diff --git a/log4j2/src/main/java/com/google/common/flogger/backend/log4j2/Log4j2LogEventUtil.java b/log4j2/src/main/java/com/google/common/flogger/backend/log4j2/Log4j2LogEventUtil.java
index 7b33bc9..3210586 100644
--- a/log4j2/src/main/java/com/google/common/flogger/backend/log4j2/Log4j2LogEventUtil.java
+++ b/log4j2/src/main/java/com/google/common/flogger/backend/log4j2/Log4j2LogEventUtil.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 import java.util.stream.StreamSupport;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LogEvent;
+import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.Logger;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.LoggerContext;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.Configuration;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.DefaultConfiguration;
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ final class Log4j2LogEventUtil {
 
   private Log4j2LogEventUtil() {}
 
-  static LogEvent toLog4jLogEvent(String loggerName, LogData logData) {
+  static LogEvent toLog4jLogEvent(Logger logger, LogData logData) {
     MetadataProcessor metadata =
         MetadataProcessor.forScopeAndLogSite(Platform.getInjectedMetadata(), logData.getMetadata());
 
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ static LogEvent toLog4jLogEvent(String loggerName, LogData logData) {
      * which can perhaps be installed as default if nothing else is present. Then, we would not rely
      * on Log4j2 internals.
      */
-    LoggerContext ctx = LoggerContext.getContext(false);
+    LoggerContext ctx = logger.getContext();
     Configuration config = ctx.getConfiguration();
     String message;
     if (config instanceof DefaultConfiguration) {
@@ -89,14 +90,14 @@ static LogEvent toLog4jLogEvent(String loggerName, LogData logData) {
     }
 
     Throwable thrown = metadata.getSingleValue(LogContext.Key.LOG_CAUSE);
-    return toLog4jLogEvent(loggerName, logData, message, toLog4jLevel(logData.getLevel()), thrown);
+    return toLog4jLogEvent(logger.getName(), logData, message, toLog4jLevel(logData.getLevel()), thrown);
   }
 
-  static LogEvent toLog4jLogEvent(String loggerName, RuntimeException error, LogData badData) {
+  static LogEvent toLog4jLogEvent(Logger logger, RuntimeException error, LogData badData) {
     String message = formatBadLogData(error, badData);
     // Re-target this log message as a warning (or above) since it indicates a real bug.
     Level level = badData.getLevel().intValue() < WARNING.intValue() ? WARNING : badData.getLevel();
-    return toLog4jLogEvent(loggerName, badData, message, toLog4jLevel(level), error);
+    return toLog4jLogEvent(logger.getName(), badData, message, toLog4jLevel(level), error);
   }
 
   private static LogEvent toLog4jLogEvent(
@@ -246,13 +247,19 @@ private static StringMap createContextMap(LogData logData) {
     MetadataProcessor metadataProcessor =
         MetadataProcessor.forScopeAndLogSite(Platform.getInjectedMetadata(), logData.getMetadata());
 
-    StringMap contextData = ContextDataFactory.createContextData(metadataProcessor.keyCount());
-    metadataProcessor.process(
-        HANDLER,
-        (key, value) ->
-            contextData.putValue(key, ValueQueue.maybeWrap(value, contextData.getValue(key))));
+    final StringMap contextData;
+    // don't allocate for the common case of no keys
+    if (metadataProcessor.keyCount() > 0) {
+      contextData = ContextDataFactory.createContextData(metadataProcessor.keyCount());
+      metadataProcessor.process(
+              HANDLER,
+              (key, value) ->
+                      contextData.putValue(key, ValueQueue.maybeWrap(value, contextData.getValue(key))));
 
-    contextData.freeze();
+      contextData.freeze();
+    } else {
+      contextData = ContextDataFactory.emptyFrozenContextData();
+    }
 
     return contextData;
   }
diff --git a/log4j2/src/main/java/com/google/common/flogger/backend/log4j2/Log4j2LoggerBackend.java b/log4j2/src/main/java/com/google/common/flogger/backend/log4j2/Log4j2LoggerBackend.java
index 70a81fd..df317ce 100644
--- a/log4j2/src/main/java/com/google/common/flogger/backend/log4j2/Log4j2LoggerBackend.java
+++ b/log4j2/src/main/java/com/google/common/flogger/backend/log4j2/Log4j2LoggerBackend.java
@@ -55,11 +55,11 @@ public boolean isLoggable(java.util.logging.Level level) {
   public void log(LogData logData) {
     // The caller is responsible to call isLoggable() before calling this method to ensure that only
     // messages above the given threshold are logged.
-    logger.get().log(toLog4jLogEvent(logger.getName(), logData));
+    logger.get().log(toLog4jLogEvent(logger, logData));
   }
 
   @Override
   public void handleError(RuntimeException error, LogData badData) {
-    logger.get().log(toLog4jLogEvent(logger.getName(), error, badData));
+    logger.get().log(toLog4jLogEvent(logger, error, badData));
   }
 }