diff --git a/telethon/client/updates.py b/telethon/client/updates.py
index 99131286..7d009ffe 100644
--- a/telethon/client/updates.py
+++ b/telethon/client/updates.py
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@ import asyncio
 import inspect
 import itertools
 import random
+import sys
 import time
+import traceback
 import typing
+import logging
 
 from .. import events, utils, errors
 from ..events.common import EventBuilder, EventCommon
@@ -281,6 +284,16 @@ class UpdateMethods:
 
     # region Private methods
 
+    def _log_exc(self: 'TelegramClient', msg, *args):
+        """
+        Log an exception, using `stderr` if `logging` is not configured.
+        """
+        if logging.root.hasHandlers():
+            self._log[__name__].exception(msg, *args)
+        else:
+            print('[ERROR/telethon]:', msg % args, file=sys.stderr)
+            traceback.print_exc()
+
     # It is important to not make _handle_update async because we rely on
     # the order that the updates arrive in to update the pts and date to
     # be always-increasing. There is also no need to make this async.
@@ -464,8 +477,7 @@ class UpdateMethods:
             except Exception as e:
                 if not isinstance(e, asyncio.CancelledError) or self.is_connected():
                     name = getattr(callback, '__name__', repr(callback))
-                    self._log[__name__].exception('Unhandled exception on %s',
-                                                  name)
+                    self._log_exc('Unhandled exception on %s', name)
 
     async def _dispatch_event(self: 'TelegramClient', event):
         """
@@ -506,8 +518,7 @@ class UpdateMethods:
             except Exception as e:
                 if not isinstance(e, asyncio.CancelledError) or self.is_connected():
                     name = getattr(callback, '__name__', repr(callback))
-                    self._log[__name__].exception('Unhandled exception on %s',
-                                                  name)
+                    self._log_exc('Unhandled exception on %s', name)
 
     async def _get_difference(self: 'TelegramClient', update, channel_id, pts_date):
         """
@@ -610,8 +621,7 @@ class UpdateMethods:
             self._log[__name__].warning('Failed to get missed updates after '
                                         'reconnect: %r', e)
         except Exception:
-            self._log[__name__].exception('Unhandled exception while getting '
-                                          'update difference after reconnect')
+            self._log_exc('Unhandled exception while getting update difference after reconnect')
 
     # endregion