diff --git a/log/flags.go b/log/flags.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b00a94b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/log/flags.go
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+package log
+
+import "flag"
+
+var (
+	logLevelFlag      string
+	fileLogLevelsFlag string
+)
+
+func init() {
+	flag.StringVar(&logLevelFlag, "log", "info", "set log level to [trace|debug|info|warning|error|critical]")
+	flag.StringVar(&fileLogLevelsFlag, "flog", "", "set log level of files: database=trace,firewall=debug")
+}
diff --git a/log/interface.go b/log/interface.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 766b8f7..0000000
--- a/log/interface.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,60 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright Safing ICS Technologies GmbH. Use of this source code is governed by the AGPL license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
-
-package log
-
-var Logger *LoggingInterface
-
-type LoggingInterface struct {
-}
-
-func (*LoggingInterface) Tracef(things ...interface{}) {
-	Tracef(things...)
-}
-
-func (*LoggingInterface) Trace(msg string) {
-	Trace(msg)
-}
-
-func (*LoggingInterface) Debugf(things ...interface{}) {
-	Debugf(things...)
-}
-
-func (*LoggingInterface) Debug(msg string) {
-	Debug(msg)
-}
-
-func (*LoggingInterface) Infof(things ...interface{}) {
-	Infof(things...)
-}
-
-func (*LoggingInterface) Info(msg string) {
-	Info(msg)
-}
-
-func (*LoggingInterface) Warningf(things ...interface{}) {
-	Warningf(things...)
-}
-
-func (*LoggingInterface) Warning(msg string) {
-	Warning(msg)
-}
-
-func (*LoggingInterface) Errorf(things ...interface{}) {
-	Errorf(things...)
-}
-
-func (*LoggingInterface) Error(msg string) {
-	Error(msg)
-}
-
-func (*LoggingInterface) Criticalf(things ...interface{}) {
-	Criticalf(things...)
-}
-
-func (*LoggingInterface) Critical(msg string) {
-	Critical(msg)
-}
-
-func init() {
-	Logger = &LoggingInterface{}
-}
diff --git a/log/logging.go b/log/logging.go
index d6e05c7..a053cf0 100644
--- a/log/logging.go
+++ b/log/logging.go
@@ -10,9 +10,6 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/tevino/abool"
-
-	"github.com/Safing/safing-core/meta"
-	"github.com/Safing/safing-core/modules"
 )
 
 // concept
@@ -54,8 +51,6 @@ const (
 )
 
 var (
-	module *modules.Module
-
 	logBuffer             chan *logLine
 	forceEmptyingOfBuffer chan bool
 
@@ -68,6 +63,12 @@ var (
 
 	logsWaiting     = make(chan bool, 1)
 	logsWaitingFlag = abool.NewBool(false)
+
+	shutdownSignal    = make(chan struct{}, 0)
+	shutdownWaitGroup sync.WaitGroup
+
+	started    = abool.NewBool(false)
+	testErrors = abool.NewBool(false)
 )
 
 func SetFileLevels(levels map[string]severity) {
@@ -103,37 +104,34 @@ func ParseLevel(level string) severity {
 	return 0
 }
 
-var ()
+func Start() error {
 
-func init() {
-
-	module = modules.Register("Logging", 0)
-	modules.RegisterLogger(Logger)
+	if !started.SetToIf(false, true) {
+		return nil
+	}
 
 	logBuffer = make(chan *logLine, 8192)
 	forceEmptyingOfBuffer = make(chan bool, 4)
 
-	initialLogLevel := ParseLevel(meta.LogLevel())
+	initialLogLevel := ParseLevel(logLevelFlag)
 	if initialLogLevel > 0 {
 		atomic.StoreUint32(logLevel, uint32(initialLogLevel))
 	} else {
-		fmt.Printf("WARNING: invalid log level, falling back to level info.")
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid log level \"%s\", falling back to level info", logLevelFlag)
 	}
 
 	// get and set file loglevels
-	fileLogLevels := meta.FileLogLevels()
+	fileLogLevels := fileLogLevelsFlag
 	if len(fileLogLevels) > 0 {
 		newFileLevels := make(map[string]severity)
 		for _, pair := range strings.Split(fileLogLevels, ",") {
 			splitted := strings.Split(pair, "=")
 			if len(splitted) != 2 {
-				fmt.Printf("WARNING: invalid file log level \"%s\", ignoring", pair)
-				continue
+				return fmt.Errorf("invalid file log level \"%s\", ignoring", pair)
 			}
 			fileLevel := ParseLevel(splitted[1])
 			if fileLevel == 0 {
-				fmt.Printf("WARNING: invalid file log level \"%s\", ignoring", pair)
-				continue
+				return fmt.Errorf("invalid file log level \"%s\", ignoring", pair)
 			}
 			newFileLevels[splitted[0]] = fileLevel
 		}
@@ -141,5 +139,13 @@ func init() {
 	}
 
 	go writer()
+	Info("logging: started")
+	return nil
 
 }
+
+// Shutdown writes remaining log lines and then stops the logger.
+func Shutdown() {
+	close(shutdownSignal)
+	shutdownWaitGroup.Wait()
+}
diff --git a/log/logging_test.go b/log/logging_test.go
index a2e39f4..a7bfcdb 100644
--- a/log/logging_test.go
+++ b/log/logging_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ import (
 // test waiting
 func TestLogging(t *testing.T) {
 
+	err := Start()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("start failed: %s", err)
+	}
+
 	// skip
 	if testing.Short() {
 		t.Skip("skipping test in short mode.")
diff --git a/log/output.go b/log/output.go
index fc76773..7d4cb53 100644
--- a/log/output.go
+++ b/log/output.go
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ package log
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/Safing/safing-core/taskmanager"
+	"github.com/Safing/portbase/taskmanager"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ func writeLine(line *logLine) {
 func writer() {
 	var line *logLine
 	startedTask := false
+	shutdownWaitGroup.Add(1)
+	defer shutdownWaitGroup.Done()
 
 	for {
 
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ func writer() {
 		select {
 		case <-logsWaiting:
 			logsWaitingFlag.UnSet()
-		case <-module.Stop:
+		case <-shutdownSignal:
 		}
 
 		// wait for timeslot to log, or when buffer is full
@@ -35,20 +37,21 @@ func writer() {
 		case <-taskmanager.StartVeryLowPriorityMicroTask():
 			startedTask = true
 		case <-forceEmptyingOfBuffer:
-		case <-module.Stop:
-			select {
-			case line = <-logBuffer:
-				writeLine(line)
-			case <-time.After(10 * time.Millisecond):
-				writeLine(&logLine{
-					"===== LOGGING STOPPED =====",
-					WarningLevel,
-					time.Now(),
-					"",
-					0,
-				})
-				module.StopComplete()
-				return
+		case <-shutdownSignal:
+			for {
+				select {
+				case line = <-logBuffer:
+					writeLine(line)
+				case <-time.After(10 * time.Millisecond):
+					writeLine(&logLine{
+						"===== LOGGING STOPPED =====",
+						WarningLevel,
+						time.Now(),
+						"",
+						0,
+					})
+					return
+				}
 			}
 		}