diff --git a/cmd/server.go b/cmd/server.go
index 3e43869c5..9ef9aa1a8 100644
--- a/cmd/server.go
+++ b/cmd/server.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"log"
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
 	"runtime/pprof"
@@ -44,7 +45,20 @@ It will load existing data from the configured
 directory, and start listening client connections
 on the configured port.`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			fmt.Fprintf(Server.Stderr, "Pilosa %s, build time %s\n", pilosa.Version, pilosa.BuildTime)
+			// TODO this code is duplicated from server/server.go:Server.Run() because it hasnt run yet
+			var logOutput io.Writer
+			if Server.Config.LogPath == "" {
+				logOutput = stderr
+			} else {
+				var err error
+				logOutput, err = os.OpenFile(Server.Config.LogPath, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_APPEND, 0600)
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+			}
+			logger := log.New(logOutput, "", log.LstdFlags)
+			logger.Printf("Pilosa %s, build time %s\n", pilosa.Version, pilosa.BuildTime)
+			// fmt.Fprintf(Server.Stderr, "Pilosa %s, build time %s\n", pilosa.Version, pilosa.BuildTime)
 
 			// Start CPU profiling.
 			if Server.CPUProfile != "" {
@@ -73,7 +87,7 @@ on the configured port.`,
 			signal.Notify(c, os.Interrupt)
 			select {
 			case sig := <-c:
-				fmt.Fprintf(Server.Stderr, "Received %s; gracefully shutting down...\n", sig.String())
+				logger.Printf("Received %s; gracefully shutting down...\n", sig.String())
 
 				// Second signal causes a hard shutdown.
 				go func() { <-c; os.Exit(1) }()
@@ -82,7 +96,7 @@ on the configured port.`,
 					return err
 				}
 			case <-Server.Done:
-				fmt.Fprintf(Server.Stderr, "Server closed externally")
+				logger.Printf("Server closed externally")
 			}
 			return nil
 		},
diff --git a/fragment.go b/fragment.go
index 4758f18e8..278a23bcf 100644
--- a/fragment.go
+++ b/fragment.go
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ func (f *Fragment) openCache() error {
 	// Unmarshal cache data.
 	var pb internal.Cache
 	if err := proto.Unmarshal(buf, &pb); err != nil {
-		log.Printf("error unmarshaling cache data, skipping: path=%s, err=%s", path, err)
+		f.logger().Printf("error unmarshaling cache data, skipping: path=%s, err=%s", path, err)
 		return nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/gossip/gossip.go b/gossip/gossip.go
index 1b15522a7..c8d9a616d 100644
--- a/gossip/gossip.go
+++ b/gossip/gossip.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"log"
-	"os"
 
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
 
@@ -98,9 +97,9 @@ type gossipConfig struct {
 }
 
 // NewGossipNodeSet returns a new instance of GossipNodeSet.
-func NewGossipNodeSet(name string, gossipHost string, gossipPort int, gossipSeed string, sh pilosa.StatusHandler) *GossipNodeSet {
+func NewGossipNodeSet(name string, gossipHost string, gossipPort int, gossipSeed string, sh pilosa.StatusHandler, logOutput io.Writer) *GossipNodeSet {
 	g := &GossipNodeSet{
-		LogOutput: os.Stderr,
+		LogOutput: logOutput,
 	}
 
 	//TODO: pull memberlist config from pilosa.cfg file
diff --git a/holder.go b/holder.go
index 59fef1560..2fdb58e97 100644
--- a/holder.go
+++ b/holder.go
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func (h *Holder) Open() error {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		h.logger().Printf("opening index: %s", filepath.Base(fi.Name()))
+		h.logger().Printf("opening index: %s", filepath.Base(fi.Name())) // TODO h.LogOutput not set until server.go:Server.Open()
 
 		index, err := h.newIndex(h.IndexPath(filepath.Base(fi.Name())), filepath.Base(fi.Name()))
 		if err == ErrName {
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index 7738f513c..dfa5b6e61 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"log"
 	"math/rand"
 	"net"
 	"os"
@@ -100,7 +101,10 @@ func (m *Command) Run(args ...string) (err error) {
 	if err = m.Server.Open(); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("server.Open: %v", err)
 	}
-	fmt.Fprintf(m.Stderr, "Listening as http://%s\n", m.Server.Host)
+
+	logger := log.New(m.Server.LogOutput, "", log.LstdFlags) // TODO make this a function?
+
+	logger.Printf("Listening as http://%s\n", m.Server.Host)
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -132,8 +136,10 @@ func (m *Command) SetupServer() error {
 		m.Server.LogOutput = logFile
 	}
 
+	logger := log.New(m.Server.LogOutput, "", log.LstdFlags)
+
 	// Configure holder.
-	fmt.Fprintf(m.Stderr, "Using data from: %s\n", m.Config.DataDir)
+	logger.Printf("Using data from: %s\n", m.Config.DataDir)
 	m.Server.Holder.Path = m.Config.DataDir
 	m.Server.MetricInterval = time.Duration(m.Config.Metric.PollingInterval)
 	m.Server.Holder.Stats, err = NewStatsClient(m.Config.Metric.Service, m.Config.Metric.Host)
@@ -160,7 +166,7 @@ func (m *Command) SetupServer() error {
 	switch m.Config.Cluster.Type {
 	case "http":
 		m.Server.Broadcaster = httpbroadcast.NewHTTPBroadcaster(m.Server, internalPortStr)
-		m.Server.BroadcastReceiver = httpbroadcast.NewHTTPBroadcastReceiver(internalPortStr, m.Stderr)
+		m.Server.BroadcastReceiver = httpbroadcast.NewHTTPBroadcastReceiver(internalPortStr, m.Server.LogOutput)
 		m.Server.Cluster.NodeSet = httpbroadcast.NewHTTPNodeSet()
 		err := m.Server.Cluster.NodeSet.(*httpbroadcast.HTTPNodeSet).Join(m.Server.Cluster.Nodes)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -180,7 +186,7 @@ func (m *Command) SetupServer() error {
 		if err != nil {
 			gossipHost = m.Config.Host
 		}
-		gossipNodeSet := gossip.NewGossipNodeSet(m.Config.Host, gossipHost, gossipPort, gossipSeed, m.Server)
+		gossipNodeSet := gossip.NewGossipNodeSet(m.Config.Host, gossipHost, gossipPort, gossipSeed, m.Server, m.Server.LogOutput)
 		m.Server.Cluster.NodeSet = gossipNodeSet
 		m.Server.Broadcaster = gossipNodeSet
 		m.Server.BroadcastReceiver = gossipNodeSet