diff --git a/cmd/crowdsec/api.go b/cmd/crowdsec/api.go
index 2af3bbf05..daae1ca7a 100644
--- a/cmd/crowdsec/api.go
+++ b/cmd/crowdsec/api.go
@@ -4,14 +4,19 @@ import (
 	"runtime"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+
 	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/apiserver"
 	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/csconfig"
 	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/types"
-	"github.com/pkg/errors"
-	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
 func initAPIServer(cConfig *csconfig.Config) (*apiserver.APIServer, error) {
+	if cConfig.API.Server.OnlineClient == nil || cConfig.API.Server.OnlineClient.Credentials == nil {
+		log.Info("push and pull to Central API disabled")
+	}
+
 	apiServer, err := apiserver.NewServer(cConfig.API.Server)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "unable to run local API")
@@ -19,7 +24,7 @@ func initAPIServer(cConfig *csconfig.Config) (*apiserver.APIServer, error) {
 
 	if hasPlugins(cConfig.API.Server.Profiles) {
 		log.Info("initiating plugin broker")
-		//On windows, the plugins are always run as medium-integrity processes, so we don't care about plugin_config
+		// On windows, the plugins are always run as medium-integrity processes, so we don't care about plugin_config
 		if cConfig.PluginConfig == nil && runtime.GOOS != "windows" {
 			return nil, errors.New("plugins are enabled, but the plugin_config section is missing in the configuration")
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/crowdsec/main.go b/cmd/crowdsec/main.go
index 43eb63ec4..63506a6c3 100644
--- a/cmd/crowdsec/main.go
+++ b/cmd/crowdsec/main.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ var (
 	/*the state of the buckets*/
 	holders         []leakybucket.BucketFactory
 	buckets         *leakybucket.Buckets
-	outputEventChan chan types.Event //the buckets init returns its own chan that is used for multiplexing
+	outputEventChan chan types.Event // the buckets init returns its own chan that is used for multiplexing
 	/*settings*/
 	lastProcessedItem time.Time /*keep track of last item timestamp in time-machine. it is used to GC buckets when we dump them.*/
 	pluginBroker      csplugin.PluginBroker
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ type Flags struct {
 	DebugLevel     bool
 	InfoLevel      bool
 	WarnLevel      bool
+	ErrorLevel     bool
 	PrintVersion   bool
 	SingleFileType string
 	Labels         map[string]string
@@ -109,7 +110,6 @@ func newParsers() *parser.Parsers {
 }
 
 func LoadBuckets(cConfig *csconfig.Config) error {
-
 	var (
 		err   error
 		files []string
@@ -160,9 +160,11 @@ func LoadAcquisition(cConfig *csconfig.Config) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-var dumpFolder string
-var dumpStates bool
-var labels = make(labelsMap)
+var (
+	dumpFolder string
+	dumpStates bool
+	labels     = make(labelsMap)
+)
 
 func (l *labelsMap) String() string {
 	return "labels"
@@ -178,12 +180,12 @@ func (l labelsMap) Set(label string) error {
 }
 
 func (f *Flags) Parse() {
-
 	flag.StringVar(&f.ConfigFile, "c", csconfig.DefaultConfigPath("config.yaml"), "configuration file")
 	flag.BoolVar(&f.TraceLevel, "trace", false, "VERY verbose")
 	flag.BoolVar(&f.DebugLevel, "debug", false, "print debug-level on stderr")
 	flag.BoolVar(&f.InfoLevel, "info", false, "print info-level on stderr")
 	flag.BoolVar(&f.WarnLevel, "warning", false, "print warning-level on stderr")
+	flag.BoolVar(&f.ErrorLevel, "error", false, "print error-level on stderr")
 	flag.BoolVar(&f.PrintVersion, "version", false, "display version")
 	flag.StringVar(&f.OneShotDSN, "dsn", "", "Process a single data source in time-machine")
 	flag.StringVar(&f.SingleFileType, "type", "", "Labels.type for file in time-machine")
@@ -197,8 +199,41 @@ func (f *Flags) Parse() {
 	flag.Parse()
 }
 
+func newLogLevel(curLevelPtr *log.Level, f *Flags) *log.Level {
+	// mother of all defaults
+	ret := log.InfoLevel
+
+	// keep if already set
+	if curLevelPtr != nil {
+		ret = *curLevelPtr
+	}
+
+	// override from flags
+	switch {
+	case f.TraceLevel:
+		ret = log.TraceLevel
+	case f.DebugLevel:
+		ret = log.DebugLevel
+	case f.InfoLevel:
+		ret = log.InfoLevel
+	case f.WarnLevel:
+		ret = log.WarnLevel
+	case f.ErrorLevel:
+		ret = log.ErrorLevel
+	default:
+	}
+
+	if ret == *curLevelPtr {
+		// avoid returning a new ptr to the same value
+		return curLevelPtr
+	}
+	return &ret
+}
+
 // LoadConfig returns a configuration parsed from configuration file
 func LoadConfig(cConfig *csconfig.Config) error {
+	cConfig.Common.LogLevel = newLogLevel(cConfig.Common.LogLevel, flags)
+
 	if dumpFolder != "" {
 		parser.ParseDump = true
 		parser.DumpFolder = dumpFolder
@@ -226,23 +261,6 @@ func LoadConfig(cConfig *csconfig.Config) error {
 		return errors.New("You must run at least the API Server or crowdsec")
 	}
 
-	if flags.WarnLevel {
-		logLevel := log.WarnLevel
-		cConfig.Common.LogLevel = &logLevel
-	}
-	if flags.InfoLevel || cConfig.Common.LogLevel == nil {
-		logLevel := log.InfoLevel
-		cConfig.Common.LogLevel = &logLevel
-	}
-	if flags.DebugLevel {
-		logLevel := log.DebugLevel
-		cConfig.Common.LogLevel = &logLevel
-	}
-	if flags.TraceLevel {
-		logLevel := log.TraceLevel
-		cConfig.Common.LogLevel = &logLevel
-	}
-
 	if flags.TestMode && !cConfig.DisableAgent {
 		cConfig.Crowdsec.LintOnly = true
 	}
@@ -268,6 +286,15 @@ func LoadConfig(cConfig *csconfig.Config) error {
 		cConfig.Common.Daemonize = false
 	}
 
+	// Configure logging
+	if err := types.SetDefaultLoggerConfig(cConfig.Common.LogMedia,
+		cConfig.Common.LogDir, *cConfig.Common.LogLevel,
+		cConfig.Common.LogMaxSize, cConfig.Common.LogMaxFiles,
+		cConfig.Common.LogMaxAge, cConfig.Common.CompressLogs,
+		cConfig.Common.ForceColorLogs); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/crowdsec/run_in_svc.go b/cmd/crowdsec/run_in_svc.go
index 2e6e81c6e..b6035e5df 100644
--- a/cmd/crowdsec/run_in_svc.go
+++ b/cmd/crowdsec/run_in_svc.go
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@ package main
 import (
 	"os"
 
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus/hooks/writer"
+
 	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/csconfig"
 	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/cwversion"
 	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/database"
-	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/types"
-	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
-	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus/hooks/writer"
 )
 
 func StartRunSvc() error {
@@ -37,11 +37,6 @@ func StartRunSvc() error {
 	if err := LoadConfig(cConfig); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	// Configure logging
-	if err = types.SetDefaultLoggerConfig(cConfig.Common.LogMedia, cConfig.Common.LogDir, *cConfig.Common.LogLevel,
-		cConfig.Common.LogMaxSize, cConfig.Common.LogMaxFiles, cConfig.Common.LogMaxAge, cConfig.Common.CompressLogs, cConfig.Common.ForceColorLogs); err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
-	}
 
 	log.Infof("Crowdsec %s", cwversion.VersionStr())
 
diff --git a/cmd/crowdsec/run_in_svc_windows.go b/cmd/crowdsec/run_in_svc_windows.go
index caa1b960b..40e19dfe5 100644
--- a/cmd/crowdsec/run_in_svc_windows.go
+++ b/cmd/crowdsec/run_in_svc_windows.go
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@ package main
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
-	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/csconfig"
-	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/cwversion"
-	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/database"
-	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/types"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"golang.org/x/sys/windows/svc"
+
+	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/csconfig"
+	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/cwversion"
+	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/database"
 )
 
 func StartRunSvc() error {
@@ -66,11 +66,6 @@ func WindowsRun() error {
 		return err
 	}
 	// Configure logging
-	if err = types.SetDefaultLoggerConfig(cConfig.Common.LogMedia, cConfig.Common.LogDir, *cConfig.Common.LogLevel,
-		cConfig.Common.LogMaxSize, cConfig.Common.LogMaxFiles, cConfig.Common.LogMaxAge, cConfig.Common.CompressLogs, cConfig.Common.ForceColorLogs); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	log.Infof("Crowdsec %s", cwversion.VersionStr())
 
 	if bincoverTesting != "" {
diff --git a/cmd/crowdsec/serve.go b/cmd/crowdsec/serve.go
index d309440c3..8b9486d28 100644
--- a/cmd/crowdsec/serve.go
+++ b/cmd/crowdsec/serve.go
@@ -62,14 +62,6 @@ func reloadHandler(sig os.Signal) (*csconfig.Config, error) {
 	if err = LoadConfig(cConfig); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	// Configure logging
-	if err = types.SetDefaultLoggerConfig(cConfig.Common.LogMedia,
-		cConfig.Common.LogDir, *cConfig.Common.LogLevel,
-		cConfig.Common.LogMaxSize, cConfig.Common.LogMaxFiles,
-		cConfig.Common.LogMaxAge, cConfig.Common.CompressLogs,
-		cConfig.Common.ForceColorLogs); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
 
 	if !cConfig.DisableAPI {
 		if flags.DisableCAPI {
diff --git a/cmd/crowdsec/win_service.go b/cmd/crowdsec/win_service.go
index 85b1f167f..b5c59ca45 100644
--- a/cmd/crowdsec/win_service.go
+++ b/cmd/crowdsec/win_service.go
@@ -11,13 +11,13 @@ import (
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/csconfig"
-	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/types"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"golang.org/x/sys/windows"
 	"golang.org/x/sys/windows/svc"
 	"golang.org/x/sys/windows/svc/eventlog"
+
+	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/csconfig"
 )
 
 type crowdsec_winservice struct {
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func (m *crowdsec_winservice) Execute(args []string, r <-chan svc.ChangeRequest,
 					err := shutdown(nil, m.config)
 					if err != nil {
 						log.Errorf("Error while shutting down: %s", err)
-						//don't return, we still want to notify windows that we are stopped ?
+						// don't return, we still want to notify windows that we are stopped ?
 					}
 					break loop
 				default:
@@ -64,8 +64,7 @@ func (m *crowdsec_winservice) Execute(args []string, r <-chan svc.ChangeRequest,
 }
 
 func runService(name string) error {
-
-	//All the calls to logging before the logger is configured are pretty much useless, but we keep them for clarity
+	// All the calls to logging before the logger is configured are pretty much useless, but we keep them for clarity
 	err := eventlog.InstallAsEventCreate("CrowdSec", eventlog.Error|eventlog.Warning|eventlog.Info)
 	if err != nil {
 		if errno, ok := err.(syscall.Errno); ok {
@@ -79,14 +78,14 @@ func runService(name string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	//Let's use our source even if we could not install it:
+	// Let's use our source even if we could not install it:
 	// - It could have been created earlier
 	// - No permission to create it (e.g. running as non-admin when working on crowdsec)
-	//It will still work, windows will just display some additional errors in the event log
+	// It will still work, windows will just display some additional errors in the event log
 	evtlog, err := eventlog.Open("CrowdSec")
 
 	if err == nil {
-		//Send panic and fatal to event log, as they can happen before the logger is configured.
+		// Send panic and fatal to event log, as they can happen before the logger is configured.
 		log.AddHook(&EventLogHook{
 			LogLevels: []log.Level{
 				log.PanicLevel,
@@ -107,12 +106,6 @@ func runService(name string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// Configure logging
-	if err := types.SetDefaultLoggerConfig(cConfig.Common.LogMedia, cConfig.Common.LogDir, *cConfig.Common.LogLevel,
-		cConfig.Common.LogMaxSize, cConfig.Common.LogMaxFiles, cConfig.Common.LogMaxAge, cConfig.Common.CompressLogs, cConfig.Common.ForceColorLogs); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	log.Infof("starting %s service", name)
 	winsvc := crowdsec_winservice{config: cConfig}
 
diff --git a/pkg/csconfig/api.go b/pkg/csconfig/api.go
index 0f94b725d..1b4efa68c 100644
--- a/pkg/csconfig/api.go
+++ b/pkg/csconfig/api.go
@@ -9,12 +9,13 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/apiclient"
-	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/types"
-	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/yamlpatch"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
+
+	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/apiclient"
+	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/types"
+	"github.com/crowdsecurity/crowdsec/pkg/yamlpatch"
 )
 
 type APICfg struct {
@@ -33,13 +34,13 @@ type ApiCredentialsCfg struct {
 
 /*global api config (for lapi->oapi)*/
 type OnlineApiClientCfg struct {
-	CredentialsFilePath string             `yaml:"credentials_path,omitempty"` //credz will be edited by software, store in diff file
+	CredentialsFilePath string             `yaml:"credentials_path,omitempty"` // credz will be edited by software, store in diff file
 	Credentials         *ApiCredentialsCfg `yaml:"-"`
 }
 
 /*local api config (for crowdsec/cscli->lapi)*/
 type LocalApiClientCfg struct {
-	CredentialsFilePath string             `yaml:"credentials_path,omitempty"` //credz will be edited by software, store in diff file
+	CredentialsFilePath string             `yaml:"credentials_path,omitempty"` // credz will be edited by software, store in diff file
 	Credentials         *ApiCredentialsCfg `yaml:"-"`
 	InsecureSkipVerify  *bool              `yaml:"insecure_skip_verify"` // check if api certificate is bad or not
 }
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ func toValidCIDR(ip string) string {
 /*local api service configuration*/
 type LocalApiServerCfg struct {
 	Enable                 *bool               `yaml:"enable"`
-	ListenURI              string              `yaml:"listen_uri,omitempty"` //127.0.0.1:8080
+	ListenURI              string              `yaml:"listen_uri,omitempty"` // 127.0.0.1:8080
 	TLS                    *TLSCfg             `yaml:"tls"`
 	DbConfig               *DatabaseCfg        `yaml:"-"`
 	LogDir                 string              `yaml:"-"`
@@ -171,7 +172,6 @@ type TLSCfg struct {
 }
 
 func (c *Config) LoadAPIServer() error {
-
 	if c.DisableAPI {
 		log.Warning("crowdsec local API is disabled from flag")
 	}
@@ -227,9 +227,7 @@ func (c *Config) LoadAPIServer() error {
 			return errors.Wrap(err, "loading online client credentials")
 		}
 	}
-	if c.API.Server.OnlineClient == nil || c.API.Server.OnlineClient.Credentials == nil {
-		log.Printf("push and pull to Central API disabled")
-	}
+
 	if err := c.LoadDBConfig(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/tests/bats/04_nocapi.bats b/tests/bats/04_nocapi.bats
index d77c64b49..b7fa20924 100644
--- a/tests/bats/04_nocapi.bats
+++ b/tests/bats/04_nocapi.bats
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ teardown() {
 
 @test "without capi: crowdsec LAPI should still work" {
     config_disable_capi
+    config_set '.common.log_media="stdout"'
     run -124 --separate-stderr timeout 1s "${CROWDSEC}"
     # from `man timeout`: If  the  command  times  out,  and --preserve-status is not set, then exit with status 124.
     assert_stderr --partial "push and pull to Central API disabled"
diff --git a/tests/lib/config/config-global b/tests/lib/config/config-global
index c2f0767c9..592a927c2 100755
--- a/tests/lib/config/config-global
+++ b/tests/lib/config/config-global
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ load_init_data() {
     ./bin/assert-crowdsec-not-running || die "Cannot load fixture data."
 
     if [[ ! -f "${LOCAL_INIT_DIR}/init-config-data.tar" ]]; then
-        die "Initial data not found; did you run '${script_name} make' ?"
+        die "Initial data not found; did you run 'make bats-fixture' ?"
     fi
 
     dump_backend="$(cat "${LOCAL_INIT_DIR}/.backend")"
diff --git a/tests/lib/config/config-local b/tests/lib/config/config-local
index 7d84ac7df..0298fc4d4 100755
--- a/tests/lib/config/config-local
+++ b/tests/lib/config/config-local
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ load_init_data() {
     ./bin/assert-crowdsec-not-running || die "Cannot load fixture data."
 
     if [[ ! -f "${LOCAL_INIT_DIR}/init-config-data.tar" ]]; then
-        die "Initial data not found; did you run '${script_name} make' ?"
+        die "Initial data not found; did you run 'make bats-fixture' ?"
     fi
 
     dump_backend="$(cat "${LOCAL_INIT_DIR}/.backend")"