diff --git a/ergonomadic.conf b/ergonomadic.conf
index 2f360024..528d4211 100644
--- a/ergonomadic.conf
+++ b/ergonomadic.conf
@@ -3,14 +3,10 @@ name = "irc.example.com" ; required, usually a hostname
 database = "ergonomadic.db" ; path relative to this file
 listen = "localhost:6667" ; see `net.Listen` for examples
 listen = "[::1]:6667" ; multiple `listen`s are allowed.
+log = "debug" ; error, warn, info, debug
 motd = "motd.txt" ; path relative to this file
 password = "JDJhJDA0JHJzVFFlNXdOUXNhLmtkSGRUQVVEVHVYWXRKUmdNQ3FKVTRrczRSMTlSWGRPZHRSMVRzQmtt" ; 'test'
+log = "debug"
 
 [operator "root"]
 password = "JDJhJDA0JEhkcm10UlNFRkRXb25iOHZuSDVLZXVBWlpyY0xyNkQ4dlBVc1VMWVk1LlFjWFpQbGxZNUtl" ; 'toor'
-
-[debug]
-net = true
-client = false
-channel = false
-server = false
diff --git a/ergonomadic.go b/ergonomadic.go
index 3d107a7c..96bd1b09 100644
--- a/ergonomadic.go
+++ b/ergonomadic.go
@@ -46,12 +46,7 @@ func main() {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// TODO move to data structures
-	irc.DEBUG_NET = config.Debug.Net
-	irc.DEBUG_CLIENT = config.Debug.Client
-	irc.DEBUG_CHANNEL = config.Debug.Channel
-	irc.DEBUG_SERVER = config.Debug.Server
-
+	irc.Log.SetLevel(config.Server.Log)
 	server := irc.NewServer(config)
 	log.Println(irc.SEM_VER, "running")
 	defer log.Println(irc.SEM_VER, "exiting")
diff --git a/irc/client.go b/irc/client.go
index 7545840d..03d9b481 100644
--- a/irc/client.go
+++ b/irc/client.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package irc
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"log"
 	"net"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -149,9 +148,7 @@ func (client *Client) destroy() {
 
 	client.socket.Close()
 
-	if DEBUG_CLIENT {
-		log.Printf("%s: destroyed", client)
-	}
+	Log.debug.Printf("%s: destroyed", client)
 }
 
 func (client *Client) IdleTime() time.Duration {
diff --git a/irc/client_lookup_set.go b/irc/client_lookup_set.go
index 261461d9..1190b06d 100644
--- a/irc/client_lookup_set.go
+++ b/irc/client_lookup_set.go
@@ -88,25 +88,19 @@ func (clients *ClientLookupSet) FindAll(userhost string) (set ClientSet) {
 		`SELECT nickname FROM client WHERE userhost LIKE ? ESCAPE '\'`,
 		QuoteLike(userhost))
 	if err != nil {
-		if DEBUG_SERVER {
-			log.Println("ClientLookupSet.FindAll.Query:", err)
-		}
+		Log.error.Println("ClientLookupSet.FindAll.Query:", err)
 		return
 	}
 	for rows.Next() {
 		var nickname string
 		err := rows.Scan(&nickname)
 		if err != nil {
-			if DEBUG_SERVER {
-				log.Println("ClientLookupSet.FindAll.Scan:", err)
-			}
+			Log.error.Println("ClientLookupSet.FindAll.Scan:", err)
 			return
 		}
 		client := clients.Get(nickname)
 		if client == nil {
-			if DEBUG_SERVER {
-				log.Println("ClientLookupSet.FindAll: missing client:", nickname)
-			}
+			Log.error.Println("ClientLookupSet.FindAll: missing client:", nickname)
 			continue
 		}
 		set.Add(client)
@@ -122,9 +116,7 @@ func (clients *ClientLookupSet) Find(userhost string) *Client {
 	var nickname string
 	err := row.Scan(&nickname)
 	if err != nil {
-		if DEBUG_SERVER {
-			log.Println("ClientLookupSet.Find:", err)
-		}
+		Log.error.Println("ClientLookupSet.Find:", err)
 		return nil
 	}
 	return clients.Get(nickname)
@@ -163,9 +155,7 @@ func (db *ClientDB) Add(client *Client) {
 	_, err := db.db.Exec(`INSERT INTO client (nickname, userhost) VALUES (?, ?)`,
 		client.Nick(), client.UserHost())
 	if err != nil {
-		if DEBUG_SERVER {
-			log.Println("ClientDB.Add:", err)
-		}
+		Log.error.Println("ClientDB.Add:", err)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -173,9 +163,7 @@ func (db *ClientDB) Remove(client *Client) {
 	_, err := db.db.Exec(`DELETE FROM client WHERE nickname = ?`,
 		client.Nick())
 	if err != nil {
-		if DEBUG_SERVER {
-			log.Println("ClientDB.Remove:", err)
-		}
+		Log.error.Println("ClientDB.Remove:", err)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/irc/config.go b/irc/config.go
index 6c5aa14d..201624e6 100644
--- a/irc/config.go
+++ b/irc/config.go
@@ -23,18 +23,12 @@ type Config struct {
 		PassConfig
 		Database string
 		Listen   []string
+		Log      string
 		MOTD     string
 		Name     string
 	}
 
 	Operator map[string]*PassConfig
-
-	Debug struct {
-		Net     bool
-		Client  bool
-		Channel bool
-		Server  bool
-	}
 }
 
 func (conf *Config) Operators() map[string][]byte {
diff --git a/irc/constants.go b/irc/constants.go
index d2709468..cb0bde98 100644
--- a/irc/constants.go
+++ b/irc/constants.go
@@ -7,12 +7,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	// debugging flags
-	DEBUG_NET     = false
-	DEBUG_CLIENT  = false
-	DEBUG_CHANNEL = false
-	DEBUG_SERVER  = false
-
 	// errors
 	ErrAlreadyDestroyed = errors.New("already destroyed")
 
diff --git a/irc/logging.go b/irc/logging.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6390aab2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/irc/logging.go
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+package irc
+
+import (
+	"io"
+	"log"
+	"os"
+)
+
+type Logging struct {
+	debug *log.Logger
+	info  *log.Logger
+	warn  *log.Logger
+	error *log.Logger
+}
+
+var (
+	levels = map[string]uint8{
+		"debug": 4,
+		"info":  3,
+		"warn":  2,
+		"error": 1,
+	}
+	devNull io.Writer
+)
+
+func init() {
+	var err error
+	devNull, err = os.Open(os.DevNull)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}
+
+func NewLogger(on bool) *log.Logger {
+	return log.New(output(on), "", log.LstdFlags)
+}
+
+func output(on bool) io.Writer {
+	if on {
+		return os.Stdout
+	}
+	return devNull
+}
+
+func (logging *Logging) SetLevel(level string) {
+	logging.debug = NewLogger(levels[level] >= levels["debug"])
+	logging.info = NewLogger(levels[level] >= levels["info"])
+	logging.warn = NewLogger(levels[level] >= levels["warn"])
+	logging.error = NewLogger(levels[level] >= levels["error"])
+}
+
+func NewLogging(level string) *Logging {
+	logging := &Logging{}
+	logging.SetLevel(level)
+	return logging
+}
+
+var (
+	Log = NewLogging("warn")
+)
diff --git a/irc/server.go b/irc/server.go
index 8da5f1ba..66576743 100644
--- a/irc/server.go
+++ b/irc/server.go
@@ -109,9 +109,7 @@ func (server *Server) loadChannels() {
 
 func (server *Server) processCommand(cmd Command) {
 	client := cmd.Client()
-	if DEBUG_SERVER {
-		log.Printf("%s → %s %s", client, server, cmd)
-	}
+	Log.debug.Printf("%s → %s %s", client, server, cmd)
 
 	switch client.phase {
 	case Registration:
@@ -180,21 +178,15 @@ func (s *Server) listen(addr string) {
 		log.Fatal(s, "listen error: ", err)
 	}
 
-	if DEBUG_SERVER {
-		log.Printf("%s listening on %s", s, addr)
-	}
+	Log.info.Printf("%s listening on %s", s, addr)
 
 	for {
 		conn, err := listener.Accept()
 		if err != nil {
-			if DEBUG_SERVER {
-				log.Printf("%s accept error: %s", s, err)
-			}
+			Log.error.Printf("%s accept error: %s", s, err)
 			continue
 		}
-		if DEBUG_SERVER {
-			log.Printf("%s accept: %s", s, conn.RemoteAddr())
-		}
+		Log.debug.Printf("%s accept: %s", s, conn.RemoteAddr())
 
 		s.newConns <- conn
 	}
diff --git a/irc/socket.go b/irc/socket.go
index 1710cbf7..84e90313 100644
--- a/irc/socket.go
+++ b/irc/socket.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package irc
 import (
 	"bufio"
 	"io"
-	"log"
 	"net"
 	"strings"
 )
@@ -38,9 +37,7 @@ func (socket *Socket) String() string {
 
 func (socket *Socket) Close() {
 	socket.conn.Close()
-	if DEBUG_NET {
-		log.Printf("%s closed", socket)
-	}
+	Log.debug.Printf("%s closed", socket)
 }
 
 func (socket *Socket) readLines(commands chan<- Command) {
@@ -57,9 +54,7 @@ func (socket *Socket) readLines(commands chan<- Command) {
 		if len(line) == 0 {
 			continue
 		}
-		if DEBUG_NET {
-			log.Printf("%s → %s", socket, line)
-		}
+		Log.debug.Printf("%s → %s", socket, line)
 
 		msg, err := ParseCommand(line)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -87,16 +82,14 @@ func (socket *Socket) Write(line string) (err error) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if DEBUG_NET {
-		log.Printf("%s ← %s", socket, line)
-	}
+	Log.debug.Printf("%s ← %s", socket, line)
 	return
 }
 
 func (socket *Socket) isError(err error, dir rune) bool {
 	if err != nil {
-		if DEBUG_NET && (err != io.EOF) {
-			log.Printf("%s %c error: %s", socket, dir, err)
+		if err != io.EOF {
+			Log.debug.Printf("%s %c error: %s", socket, dir, err)
 		}
 		return true
 	}