKEND.impl`` target may be an empty group if
+the backend target can use its dependencies directly without causing circular
+dependencies.
+
+In order to break dependency cycles, the ``pw_log_BACKEND`` target may need
+to directly provide dependencies through include paths only, rather than GN
+``public_deps``. In this case, GN header checking can be disabled with
+``check_includes = false``.
+
 Design discussion
 -----------------
 
diff --git a/pw_log_basic/BUILD.gn b/pw_log_basic/BUILD.gn
index 5269f09..a82331f 100644
--- a/pw_log_basic/BUILD.gn
+++ b/pw_log_basic/BUILD.gn
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
   pw_log_basic_CONFIG = pw_build_DEFAULT_MODULE_CONFIG
 }
 
-config("default_config") {
+config("public_include_path") {
   include_dirs = [ "public" ]
 }
 
@@ -33,25 +33,25 @@
   include_dirs = [ "public_overrides" ]
 }
 
+# pw_log_basic only provides the backend's interface. The implementation is
+# pulled in through pw_build_LINK_DEPS.
 pw_source_set("pw_log_basic") {
   public_configs = [
     ":backend_config",
-    ":default_config",
+    ":public_include_path",
   ]
-  public = [ "public_overrides/pw_log_backend/log_backend.h" ]
-  public_deps = [ ":core" ]
-}
-
-pw_source_set("core") {
-  public_configs = [ ":default_config" ]
+  public = [
+    "public/pw_log_basic/log_basic.h",
+    "public_overrides/pw_log_backend/log_backend.h",
+  ]
   public_deps = [ dir_pw_preprocessor ]
+
   deps = [
     "$dir_pw_log:facade",
     dir_pw_string,
     dir_pw_sys_io,
     pw_log_basic_CONFIG,
   ]
-  public = [ "public/pw_log_basic/log_basic.h" ]
 
   # Use emoji log levels if they've been enabled.
   _use_emoji = getenv("PW_EMOJI")
@@ -66,6 +66,13 @@
   ]
 }
 
+# TODO(ewout): Fill this out once all users are using link deps.
+# The log backend deps that might cause circular dependencies, since
+# pw_log is so ubiquitous. These deps are kept separate so they can be
+# depended on from elsewhere.
+pw_source_set("pw_log_basic.impl") {
+}
+
 pw_doc_group("docs") {
   sources = [ "docs.rst" ]
 }
diff --git a/pw_log_tokenized/BUILD.gn b/pw_log_tokenized/BUILD.gn
index d51a510..0d3831b 100644
--- a/pw_log_tokenized/BUILD.gn
+++ b/pw_log_tokenized/BUILD.gn
@@ -38,20 +38,12 @@
   visibility = [ ":*" ]
 }
 
-# This target provides the log_tokenized.h header, which implements the pw_log
-# backend.
-#
-# This target depends on the pw_tokenizer facade target
-# (dir_pw_tokenizer:global_handler_with_payload.facade) to avoid circular
-# dependencies. The dependency graph for pw_log_tokenized is the following:
-#
-#   pw_log:facade <---   :pw_log_tokenized
-#        ^            \      ^       ^
-#        |             \    /         \
-#   -> pw_log -> :log_backend --> pw_tokenizer:global_handler_with_payload
-#
+# This target provides the backend for pw_log.
 pw_source_set("pw_log_tokenized") {
-  public_configs = [ ":public_includes" ]
+  public_configs = [
+    ":public_includes",
+    ":backend_config",
+  ]
   public_deps = [
     "$dir_pw_log:facade",
     "$dir_pw_tokenizer:global_handler_with_payload.facade",
@@ -64,7 +56,8 @@
   ]
 }
 
-# This target provides the backend for pw_log.
+# TODO(ewout): remove this once all users are migrated off this target, using
+# link deps for the log impl instead.
 pw_source_set("log_backend") {
   public_configs = [ ":backend_config" ]
   public_deps = [ ":pw_log_tokenized" ]
@@ -72,6 +65,19 @@
   deps = [ "$dir_pw_tokenizer:global_handler_with_payload" ]
 }
 
+# TODO(ewout): remove this once all users are migrated off this target, using
+# pw_log_tokenized and its pw_log_tokenized.impl instead.
+pw_source_set("log_backend.impl") {
+}
+
+# TODO(ewout): Fill this out once all users are using link deps.
+# The log backend deps that might cause circular dependencies, since
+# pw_log is so ubiquitous. These deps are kept separate so they can be
+# depended on from elsewhere.
+pw_source_set("pw_log_tokenized.impl") {
+  public_deps = [ ":log_backend" ]
+}
+
 # This target provides a backend for pw_tokenizer that encodes tokenized logs as
 # Base64, encodes them into HDLC frames, and writes them over sys_io.
 pw_source_set("base64_over_hdlc") {
diff --git a/targets/arduino/target_toolchains.gni b/targets/arduino/target_toolchains.gni
index 167c185..cba6db8 100644
--- a/targets/arduino/target_toolchains.gni
+++ b/targets/arduino/target_toolchains.gni
@@ -51,7 +51,10 @@
       "$dir_pigweed/targets/arduino:system_rpc_server"
   pw_arduino_build_INIT_BACKEND = "$dir_pigweed/targets/arduino:pre_init"
 
-  pw_build_LINK_DEPS = [ "$dir_pw_assert:impl" ]
+  pw_build_LINK_DEPS = [
+    "$dir_pw_assert:impl",
+    "$dir_pw_log:impl",
+  ]
 
   current_cpu = "arm"
   current_os = ""
diff --git a/targets/host/target_toolchains.gni b/targets/host/target_toolchains.gni
index 5103a5b..240f111 100644
--- a/targets/host/target_toolchains.gni
+++ b/targets/host/target_toolchains.gni
@@ -65,7 +65,10 @@
   pw_thread_THREAD_BACKEND = "$dir_pw_thread_stl:thread"
 
   pw_build_LINK_DEPS = []  # Explicit list overwrite required by GN
-  pw_build_LINK_DEPS = [ "$dir_pw_assert:impl" ]
+  pw_build_LINK_DEPS = [
+    "$dir_pw_assert:impl",
+    "$dir_pw_log:impl",
+  ]
 
   # Specify builtin GN variables.
   current_os = host_os
diff --git a/targets/lm3s6965evb-qemu/target_toolchains.gni b/targets/lm3s6965evb-qemu/target_toolchains.gni
index 3d2f120..b0138af 100644
--- a/targets/lm3s6965evb-qemu/target_toolchains.gni
+++ b/targets/lm3s6965evb-qemu/target_toolchains.gni
@@ -61,7 +61,10 @@
     "PW_BOOT_VECTOR_TABLE_SIZE=512",
   ]
 
-  pw_build_LINK_DEPS = [ "$dir_pw_assert:impl" ]
+  pw_build_LINK_DEPS = [
+    "$dir_pw_assert:impl",
+    "$dir_pw_log:impl",
+  ]
 
   current_cpu = "arm"
   current_os = ""
diff --git a/targets/stm32f429i-disc1/target_toolchains.gni b/targets/stm32f429i-disc1/target_toolchains.gni
index 6acf09c..8117109 100644
--- a/targets/stm32f429i-disc1/target_toolchains.gni
+++ b/targets/stm32f429i-disc1/target_toolchains.gni
@@ -73,7 +73,10 @@
     "PW_BOOT_VECTOR_TABLE_SIZE=512",
   ]
 
-  pw_build_LINK_DEPS = [ "$dir_pw_assert:impl" ]
+  pw_build_LINK_DEPS = [
+    "$dir_pw_assert:impl",
+    "$dir_pw_log:impl",
+  ]
 
   current_cpu = "arm"
   current_os = ""