diff --git a/.github/workflows/notify-issues.yml b/.github/workflows/notify-issues.yml
index c4d89657..1c6ace8d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/notify-issues.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/notify-issues.yml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Send issue notification to Slack
-        uses: slackapi/slack-github-action@45a88b9581bfab2566dc881e2cd66d334e621e2c # v3.0.3
+        uses: slackapi/slack-github-action@0d95c9a7becc1e6e297d76df9bc735c44f4cbcbc # v3.0.5
         with:
           webhook: ${{ secrets.SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL_ISSUE }}
           webhook-type: incoming-webhook
diff --git a/.github/workflows/notify-pr.yml b/.github/workflows/notify-pr.yml
index 0335e6a6..e82b93b4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/notify-pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/notify-pr.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - name: Send pull request notification to Slack
         if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
-        uses: slackapi/slack-github-action@45a88b9581bfab2566dc881e2cd66d334e621e2c # v3.0.3
+        uses: slackapi/slack-github-action@0d95c9a7becc1e6e297d76df9bc735c44f4cbcbc # v3.0.5
         with:
           webhook: ${{ secrets.SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL_PR }}
           webhook-type: incoming-webhook
diff --git a/.github/workflows/notify-release.yml b/.github/workflows/notify-release.yml
index 778db7e9..83b190e4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/notify-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/notify-release.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Send release notification to Slack
-        uses: slackapi/slack-github-action@45a88b9581bfab2566dc881e2cd66d334e621e2c # v3.0.3
+        uses: slackapi/slack-github-action@0d95c9a7becc1e6e297d76df9bc735c44f4cbcbc # v3.0.5
         with:
           webhook: ${{ secrets.SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL_RELEASE }}
           webhook-type: incoming-webhook
diff --git a/.github/workflows/scorecard.yml b/.github/workflows/scorecard.yml
index 8a6cf9b4..3a5ef483 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/scorecard.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/scorecard.yml
@@ -75,6 +75,6 @@ jobs:
       # Upload the results to GitHub's code scanning dashboard (optional).
       # Commenting out will disable upload of results to your repo's Code Scanning dashboard
       - name: "Upload to code-scanning"
-        uses: github/codeql-action/upload-sarif@54f647b7e1bb85c95cddabcd46b0c578ec92bc1a # v4.36.3
+        uses: github/codeql-action/upload-sarif@99df26d4f13ea111d4ec1a7dddef6063f76b97e9 # v4.37.0
         with:
           sarif_file: results.sarif
diff --git a/packages/aws-durable-execution-sdk-python-examples/scripts/generate_sam_template.py b/packages/aws-durable-execution-sdk-python-examples/scripts/generate_sam_template.py
index 93e09489..478006a4 100644
--- a/packages/aws-durable-execution-sdk-python-examples/scripts/generate_sam_template.py
+++ b/packages/aws-durable-execution-sdk-python-examples/scripts/generate_sam_template.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 
 DEFAULT_FUNCTION_NAME_PREFIX = "DurablePythonExample-"
+DEFAULT_DURABLE_LOGGING_CONFIG: dict[str, str] = {"LogFormat": "JSON"}
 LOG_RETENTION_DAYS = 7
 
 
@@ -78,8 +79,13 @@ def build_template(examples: list[dict[str, Any]]) -> dict[str, Any]:
 
         if "durableConfig" in example:
             properties["DurableConfig"] = example["durableConfig"]
+            logging_config: dict[str, Any] = dict(DEFAULT_DURABLE_LOGGING_CONFIG)
+        else:
+            logging_config = {}
+
+        if "loggingConfig" in example:
+            logging_config.update(example["loggingConfig"])
 
-        logging_config: dict[str, Any] = dict(example.get("loggingConfig", {}))
         logging_config["LogGroup"] = {"Ref": f"{logical_id}LogGroup"}
         properties["LoggingConfig"] = logging_config
 
diff --git a/packages/aws-durable-execution-sdk-python-examples/test/test_generate_sam_template.py b/packages/aws-durable-execution-sdk-python-examples/test/test_generate_sam_template.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5f8ef3de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/aws-durable-execution-sdk-python-examples/test/test_generate_sam_template.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+"""Tests for SAM template generation."""
+
+import importlib.util
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+SCRIPT_PATH = (
+    Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / "scripts" / "generate_sam_template.py"
+)
+SPEC = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("generate_sam_template", SCRIPT_PATH)
+assert SPEC is not None
+assert SPEC.loader is not None
+generate_sam_template = importlib.util.module_from_spec(SPEC)
+SPEC.loader.exec_module(generate_sam_template)
+
+
+def test_build_template_adds_default_json_logging_to_durable_functions():
+    template = generate_sam_template.build_template(
+        [
+            {
+                "handler": "hello_world.handler",
+                "description": "A durable example",
+                "durableConfig": {
+                    "RetentionPeriodInDays": 7,
+                    "ExecutionTimeout": 300,
+                },
+            },
+            {
+                "handler": "logger_example.handler",
+                "description": "A durable example with custom logging",
+                "durableConfig": {
+                    "RetentionPeriodInDays": 7,
+                    "ExecutionTimeout": 300,
+                },
+                "loggingConfig": {"ApplicationLogLevel": "INFO"},
+            },
+            {
+                "handler": "plain_lambda.handler",
+                "description": "A non-durable example",
+            },
+        ]
+    )
+
+    resources = template["Resources"]
+    assert resources["HelloWorld"]["Properties"]["LoggingConfig"] == {
+        "LogFormat": "JSON",
+        "LogGroup": {"Ref": "HelloWorldLogGroup"},
+    }
+    assert resources["LoggerExample"]["Properties"]["LoggingConfig"] == {
+        "LogFormat": "JSON",
+        "ApplicationLogLevel": "INFO",
+        "LogGroup": {"Ref": "LoggerExampleLogGroup"},
+    }
+    assert resources["PlainLambda"]["Properties"]["LoggingConfig"] == {
+        "LogGroup": {"Ref": "PlainLambdaLogGroup"},
+    }
diff --git a/packages/aws-durable-execution-sdk-python-examples/test/test_log_group_deployment.py b/packages/aws-durable-execution-sdk-python-examples/test/test_log_group_deployment.py
index 78a3f21c..9e18bbbe 100644
--- a/packages/aws-durable-execution-sdk-python-examples/test/test_log_group_deployment.py
+++ b/packages/aws-durable-execution-sdk-python-examples/test/test_log_group_deployment.py
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ def test_build_template_creates_lambda_log_group_with_seven_day_retention():
     }
     assert template["Resources"]["HelloWorld"]["DependsOn"] == ["HelloWorldLogGroup"]
     assert template["Resources"]["HelloWorld"]["Properties"]["LoggingConfig"] == {
+        "LogFormat": "JSON",
         "LogGroup": {"Ref": "HelloWorldLogGroup"},
     }