diff --git a/.clang-tidy b/.clang-tidy
index a81f57c..7d9c8bd 100644
--- a/.clang-tidy
+++ b/.clang-tidy
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ Checks: >
   clang-analyzer-*,
   -clang-analyzer-security.insecureAPI.str*,
   -clang-analyzer-security.insecureAPI.mem*,
+  -clang-analyzer-security.insecureAPI.DeprecatedOrUnsafeBufferHandling,
   bugprone-*,
   cert-*,
   modernize-*,
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 24408f3..ac5f7ff 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ ALLFLAGS=$(CFLAGS) -I$(IDIR)
 
 LIBS=-lpam
 
-_DEPS = util.h ui.h config.h desktop.h auth.h efield.h keys.h users.h sessions.h chvt.h macros.h
+_DEPS = log.h util.h ui.h config.h desktop.h auth.h efield.h keys.h users.h sessions.h chvt.h macros.h
 DEPS = $(patsubst %,$(IDIR)/%,$(_DEPS))
 
-_OBJ = main.o util.o ui.o config.o desktop.o auth.o efield.o users.o sessions.o chvt.o
+_OBJ = main.o log.o util.o ui.o config.o desktop.o auth.o efield.o users.o sessions.o chvt.o
 OBJ = $(patsubst %,$(ODIR)/%,$(_OBJ))
 
 $(ODIR)/%.o: $(CDIR)/%.c $(DEPS)
diff --git a/include/log.h b/include/log.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..226b48b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/log.h
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#ifndef LOGH_
+#define LOGH_
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+void log_init(FILE* fd);
+void log_puts(const char* msg);
+void log_printf(const char* fmt, ...);
+// NOLINTNEXTLINE(readability-identifier-length)
+void log_perror(const char* s);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/include/macros.h b/include/macros.h
index d8f6882..93344d3 100644
--- a/include/macros.h
+++ b/include/macros.h
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+#ifndef MACROSH_
+#define MACROSH_
+
 // Do we just replace the compiler with clang??
 #if defined(__clang__)
 #define NULLABLE _Nullable
@@ -16,3 +19,5 @@
 #else
 #define UNULLABLE
 #endif
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/log.c b/src/log.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd473e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/log.c
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include "log.h"
+
+static FILE* logger_out = NULL;
+
+void log_init(FILE* fd) {
+  if (logger_out) (void)fclose(logger_out);
+  logger_out = fd;
+}
+
+void log_puts(const char* msg) {
+  if (!logger_out) return;
+  (void)fputs(msg, logger_out);
+}
+
+void log_printf(const char* fmt, ...) {
+  if (!logger_out) return;
+
+  va_list args;
+  va_start(args, fmt);
+
+  (void)vfprintf(logger_out, fmt, args);
+
+  va_end(args);
+}
+
+// NOLINTNEXTLINE(readability-identifier-length)
+void log_perror(const char* s) {
+  if (!logger_out) return;
+
+  if (s)
+    (void)fprintf(logger_out, "%s: %s", s, strerror(errno));
+  else
+    (void)fprintf(logger_out, "%s", strerror(errno));
+}
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index f1a87b1..f060034 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 #include <pwd.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 #include "chvt.h"
 #include "config.h"
+#include "log.h"
 #include "sessions.h"
 #include "ui.h"
 #include "users.h"
@@ -14,6 +16,18 @@
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
   if (argc == 2) chvt_str(argv[1]);
 
+  char* log_output = getenv("LIDM_LOG");
+  if (log_output) {
+    FILE* log_fd = fopen(log_output, "w");
+    if (!log_fd) {
+      perror("fopen");
+      (void)fputs("failed to open logfile in write mode", stderr);
+      return -1;
+    }
+
+    log_init(log_fd);
+  }
+
   char* conf_override = getenv("LIDM_CONF");
   struct config* config =
       parse_config(conf_override == NULL ? "/etc/lidm.ini" : conf_override);