diff --git a/source/common/formatter/BUILD b/source/common/formatter/BUILD
index 85468b1ccb4bb..cc40edd2010c5 100644
--- a/source/common/formatter/BUILD
+++ b/source/common/formatter/BUILD
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ envoy_cc_library(
         "//source/common/config:utility_lib",
         "//source/common/protobuf",
         "//source/server:generic_factory_context_lib",
+        "@abseil-cpp//absl/status:statusor",
         "@envoy_api//envoy/config/core/v3:pkg_cc_proto",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/source/common/formatter/substitution_format_string.cc b/source/common/formatter/substitution_format_string.cc
index 60cabc98f997d..57a66a590a7b2 100644
--- a/source/common/formatter/substitution_format_string.cc
+++ b/source/common/formatter/substitution_format_string.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #include "source/common/formatter/substitution_format_string.h"
 
+#include "absl/status/statusor.h"
+
 namespace Envoy {
 namespace Formatter {
 
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ absl::StatusOr<FormatterPtr> SubstitutionFormatStringUtils::fromProtoConfig(
   return nullptr;
 }
 
-FormatterPtr
+absl::StatusOr<FormatterPtr>
 SubstitutionFormatStringUtils::createJsonFormatter(const Protobuf::Struct& struct_format,
                                                    bool omit_empty_values,
                                                    const std::vector<CommandParserPtr>& commands) {
diff --git a/source/common/formatter/substitution_format_string.h b/source/common/formatter/substitution_format_string.h
index 686f54542ad39..7dd840d3de7d1 100644
--- a/source/common/formatter/substitution_format_string.h
+++ b/source/common/formatter/substitution_format_string.h
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 #include "source/common/runtime/runtime_features.h"
 #include "source/server/generic_factory_context.h"
 
+#include "absl/status/statusor.h"
+
 namespace Envoy {
 namespace Formatter {
 
@@ -44,9 +46,9 @@ class SubstitutionFormatStringUtils {
   /**
    * Generate a Json formatter object from proto::Struct config
    */
-  static FormatterPtr createJsonFormatter(const Protobuf::Struct& struct_format,
-                                          bool omit_empty_values,
-                                          const std::vector<CommandParserPtr>& commands = {});
+  static absl::StatusOr<FormatterPtr>
+  createJsonFormatter(const Protobuf::Struct& struct_format, bool omit_empty_values,
+                      const std::vector<CommandParserPtr>& commands = {});
 };
 
 } // namespace Formatter
diff --git a/source/extensions/access_loggers/file/config.cc b/source/extensions/access_loggers/file/config.cc
index 7d486ff006170..f25c79bd8f942 100644
--- a/source/extensions/access_loggers/file/config.cc
+++ b/source/extensions/access_loggers/file/config.cc
@@ -43,8 +43,9 @@ AccessLog::InstanceSharedPtr FileAccessLogFactory::createAccessLogInstance(
     }
     break;
   case envoy::extensions::access_loggers::file::v3::FileAccessLog::AccessLogFormatCase::kJsonFormat:
-    formatter = Formatter::SubstitutionFormatStringUtils::createJsonFormatter(
-        fal_config.json_format(), false, command_parsers);
+    formatter = THROW_OR_RETURN_VALUE(Formatter::SubstitutionFormatStringUtils::createJsonFormatter(
+                                          fal_config.json_format(), false, command_parsers),
+                                      Formatter::FormatterPtr);
     break;
   case envoy::extensions::access_loggers::file::v3::FileAccessLog::AccessLogFormatCase::
       kTypedJsonFormat: {
diff --git a/source/extensions/access_loggers/fluentd/config.cc b/source/extensions/access_loggers/fluentd/config.cc
index d71fdc04b7666..71659b98fc25b 100644
--- a/source/extensions/access_loggers/fluentd/config.cc
+++ b/source/extensions/access_loggers/fluentd/config.cc
@@ -66,8 +66,9 @@ AccessLog::InstanceSharedPtr FluentdAccessLogFactory::createAccessLogInstance(
                             std::vector<Formatter::CommandParserPtr>);
 
   Formatter::FormatterPtr json_formatter =
-      Formatter::SubstitutionFormatStringUtils::createJsonFormatter(proto_config.record(), false,
-                                                                    commands);
+      THROW_OR_RETURN_VALUE(Formatter::SubstitutionFormatStringUtils::createJsonFormatter(
+                                proto_config.record(), false, commands),
+                            Formatter::FormatterPtr);
   FluentdFormatterPtr fluentd_formatter =
       std::make_unique<FluentdFormatterImpl>(std::move(json_formatter));
 
diff --git a/test/extensions/access_loggers/fluentd/substitution_formatter_test.cc b/test/extensions/access_loggers/fluentd/substitution_formatter_test.cc
index c4e26c1a433ea..10a233b6a7db9 100644
--- a/test/extensions/access_loggers/fluentd/substitution_formatter_test.cc
+++ b/test/extensions/access_loggers/fluentd/substitution_formatter_test.cc
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ TEST(FluentdFormatterImplTest, FormatMsgpack) {
   (*log_struct.mutable_fields())["LogType"].set_string_value("%ACCESS_LOG_TYPE%");
 
   auto json_formatter =
-      Formatter::SubstitutionFormatStringUtils::createJsonFormatter(log_struct, false);
+      Formatter::SubstitutionFormatStringUtils::createJsonFormatter(log_struct, false).value();
 
   auto fluentd_formatter = FluentdFormatterImpl(std::move(json_formatter));
   auto expected_json = "{\"Message\":\"SomeValue\",\"LogType\":\"NotSet\"}";