diff --git a/docs/logging.rst b/docs/logging.rst
index a96a8f28..937b2ae4 100644
--- a/docs/logging.rst
+++ b/docs/logging.rst
@@ -117,14 +117,19 @@ your own fields that can be used in messages. You can change the formatter for
 Flask's default handler, the mail handler defined above, or any other
 handler. ::
 
-    from flask import request
+    from flask import has_request_context, request
     from flask.logging import default_handler
 
     class RequestFormatter(logging.Formatter):
         def format(self, record):
-            record.url = request.url
-            record.remote_addr = request.remote_addr
-            return super(RequestFormatter, self).format(record)
+            if has_request_context():
+                record.url = request.url
+                record.remote_addr = request.remote_addr
+            else:
+                record.url = None
+                record.remote_addr = None
+
+            return super().format(record)
 
     formatter = RequestFormatter(
         '[%(asctime)s] %(remote_addr)s requested %(url)s\n'