diff --git a/mercurial/configitems.py b/mercurial/configitems.py
--- a/mercurial/configitems.py
+++ b/mercurial/configitems.py
@@ -622,6 +622,9 @@ coreconfigitem('web', 'description',
 coreconfigitem('web', 'encoding',
     default=lambda: encoding.encoding,
 )
+coreconfigitem('web', 'errorlog',
+    default='-',
+)
 coreconfigitem('worker', 'backgroundclose',
     default=dynamicdefault,
 )
diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/server.py b/mercurial/hgweb/server.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/server.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/server.py
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ class MercurialHTTPServer(_mixin, httpse
         self.prefix = prefix
 
         alog = openlog(ui.config('web', 'accesslog'), ui.fout)
-        elog = openlog(ui.config('web', 'errorlog', '-'), ui.ferr)
+        elog = openlog(ui.config('web', 'errorlog'), ui.ferr)
         self.accesslog = alog
         self.errorlog = elog