diff --git a/frankenphp.go b/frankenphp.go
index 3a66fcaf..4b5c0972 100644
--- a/frankenphp.go
+++ b/frankenphp.go
@@ -652,12 +652,11 @@ func go_read_cookies(threadIndex C.uintptr_t) *C.char {
 //export go_log
 func go_log(threadIndex C.uintptr_t, message *C.char, level C.int) {
 	ctx := phpThreads[threadIndex].context()
-	m := C.GoString(message)
 
-	var le syslogLevel
-	if level < C.int(syslogLevelEmerg) || level > C.int(syslogLevelDebug) {
-		le = syslogLevelInfo
-	} else {
+	m := C.GoString(message)
+	le := syslogLevelInfo
+
+	if level >= C.int(syslogLevelEmerg) && level <= C.int(syslogLevelDebug) {
 		le = syslogLevel(level)
 	}
 
diff --git a/phpthread.go b/phpthread.go
index ec807be9..7c66f2b7 100644
--- a/phpthread.go
+++ b/phpthread.go
@@ -82,10 +82,12 @@ func (thread *phpThread) shutdown() {
 func (thread *phpThread) setHandler(handler threadHandler) {
 	thread.handlerMu.Lock()
 	defer thread.handlerMu.Unlock()
+
 	if !thread.state.requestSafeStateChange(stateTransitionRequested) {
 		// no state change allowed == shutdown or done
 		return
 	}
+
 	close(thread.drainChan)
 	thread.state.waitFor(stateTransitionInProgress)
 	thread.handler = handler
@@ -108,6 +110,11 @@ func (thread *phpThread) frankenPHPContext() *frankenPHPContext {
 }
 
 func (thread *phpThread) context() context.Context {
+	if thread.handler == nil {
+		// handler can be nil when using opcache.preload
+		return globalCtx
+	}
+
 	return thread.handler.context()
 }
 
diff --git a/threadinactive.go b/threadinactive.go
index 50172e57..06d89168 100644
--- a/threadinactive.go
+++ b/threadinactive.go
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ func (handler *inactiveThread) frankenPHPContext() *frankenPHPContext {
 }
 
 func (handler *inactiveThread) context() context.Context {
-	return nil
+	return globalCtx
 }
 
 func (handler *inactiveThread) name() string {