diff --git a/apisix/core/config_local.lua b/apisix/core/config_local.lua
index 1c17086dc6e2..897b4f2c194e 100644
--- a/apisix/core/config_local.lua
+++ b/apisix/core/config_local.lua
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ end
 -- local local_conf = core.config.local_conf()
 -- local fallback_sni = core.table.try_read_attr(
 --                        local_conf, "apisix", "ssl", "fallback_sni") -- "a.test2.com"
+-- -- `nil` is returned if the attribute doesn't exist
 function _M.local_conf(force)
     if not force and config_data then
         return config_data
diff --git a/apisix/plugins/log-rotate.lua b/apisix/plugins/log-rotate.lua
index 61bcea163a08..e4314622ebd3 100644
--- a/apisix/plugins/log-rotate.lua
+++ b/apisix/plugins/log-rotate.lua
@@ -46,8 +46,10 @@ local COMPRESSION_FILE_SUFFIX = ".tar.gz" -- compression file suffix
 local rotate_time
 local default_logs
 local enable_compression = false
-local DEFAULT_ACCESS_LOG_FILENAME = "access.log"
-local DEFAULT_ERROR_LOG_FILENAME = "error.log"
+local DEFAULT_ACCESS_LOG_FILEPATH = "logs/access.log"
+local DEFAULT_ERROR_LOG_FILEPATH = "logs/error.log"
+local custom_access_log_filename
+local custom_error_log_filename
 
 local schema = {
     type = "object",
@@ -73,10 +75,11 @@ local function file_exists(path)
 end
 
 
+-- get the log directory path
 local function get_log_path_info(file_type)
     local_conf = core.config.local_conf()
     local conf_path
-    if file_type == "error.log" then
+    if file_type == custom_error_log_filename or file_type == DEFAULT_ERROR_LOG_FILEPATH then
         conf_path = local_conf and local_conf.nginx_config and
         local_conf.nginx_config.error_log
     else
@@ -101,7 +104,7 @@ local function get_log_path_info(file_type)
         end
     end
 
-    return prefix .. "logs/", file_type
+    return prefix , file_type
 end
 
 
@@ -110,6 +113,7 @@ local function tab_sort_comp(a, b)
 end
 
 
+-- scans the log directory and returns a sorted table of matching log files
 local function scan_log_folder(log_file_name)
     local t = {}
 
@@ -131,6 +135,19 @@ local function scan_log_folder(log_file_name)
 end
 
 
+local function get_custom_logfile_name()
+    local local_conf = core.config.local_conf()
+
+    local custom_error_log_filename =
+        core.table.try_read_attr(local_conf, "nginx_config", "error_log")
+    local custom_access_log_filename =
+        core.table.try_read_attr(local_conf, "nginx_config", "http", "access_log")
+
+    return custom_access_log_filename, custom_error_log_filename
+
+end
+
+
 local function rename_file(log, date_str)
     local new_file
     if not log.new_file then
@@ -144,9 +161,11 @@ local function rename_file(log, date_str)
         return new_file
     end
 
-    local ok, err = os_rename(log.file, new_file)
+    local filename = log.file
+
+    local ok, err = os_rename(filename, new_file)
     if not ok then
-        core.log.error("move file from ", log.file, " to ", new_file,
+        core.log.error("move file from ", filename, " to ", new_file,
                        " res:", ok, " msg:", err)
         return
     end
@@ -258,6 +277,8 @@ local function rotate()
     local max_kept = MAX_KEPT
     local max_size = MAX_SIZE
     local attr = plugin.plugin_attr(plugin_name)
+    local access_log_filename = custom_access_log_filename or DEFAULT_ACCESS_LOG_FILEPATH
+    local error_log_filename = custom_error_log_filename or DEFAULT_ERROR_LOG_FILEPATH
     if attr then
         interval = attr.interval or interval
         max_kept = attr.max_kept or max_kept
@@ -272,8 +293,8 @@ local function rotate()
     if not default_logs then
         -- first init default log filepath and filename
         default_logs = {}
-        init_default_logs(default_logs, DEFAULT_ACCESS_LOG_FILENAME)
-        init_default_logs(default_logs, DEFAULT_ERROR_LOG_FILENAME)
+        init_default_logs(default_logs, access_log_filename)
+        init_default_logs(default_logs, error_log_filename)
     end
 
     ngx_update_time()
@@ -286,23 +307,23 @@ local function rotate()
     end
 
     if now_time >= rotate_time then
-        local files = {DEFAULT_ACCESS_LOG_FILENAME, DEFAULT_ERROR_LOG_FILENAME}
+        local files = {access_log_filename, error_log_filename}
         rotate_file(files, now_time, max_kept)
 
         -- reset rotate time
         rotate_time = rotate_time + interval
 
     elseif max_size > 0 then
-        local access_log_file_size = file_size(default_logs[DEFAULT_ACCESS_LOG_FILENAME].file)
-        local error_log_file_size = file_size(default_logs[DEFAULT_ERROR_LOG_FILENAME].file)
+        local access_log_file_size = file_size(default_logs[access_log_filename].file)
+        local error_log_file_size = file_size(default_logs[error_log_filename].file)
         local files = core.table.new(2, 0)
 
         if access_log_file_size >= max_size then
-            core.table.insert(files, DEFAULT_ACCESS_LOG_FILENAME)
+            core.table.insert(files, access_log_filename)
         end
 
         if error_log_file_size >= max_size then
-            core.table.insert(files, DEFAULT_ERROR_LOG_FILENAME)
+            core.table.insert(files, error_log_filename)
         end
 
         rotate_file(files, now_time, max_kept)
@@ -311,6 +332,7 @@ end
 
 
 function _M.init()
+    custom_access_log_filename, custom_error_log_filename = get_custom_logfile_name()
     timers.register_timer("plugin#log-rotate", rotate, true)
 end
 
diff --git a/t/plugin/log-rotate.t b/t/plugin/log-rotate.t
index 8e6250766789..881cf0cf93d7 100644
--- a/t/plugin/log-rotate.t
+++ b/t/plugin/log-rotate.t
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ __DATA__
 --- config
     location /t {
         content_by_lua_block {
+            local io = require("io")
             ngx.log(ngx.ERR, "start xxxxxx")
             ngx.sleep(2.5)
             local has_split_access_file = false
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ start xxxxxx
 --- config
     location /t {
         content_by_lua_block {
+            local io = require("io")
             ngx.sleep(0.5)
             local t = require("lib.test_admin").test
             local code, _, org_body = t('/apisix/admin/plugins/reload',
diff --git a/t/plugin/log-rotate2.t b/t/plugin/log-rotate2.t
index 76651dd7415f..6a54bddbb4ac 100644
--- a/t/plugin/log-rotate2.t
+++ b/t/plugin/log-rotate2.t
@@ -181,13 +181,13 @@ plugins:
   - log-rotate
 plugin_attr:
   log-rotate:
-    interval: 1
+    interval: 2
     max_kept: 1
     enable_compression: true
 --- config
     location /t {
         content_by_lua_block {
-            ngx.sleep(3.5)
+            ngx.sleep(2.5)
             local has_split_access_file = false
             local has_split_error_file = false
             local lfs = require("lfs")
diff --git a/t/plugin/log-rotate3.t b/t/plugin/log-rotate3.t
index 8e7b92eee65a..f2a2c09652bc 100644
--- a/t/plugin/log-rotate3.t
+++ b/t/plugin/log-rotate3.t
@@ -132,3 +132,79 @@ start xxxxxx
     }
 --- response_body
 passed
+
+
+
+=== TEST 4: max_kept effective on differently named compression files
+--- extra_yaml_config
+plugins:
+  - log-rotate
+plugin_attr:
+  log-rotate:
+    interval: 2
+    max_kept: 1
+    enable_compression: true
+--- yaml_config
+nginx_config:
+    user: root
+    error_log: logs/err1.log
+    http:
+        access_log: logs/acc1.log
+--- config
+    location /t {
+        content_by_lua_block {
+            ngx.sleep(2.5)
+            local has_split_access_file = false
+            local has_split_error_file = false
+            local lfs = require("lfs")
+            local count = 0
+            for file_name in lfs.dir(ngx.config.prefix() .. "/logs/") do
+                if string.match(file_name, ".tar.gz$") then
+                    count = count + 1
+                end
+            end
+            --- only two compression file
+            ngx.say(count)
+        }
+    }
+--- response_body
+2
+--- timeout: 5
+
+
+
+=== TEST 5: check whether new log files were created
+--- extra_yaml_config
+plugins:
+  - log-rotate
+plugin_attr:
+  log-rotate:
+    interval: 2
+    max_kept: 1
+    enable_compression: false
+--- yaml_config
+nginx_config:
+    user: root
+    error_log: logs/test-error.log
+    http:
+        access_log: logs/test-access.log
+--- config
+    location /t {
+        content_by_lua_block {
+            ngx.sleep(2.5)
+            local has_split_access_file = false
+            local has_split_error_file = false
+            local lfs = require("lfs")
+            local count = 0
+            for file_name in lfs.dir(ngx.config.prefix() .. "/logs/") do
+                if string.match(file_name, "error.log$") or string.match(file_name, "access.log$") then
+                    count = count + 1
+                end
+            end
+            --- 5 files: 2 older log files and 2 newer + fake-server-access.log
+            ngx.say(count)
+        }
+    }
+--- response_body
+5
+--- timeout: 5