diff --git a/slog/benchmarks/handlers_test.go b/slog/benchmarks/handlers_test.go
index 8e98031..f29eae9 100644
--- a/slog/benchmarks/handlers_test.go
+++ b/slog/benchmarks/handlers_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"testing"
 
 	"golang.org/x/exp/slices"
@@ -9,12 +10,13 @@
 )
 
 func TestHandlers(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
 	r := slog.NewRecord(TestTime, slog.LevelInfo, TestMessage, 0)
 	r.AddAttrs(TestAttrs...)
 	t.Run("text", func(t *testing.T) {
 		var b bytes.Buffer
 		h := newFastTextHandler(&b)
-		if err := h.Handle(nil, r); err != nil {
+		if err := h.Handle(ctx, r); err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 		got := b.String()
@@ -24,7 +26,7 @@
 	})
 	t.Run("async", func(t *testing.T) {
 		h := newAsyncHandler()
-		if err := h.Handle(nil, r); err != nil {
+		if err := h.Handle(ctx, r); err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 		got := h.ringBuffer[0]
diff --git a/slog/example_depth_test.go b/slog/example_depth_test.go
index 34630c1..599cf16 100644
--- a/slog/example_depth_test.go
+++ b/slog/example_depth_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 package slog_test
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -18,13 +19,13 @@
 // The log record contains the source position of the caller of Infof.
 func Infof(format string, args ...any) {
 	l := slog.Default()
-	if !l.Enabled(nil, slog.LevelInfo) {
+	if !l.Enabled(context.Background(), slog.LevelInfo) {
 		return
 	}
 	var pcs [1]uintptr
 	runtime.Callers(2, pcs[:]) // skip [Callers, Infof]
 	r := slog.NewRecord(time.Now(), slog.LevelInfo, fmt.Sprintf(format, args...), pcs[0])
-	_ = l.Handler().Handle(nil, r)
+	_ = l.Handler().Handle(context.Background(), r)
 }
 
 func Example_wrapping() {
@@ -46,5 +47,5 @@
 	Infof("message, %s", "formatted")
 
 	// Output:
-	// level=INFO source=example_depth_test.go:46 msg="message, formatted"
+	// level=INFO source=example_depth_test.go:47 msg="message, formatted"
 }
diff --git a/slog/handler.go b/slog/handler.go
index 9392fd5..60d58bb 100644
--- a/slog/handler.go
+++ b/slog/handler.go
@@ -30,15 +30,16 @@
 	// The handler ignores records whose level is lower.
 	// It is called early, before any arguments are processed,
 	// to save effort if the log event should be discarded.
-	// The Logger's context is passed so Enabled can use its values
-	// to make a decision. The context may be nil.
+	// If called from a Logger method, the first argument is the context
+	// passed to that method, or context.Background() if nil was passed
+	// or the method does not take a context.
+	// The context is passed so Enabled can use its values
+	// to make a decision.
 	Enabled(context.Context, Level) bool
 
 	// Handle handles the Record.
-	// It will only be called if Enabled returns true.
-	//
-	// The first argument is the context of the Logger that created the Record,
-	// which may be nil.
+	// It will only be called Enabled returns true.
+	// The Context argument is as for Enabled.
 	// It is present solely to provide Handlers access to the context's values.
 	// Canceling the context should not affect record processing.
 	// (Among other things, log messages may be necessary to debug a
diff --git a/slog/handler_test.go b/slog/handler_test.go
index 6324dfa..8b1b669 100644
--- a/slog/handler_test.go
+++ b/slog/handler_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"io"
 	"strings"
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@
 )
 
 func TestDefaultHandle(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
 	preAttrs := []Attr{Int("pre", 0)}
 	attrs := []Attr{Int("a", 1), String("b", "two")}
 	for _, test := range []struct {
@@ -93,7 +95,7 @@
 			}
 			r := NewRecord(time.Time{}, LevelInfo, "message", 0)
 			r.AddAttrs(test.attrs...)
-			if err := h.Handle(nil, r); err != nil {
+			if err := h.Handle(ctx, r); err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
 			if got != test.want {
@@ -105,6 +107,7 @@
 
 // Verify the common parts of TextHandler and JSONHandler.
 func TestJSONAndTextHandlers(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
 
 	// ReplaceAttr functions
 
@@ -313,7 +316,7 @@
 						h = test.with(h)
 					}
 					buf.Reset()
-					if err := h.Handle(nil, r); err != nil {
+					if err := h.Handle(ctx, r); err != nil {
 						t.Fatal(err)
 					}
 					got := strings.TrimSuffix(buf.String(), "\n")
diff --git a/slog/json_handler_test.go b/slog/json_handler_test.go
index dfaf00f..64b3b4d 100644
--- a/slog/json_handler_test.go
+++ b/slog/json_handler_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@
 			h := test.opts.NewJSONHandler(&buf)
 			r := NewRecord(testTime, LevelInfo, "m", 0)
 			r.AddAttrs(Int("a", 1), Any("m", map[string]int{"b": 2}))
-			if err := h.Handle(nil, r); err != nil {
+			if err := h.Handle(context.Background(), r); err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
 			got := strings.TrimSuffix(buf.String(), "\n")
diff --git a/slog/logger.go b/slog/logger.go
index 77599cc..043ba15 100644
--- a/slog/logger.go
+++ b/slog/logger.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
 }
 
 func (w *handlerWriter) Write(buf []byte) (int, error) {
-	if !w.h.Enabled(nil, w.level) {
+	if !w.h.Enabled(context.Background(), w.level) {
 		return 0, nil
 	}
 	var pc uintptr
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
 		buf = buf[:len(buf)-1]
 	}
 	r := NewRecord(time.Now(), w.level, string(buf), pc)
-	return origLen, w.h.Handle(nil, r)
+	return origLen, w.h.Handle(context.Background(), r)
 }
 
 // A Logger records structured information about each call to its
@@ -136,6 +136,9 @@
 
 // Enabled reports whether l emits log records at the given context and level.
 func (l *Logger) Enabled(ctx context.Context, level Level) bool {
+	if ctx == nil {
+		ctx = context.Background()
+	}
 	return l.Handler().Enabled(ctx, level)
 }
 
@@ -230,6 +233,9 @@
 		r.nFront++
 	}
 	r.Add(args...)
+	if ctx == nil {
+		ctx = context.Background()
+	}
 	_ = l.Handler().Handle(ctx, r)
 }
 
@@ -247,6 +253,9 @@
 	}
 	r := NewRecord(time.Now(), level, msg, pc)
 	r.AddAttrs(attrs...)
+	if ctx == nil {
+		ctx = context.Background()
+	}
 	_ = l.Handler().Handle(ctx, r)
 }
 
diff --git a/slog/text_handler_test.go b/slog/text_handler_test.go
index ab82488..d88d20c 100644
--- a/slog/text_handler_test.go
+++ b/slog/text_handler_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@
 					h := opts.opts.NewTextHandler(&buf)
 					r := NewRecord(testTime, LevelInfo, "a message", 0)
 					r.AddAttrs(test.attr)
-					if err := h.Handle(nil, r); err != nil {
+					if err := h.Handle(context.Background(), r); err != nil {
 						t.Fatal(err)
 					}
 					got := buf.String()
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
 	h := HandlerOptions{AddSource: true}.NewTextHandler(&buf)
 	r := NewRecord(testTime, LevelInfo, "m", callerPC(2))
-	if err := h.Handle(nil, r); err != nil {
+	if err := h.Handle(context.Background(), r); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	if got := buf.String(); !sourceRegexp.MatchString(got) {
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@
 	// Also test omitting time.
 	r := NewRecord(time.Time{}, 0 /* 0 Level is INFO */, "m", 0)
 	r.AddAttrs(Int("a", 1))
-	if err := h.Handle(nil, r); err != nil {
+	if err := h.Handle(context.Background(), r); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	got := strings.TrimSuffix(buf.String(), "\n")
@@ -165,11 +166,11 @@
 		r.AddAttrs(Int("x = y", i))
 	}
 	var h Handler = NewTextHandler(io.Discard)
-	wantAllocs(t, 0, func() { h.Handle(nil, r) })
+	wantAllocs(t, 0, func() { h.Handle(context.Background(), r) })
 
 	h = h.WithGroup("s")
 	r.AddAttrs(Group("g", Int("a", 1)))
-	wantAllocs(t, 0, func() { h.Handle(nil, r) })
+	wantAllocs(t, 0, func() { h.Handle(context.Background(), r) })
 }
 
 func TestNeedsQuoting(t *testing.T) {