diff --git a/evennia/server/evennia_launcher.py b/evennia/server/evennia_launcher.py
index 3c145261b8..7e1a583d94 100644
--- a/evennia/server/evennia_launcher.py
+++ b/evennia/server/evennia_launcher.py
@@ -1279,6 +1279,19 @@ def check_main_evennia_dependencies():
         error = True
     if error:
         sys.exit()
+
+    # fix a common zope issue with a missing __init__ file
+    zope_interface = importlib.import_module("zope.interface")
+    expected_init_path = os.path.join(
+        os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(zope_interface.__file__)), "__init__.py")
+    if not os.path.exists(expected_init_path):
+        # add an empty missing __init__.py file to fix the problem
+        with open(expected_init_path, 'w') as zope_init_file:
+            zope_init_file.write("")
+        print("Note: zope_interface.__init__.py not found. This is a known issue with that package."
+              "\nEvennia auto-created it at {}.".format(
+                    expected_init_path))
+
     # return True/False if error was reported or not
     return not error
 
diff --git a/evennia/server/portal/amp.py b/evennia/server/portal/amp.py
index 2b658b09cb..016523b78c 100644
--- a/evennia/server/portal/amp.py
+++ b/evennia/server/portal/amp.py
@@ -80,6 +80,14 @@ def loads(data):
     return pickle.loads(data)
 
 
+def _get_logger():
+    "Delay import of logger until absolutely necessary"
+    global _LOGGER
+    if not _LOGGER:
+        from evennia.utils import logger as _LOGGER
+    return _LOGGER
+
+
 @wraps
 def catch_traceback(func):
     "Helper decorator"
@@ -87,10 +95,7 @@ def catch_traceback(func):
         try:
             func(*args, **kwargs)
         except Exception as err:
-            global _LOGGER
-            if not _LOGGER:
-                from evennia.utils import logger as _LOGGER
-            _LOGGER.log_trace()
+            _get_logger().log_trace()
             raise  # make sure the error is visible on the other side of the connection too
             print(err)
     return decorator
@@ -291,7 +296,7 @@ class AMPMultiConnectionProtocol(amp.AMP):
             try:
                 super(AMPMultiConnectionProtocol, self).dataReceived(data)
             except KeyError:
-                _LOGGER.trace("Discarded incoming partial data: {}".format(to_str(data)))
+                _get_logger().log_trace("Discarded incoming partial data: {}".format(to_str(data)))
         elif self.multibatches:
             # invalid AMP, but we have a pending multi-batch that is not yet complete
             if data[-2:] == NULNUL:
@@ -300,7 +305,7 @@ class AMPMultiConnectionProtocol(amp.AMP):
             try:
                 super(AMPMultiConnectionProtocol, self).dataReceived(data)
             except KeyError:
-                _LOGGER.trace("Discarded incoming multi-batch data:".format(to_str(data)))
+                _get_logger().log_trace("Discarded incoming multi-batch data:".format(to_str(data)))
         else:
             # not an AMP communication, return warning
             self.transport.write(_HTTP_WARNING)
@@ -356,9 +361,6 @@ class AMPMultiConnectionProtocol(amp.AMP):
             info (str): Error string.
 
         """
-        global _LOGGER
-        if not _LOGGER:
-            from evennia.utils import logger as _LOGGER
         e.trap(Exception)
         _LOGGER.log_err("AMP Error for {info}: {trcbck} {err}".format(
             info=info, trcbck=e.getTraceback(), err=e.getErrorMessage()))