diff --git a/cmd/layer/list/list.go b/cmd/layer/list/list.go
index 6389e96..a7b0d75 100644
--- a/cmd/layer/list/list.go
+++ b/cmd/layer/list/list.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/ublue-os/bext/internal"
 	"github.com/ublue-os/bext/pkg/fileio"
+	"github.com/ublue-os/bext/pkg/logging"
 )
 
 var ListCmd = &cobra.Command{
@@ -53,6 +54,10 @@ func listCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if !*fLogOnly {
+		slog.SetDefault(logging.NewMuteLogger())
+	}
+
 	if *fCheck {
 		if len(args) < 1 {
 			return internal.NewPositionalError("LAYER")
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index c98ec77..f2ae1e1 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"log/slog"
 	"os"
 	"path"
@@ -11,65 +10,66 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ublue-os/bext/cmd/layer"
 	"github.com/ublue-os/bext/cmd/mount"
 	"github.com/ublue-os/bext/internal"
+	"github.com/ublue-os/bext/pkg/logging"
 	appLogging "github.com/ublue-os/bext/pkg/logging"
 )
 
 var RootCmd = &cobra.Command{
-	Use:          "bext",
-	Short:        "Manager for Systemd system extensions",
-	Long:         `Manage your systemd system extensions from your CLI, managing their cache, multiple versions, and building.`,
-	SilenceUsage: true,
+	Use:               "bext",
+	Short:             "Manager for Systemd system extensions",
+	Long:              `Manage your systemd system extensions from your CLI, managing their cache, multiple versions, and building.`,
+	PersistentPreRunE: initLogging,
+	SilenceUsage:      true,
 }
 
+var (
+	fLogFile   string
+	fLogLevel  string
+	fNoLogging bool
+)
+
 func Execute() {
-	err := RootCmd.Execute()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := RootCmd.Execute(); err != nil {
+		slog.Debug("Application exited with error", slog.String("errormsg", err.Error()), slog.Int("exitcode", 1))
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 }
 
-var (
-	fLogFile   *string
-	fLogLevel  *string
-	fNoLogging *bool
-)
-
-func init() {
-	fLogFile = RootCmd.PersistentFlags().String("log-file", "", "File where user facing logs will be written to")
-	fLogLevel = RootCmd.PersistentFlags().String("log-level", "info", "File where user facing logs will be written to")
-	fNoLogging = RootCmd.PersistentFlags().Bool("quiet", false, "Do not log anything to anywhere")
-	internal.Config.NoProgress = RootCmd.PersistentFlags().Bool("no-progress", false, "Do not use progress bars whenever they would be")
-
-	RootCmd.AddCommand(layer.LayerCmd)
-	RootCmd.AddCommand(mount.MountCmd)
-	RootCmd.AddCommand(AddToPathCmd)
-
-	if *fNoLogging {
-		slog.SetDefault(appLogging.NewMuteLogger())
-		return
-	}
+func initLogging(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	var logWriter *os.File = os.Stdout
-	if *fLogFile != "" {
-		abs, err := filepath.Abs(path.Clean(*fLogFile))
+	if fLogFile != "-" {
+		abs, err := filepath.Abs(path.Clean(fLogFile))
 		if err != nil {
-			os.Exit(1)
+			return err
 		}
-		logWriter, err = os.Create(abs)
+		logWriter, err = os.OpenFile(abs, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE|os.O_APPEND, 0755)
 		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Println("Could not open log file")
-			os.Exit(1)
+			return err
 		}
-		defer logWriter.Close()
 	}
 
-	logLevel, err := appLogging.StrToLogLevel(*fLogLevel)
+	logLevel, err := appLogging.StrToLogLevel(fLogLevel)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%s\n", err.Error())
-		os.Exit(1)
+		return err
 	}
 
-	main_app_logger := slog.New(appLogging.SetupAppLogger(logWriter, logLevel, *fLogFile != ""))
+	main_app_logger := slog.New(appLogging.SetupAppLogger(logWriter, logLevel, fLogFile != "-"))
+
+	if fNoLogging {
+		slog.SetDefault(logging.NewMuteLogger())
+	} else {
+		slog.SetDefault(main_app_logger)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
 
-	slog.SetDefault(main_app_logger)
+func init() {
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&fLogFile, "log-file", "-", "File where user-facing logs will be written to")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&fLogLevel, "log-level", "info", "Log level for user-facing logs")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&fNoLogging, "quiet", false, "Do not log anything to anywhere")
+	internal.Config.NoProgress = RootCmd.PersistentFlags().Bool("no-progress", false, "Do not use progress bars whenever they would be")
 
+	RootCmd.AddCommand(layer.LayerCmd)
+	RootCmd.AddCommand(mount.MountCmd)
+	RootCmd.AddCommand(AddToPathCmd)
 }