diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8557253..89d2a40 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 telegram-notify.conf
+telegram-notify.log
diff --git a/telegram-notify b/telegram-notify
index 1d56019..96bad1b 100755
--- a/telegram-notify
+++ b/telegram-notify
@@ -10,16 +10,24 @@ import json
 import sys
 import os
 import argparse
+import logging
 from telepot.loop import MessageLoop
 from watchdog.observers import Observer
 from watchdog.events import PatternMatchingEventHandler
 
 version = 0.1
 
+
 def writeconfig():
-    global configParser
-    with open('telegram-notify.conf', 'wb') as configfile:
-        configParser.write(configfile)
+    if not os.access(configFile, os.W_OK):
+        print 'WARNING: Config file (%s) is not writable ...' % configFile
+        logger.warning('Config file (%s) is not writable ...' % configFile)
+        return False
+
+    with open(configFile, 'wb') as theFile:
+        configParser.write(theFile)
+        logger.info('Config file (%s) updated ...' % configFile)
+
 
 def handle(msg):
     global configParser
@@ -105,25 +113,28 @@ def handle(msg):
 
 
 def processFile(filename):
-    global chat_ids
+    logger.info('Processing %s' % filename)
     if re.match(r'.*jpg$',filename):
         for c in chat_ids:
             try:
+                logger.debug('sending %s as picture to %s' % (filename,c['username']))
                 r=bot.sendPhoto(c['id'], open(filename, 'rb'))
                 os.remove(filename)
+                logger.debug('removed %s' % filename)
             except:
                 time.sleep(10)
     if re.match(r'.*txt$',filename):
         for c in chat_ids:
             try:
                 with open(filename,'r') as f:
+                    logger.debug('sending %s as text to %s' % (filename,c['username']))
                     r=bot.sendMessage(c['id'], f.read())
                 os.remove(filename)
+                logger.debug('removed %s' % filename)
             except:
                 time.sleep(10)
 
 
-
 class FilesChangedHandler(PatternMatchingEventHandler):
     patterns = ["*.jpg", "*.txt"]
 
@@ -147,88 +158,136 @@ class FilesChangedHandler(PatternMatchingEventHandler):
         self.process(event)
 
 
-
 def checkFiles():
+    spool_dir = configParser.get('general', 'spool_dir')
+    logger.info('Checking %s for new files ...' % spool_dir)
     l=os.listdir(spool_dir)
     for f in l:
         processFile("%s/%s" % (spool_dir,f) )
 
 
-configFile = '/etc/telegram-notify/telegram-notify.conf'
-if not os.path.isfile(configFile) or not os.access(configFile, os.R_OK):
-    configFile = './telegram-notify.conf'
+def setDefaults():
+    global configFile
+    global defaults
+    configFile = '/etc/telegram-notify/telegram-notify.conf'
     if not os.path.isfile(configFile) or not os.access(configFile, os.R_OK):
-        configFile = ''
+        configFile = './telegram-notify.conf'
+        if not os.path.isfile(configFile) or not os.access(configFile, os.R_OK):
+            configFile = ''
+    logFile = '/var/log/telegram-notify.log'
+    if not os.path.isfile(logFile) or not os.access(logFile, os.W_OK):
+        logFile = ''
+    defaults = {
+        'log_file': logFile,
+        'log_level': 'info',
+        'daemon': False,
+        'token': '',
+        'pair_pin': '1234',
+        'spool_dir': '/var/spool/telegram-notify'
+    }
 
 
-parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Daemon for Telegram notification management')
-parser.add_argument('-c', '--config', nargs='?',
-                    help='start with specified config file')
-parser.add_argument('-V', '--version', action='store_true',
-                    help='show program version and quit')
-args = parser.parse_args()
+def parseCmdLine():
+    global configFile
 
-if args.version:
-    print 'telegram-notify version %s - Copyright (C) 2018 by Paolo Asperti.' % version
-    sys.exit(0)
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Daemon for Telegram notification management')
+    parser.add_argument('-c', '--config', nargs='?',
+                        help='start with specified config file (default: telegram-notify.conf in /etc/ or in current directory)')
+    parser.add_argument('-V', '--version', action='store_true',
+                        help='show program version and quit')
+    args = parser.parse_args()
 
-if args.config:
-    if not os.path.isfile(args.config):
-        print 'specified config file doesn\'t exists or is not a file'
+    if args.version:
+        print 'telegram-notify version %s - Copyright (C) 2018 by Paolo Asperti.' % version
+        sys.exit(0)
+
+    if args.config:
+        if not os.path.isfile(args.config):
+            print 'specified config file doesn\'t exists or is not a file'
+            sys.exit(1)
+        if not os.access(args.config, os.R_OK):
+            print 'specified config file is not readable'
+            sys.exit(1)
+        configFile = args.config
+
+
+def readConfigFile():
+    global configParser
+    if configFile == '':
+        print 'no config file available'
         sys.exit(1)
-    if not os.access(args.config, os.R_OK):
-        print 'specified config file is not readable'
+
+    if not os.access(configFile, os.W_OK):
+        print 'WARNING: specified config file is not writable'
+
+    configParser = ConfigParser.SafeConfigParser(defaults=defaults)
+    configParser.read(configFile)
+
+
+def initLogger():
+    global logger
+
+    logFile = configParser.get('general', 'log_file')
+    if logFile == '':
+        print 'no log file available'
         sys.exit(1)
-    if not os.access(args.config, os.W_OK):
-        # TODO: logging
-        print 'WARNING: specified config file is not wriable'
-    configFile = args.config
-
-if configFile == '':
-    print 'no config file available'
-    sys.exit(1)
+    logLevel = configParser.get('general', 'log_level')
+    logging.basicConfig(filename=logFile,level=logLevel,format='%(asctime)s - %(name)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s')
+    logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-# TODO: logging
-print 'INFO: using config file: %s' % configFile
-configParser = ConfigParser.RawConfigParser()
-configParser.read(configFile)
+def checkSpoolDir():
+    spool_dir = configParser.get('general', 'spool_dir')
+    if not os.path.isdir(spool_dir):
+        print "spool directory (%s) doesn't exists or is not a directory!" % spool_dir
+        sys.exit(1)
 
-spool_dir = configParser.get('general', 'spool_dir')
-if not os.path.isdir(spool_dir):
-    print "spool directory (%s) doesn't exists or is not a directory!" % spool_dir
-    sys.exit(1)
+    if not os.access(spool_dir, os.W_OK):
+        print "spool directory (%s) is not writable!" % spool_dir
+        sys.exit(1)
 
-if not os.access(spool_dir, os.W_OK):
-    print "spool directory (%s) is not writable!" % spool_dir
-    sys.exit(1)
 
-chat_ids=[]
-print "Allowed users: "
-for p in configParser.sections():
-    if re.match('^id-.*',p):
-        chat_id={
-            'username': configParser.get(p,'username'),
-            'firstname': configParser.get(p,'firstname'),
-            'lastname': configParser.get(p,'lastname'),
-            'id': int(re.sub(r'^id-','',p))
-        }
-        chat_ids.append(chat_id)
-        print(" - (%s) %s %s"  % (chat_id['username'],chat_id['firstname'],chat_id['lastname']) )
+def initBot():
+    global bot
+    global chat_ids
+    chat_ids=[]
+    logger.info('Allowed users:')
+    for p in configParser.sections():
+        if re.match('^id-.*',p):
+            chat_id={
+                'username': configParser.get(p,'username'),
+                'firstname': configParser.get(p,'firstname'),
+                'lastname': configParser.get(p,'lastname'),
+                'id': int(re.sub(r'^id-','',p))
+            }
+            chat_ids.append(chat_id)
+            logger.debug(" - (%s) %s %s"  % (chat_id['username'],chat_id['firstname'],chat_id['lastname']) )
 
-token = configParser.get('general', 'token')
-bot = telepot.Bot(token)
+    token = configParser.get('general', 'token')
+    bot = telepot.Bot(token)
 
-MessageLoop(bot, handle).run_as_thread()
-print 'I am listening ...'
+    MessageLoop(bot, handle).run_as_thread()
+    logger.info('Loop started. I am listening ...')
 
-checkFiles()
+    checkFiles()
 
-observer = Observer()
-observer.schedule(FilesChangedHandler(), path=spool_dir)
-observer.start()
+    spool_dir = configParser.get('general', 'spool_dir')
+    observer = Observer()
+    observer.schedule(FilesChangedHandler(), path=spool_dir)
+    observer.start()
 
 
+setDefaults()
+parseCmdLine()
+readConfigFile()
+initLogger()
+checkSpoolDir()
+initBot()
+
+daemon = configParser.get('general', 'daemon')
+
 while 1:
-    time.sleep(10)
     checkFiles()
+    if re.match('false', daemon, re.IGNORECASE):
+        sys.exit(0)
+    time.sleep(10)
diff --git a/telegram-notify.conf.default b/telegram-notify.conf.default
index d69c86b..7c21fbc 100644
--- a/telegram-notify.conf.default
+++ b/telegram-notify.conf.default
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 [general]
-daemon = false
+daemon = true
 token = aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
 pair_pin = 1234
 spool_dir = /var/spool/telegram-notify
+log_file = /var/log/telegram-notify.log
+log_level = INFO