diff --git a/cmd/execute.go b/cmd/execute.go
index e8b5e513..2fe6007f 100644
--- a/cmd/execute.go
+++ b/cmd/execute.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
 	"plugin"
 	syn "sync"
 	"time"
@@ -82,7 +81,7 @@ func execute() {
 	log.Info("linking plugin", pluginPath)
 	plug, err := plugin.Open(pluginPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Debug("linking plugin failed")
+		log.Warn("linking plugin failed")
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
@@ -90,15 +89,14 @@ func execute() {
 	log.Info("loading transformers from plugin")
 	symExporter, err := plug.Lookup("Exporter")
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Debug("loading Exporter symbol failed")
+		log.Warn("loading Exporter symbol failed")
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
 	// Assert that the symbol is of type Exporter
 	exporter, ok := symExporter.(Exporter)
 	if !ok {
-		log.Debug("plugged-in symbol not of type Exporter")
-		os.Exit(1)
+		log.Fatal("plugged-in symbol not of type Exporter")
 	}
 
 	// Use the Exporters export method to load the EventTransformerInitializer, StorageTransformerInitializer, and ContractTransformerInitializer sets
diff --git a/cmd/fullSync.go b/cmd/fullSync.go
index 4d29c43a..803b37d5 100644
--- a/cmd/fullSync.go
+++ b/cmd/fullSync.go
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func fullSync() {
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Error("fullSync: error in validateBlocks: ", err)
 			}
-			log.Info(window.GetString())
+			log.Debug(window.GetString())
 		case <-missingBlocksPopulated:
 			go backFillAllBlocks(blockChain, blockRepository, missingBlocksPopulated, startingBlockNumber)
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/headerSync.go b/cmd/headerSync.go
index e4840ba6..f24a045c 100644
--- a/cmd/headerSync.go
+++ b/cmd/headerSync.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func headerSync() {
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Error("headerSync: ValidateHeaders failed: ", err)
 			}
-			log.Info(window.GetString())
+			log.Debug(window.GetString())
 		case n := <-missingBlocksPopulated:
 			if n == 0 {
 				time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index ef2475db..69890a9d 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -56,17 +55,22 @@ const (
 
 var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:              "vulcanizedb",
-	PersistentPreRun: database,
+	PersistentPreRun: initFuncs,
 }
 
 func Execute() {
 	log.Info("----- Starting vDB -----")
 	if err := rootCmd.Execute(); err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
-		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 }
 
+func initFuncs(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+	database(cmd, args)
+	logLevel(cmd, args)
+
+}
+
 func database(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 	ipc = viper.GetString("client.ipcpath")
 	levelDbPath = viper.GetString("client.leveldbpath")
@@ -81,6 +85,16 @@ func database(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 	viper.Set("database.config", databaseConfig)
 }
 
+func logLevel(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+	lvl, err := log.ParseLevel(viper.GetString("log.level"))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	log.SetLevel(lvl)
+	log.Info("Log level set to ", lvl.String())
+	return nil
+}
+
 func init() {
 	cobra.OnInitialize(initConfig)
 	// When searching for env variables, replace dots in config keys with underscores
@@ -97,6 +111,7 @@ func init() {
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().String("client-levelDbPath", "", "location of levelDb chaindata")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().String("filesystem-storageDiffsPath", "", "location of storage diffs csv file")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().String("exporter-name", "exporter", "name of exporter plugin")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().String("log-level", log.InfoLevel.String(), "Log level (trace, debug, info, warn, error, fatal, panic")
 
 	viper.BindPFlag("database.name", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("database-name"))
 	viper.BindPFlag("database.port", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("database-port"))
@@ -107,6 +122,7 @@ func init() {
 	viper.BindPFlag("client.levelDbPath", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("client-levelDbPath"))
 	viper.BindPFlag("filesystem.storageDiffsPath", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("filesystem-storageDiffsPath"))
 	viper.BindPFlag("exporter.fileName", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("exporter-name"))
+	viper.BindPFlag("log.level", rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup("log-level"))
 }
 
 func initConfig() {
@@ -116,7 +132,6 @@ func initConfig() {
 		noConfigError := "No config file passed with --config flag"
 		fmt.Println("Error: ", noConfigError)
 		log.Fatal(noConfigError)
-		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
 	if err := viper.ReadInConfig(); err == nil {
@@ -125,7 +140,6 @@ func initConfig() {
 		invalidConfigError := "Couldn't read config file"
 		fmt.Println("Error: ", invalidConfigError)
 		log.Fatal(invalidConfigError)
-		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/shared/fetcher/storage_fetcher.go b/libraries/shared/fetcher/storage_fetcher.go
index dea891e8..48960dcf 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/fetcher/storage_fetcher.go
+++ b/libraries/shared/fetcher/storage_fetcher.go
@@ -17,9 +17,12 @@
 package fetcher
 
 import (
+	"strings"
+
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+
 	"github.com/vulcanize/vulcanizedb/libraries/shared/storage/utils"
 	"github.com/vulcanize/vulcanizedb/pkg/fs"
-	"strings"
 )
 
 type IStorageFetcher interface {
@@ -39,6 +42,7 @@ func (storageFetcher CsvTailStorageFetcher) FetchStorageDiffs(out chan<- utils.S
 	if tailErr != nil {
 		errs <- tailErr
 	}
+	log.Debug("fetching storage diffs...")
 	for line := range t.Lines {
 		row, parseErr := utils.FromStrings(strings.Split(line.Text, ","))
 		if parseErr != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/history/populate_blocks.go b/pkg/history/populate_blocks.go
index a2c542d0..9651dd51 100644
--- a/pkg/history/populate_blocks.go
+++ b/pkg/history/populate_blocks.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package history
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 
 	"github.com/vulcanize/vulcanizedb/pkg/core"
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ func PopulateMissingBlocks(blockchain core.BlockChain, blockRepository datastore
 		return 0, nil
 	}
 
-	log.Printf("Backfilling %d blocks\n\n", len(blockRange))
+	log.Debug(getBlockRangeString(blockRange))
 	_, err = RetrieveAndUpdateBlocks(blockchain, blockRepository, blockRange)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Error("PopulateMissingBlocks: error gettings/updating blocks: ", err)
@@ -61,3 +62,7 @@ func RetrieveAndUpdateBlocks(blockchain core.BlockChain, blockRepository datasto
 	}
 	return len(blockNumbers), nil
 }
+
+func getBlockRangeString(blockRange []int64) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("Backfilling |%v| blocks", len(blockRange))
+}
diff --git a/pkg/history/populate_headers.go b/pkg/history/populate_headers.go
index dd8028ce..f2abc93b 100644
--- a/pkg/history/populate_headers.go
+++ b/pkg/history/populate_headers.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func PopulateMissingHeaders(blockChain core.BlockChain, headerRepository datasto
 		return 0, nil
 	}
 
-	log.Printf("Backfilling %d blocks\n\n", len(blockNumbers))
+	log.Debug(getBlockRangeString(blockNumbers))
 	_, err = RetrieveAndUpdateHeaders(blockChain, headerRepository, blockNumbers)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Error("PopulateMissingHeaders: Error getting/updating headers:", err)
@@ -61,3 +61,4 @@ func RetrieveAndUpdateHeaders(blockChain core.BlockChain, headerRepository datas
 	}
 	return len(blockNumbers), nil
 }
+
diff --git a/pkg/history/validation_window.go b/pkg/history/validation_window.go
index 24ae5ff0..92e360ad 100644
--- a/pkg/history/validation_window.go
+++ b/pkg/history/validation_window.go
@@ -50,6 +50,6 @@ func MakeRange(min, max int64) []int64 {
 }
 
 func (window ValidationWindow) GetString() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("Validating Blocks |%v|-- Validation Window --|%v}|",
+	return fmt.Sprintf("Validating Blocks |%v|-- Validation Window --|%v|",
 		window.LowerBound, window.UpperBound)
 }