diff --git a/api/api.py b/api/api.py
index 56c28fc..8d67111 100644
--- a/api/api.py
+++ b/api/api.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
     # see https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/deployment/docker/#replication-number-of-processes for comment on worker counts
 
+    # logger = tooling.logger_init('DEBUG')
     logger = tooling.logger_init()
     
     # check env and use defaults if not present
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@
     env = tooling.check_env_vars()
 
     # set logger level based on what we got back
-
+    
     tooling.set_log_level(env['LOG_LEVEL'])
 
     # dump environment we care about
diff --git a/api/routers/configuration/delete.py b/api/routers/configuration/delete.py
index 88dc577..05fdb6b 100644
--- a/api/routers/configuration/delete.py
+++ b/api/routers/configuration/delete.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ## Delete Configuration operation
 
 import json
-# from ...tooling.logger import logger
+import logging 
 from fastapi import Request, Response, status, Query
 from ..database.redis import check_conf_server
 
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ async def delete_config(
         config_section: str = Query(None, alias='section')
 ):
 
+    logger = logging.getLogger('api')
+
     route_path = request.url.path
 
     if config_op == "delete" and instance_param and redis_param:
diff --git a/api/routers/configuration/get.py b/api/routers/configuration/get.py
index 0153c00..0f55dad 100644
--- a/api/routers/configuration/get.py
+++ b/api/routers/configuration/get.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Get Configuration operation
 
-# from ...tooling import logger
+import logging
 from fastapi import Request, Response, status, Query
 from ..database.redis import check_conf_server
 
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ async def get_config(
         config_section: str | None = None
 ):
 
+    logger = logging.getLogger('api')
+
     route_path = request.url.path
 
     logger.debug(f'route_path: ${route_path}')
diff --git a/api/routers/configuration/put.py b/api/routers/configuration/put.py
index 8a73eae..70d27b5 100644
--- a/api/routers/configuration/put.py
+++ b/api/routers/configuration/put.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Put Configuration operation
 
 import json
-# from ...tooling.logger_init import logger
+import logging
 from fastapi import Request, Response, status, Query
 from ..database.redis import check_conf_server
 
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ async def put_config(
         config_section: str = Query(None, alias='section')
 ):
 
+    logger = logging.getLogger('api')
+
     route_path = request.url.path
 
 
diff --git a/api/routers/configuration/update.py b/api/routers/configuration/update.py
index 4cb5df5..9a38785 100644
--- a/api/routers/configuration/update.py
+++ b/api/routers/configuration/update.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Update Configuration operation
 
 import json
-from api.tooling.logger import logger
+import logging
 from fastapi import Request, Response, status, Query
 from api.routers.database.redis import check_conf_server
 
diff --git a/api/routers/database/couchbase.py b/api/routers/database/couchbase.py
index f005cbf..ea05b95 100644
--- a/api/routers/database/couchbase.py
+++ b/api/routers/database/couchbase.py
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 from couchbase.auth import PasswordAuthenticator
 from couchbase.cluster import Cluster, ClusterOptions
 from couchbase.exceptions import CouchbaseException, DocumentNotFoundException, TimeoutException
-# from api.tooling.logger import logger
+
+import logging
+
+
 
 def check_couchbase(couchbase_param):
     """
@@ -12,6 +15,8 @@ def check_couchbase(couchbase_param):
     :return: (status_code, couchbase) tuple where status_code is boolean if connection fails, and bucket is the Couchbase bucket if successful
     """
 
+    logger = logging.getLogger('api')
+
     # did we get all required params?
     if ( not couchbase_param.endpoint or 
          not couchbase_param.username or 
diff --git a/api/routers/database/operations.py b/api/routers/database/operations.py
index b4466f0..420c3f7 100644
--- a/api/routers/database/operations.py
+++ b/api/routers/database/operations.py
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 # Database operations
 
-# from ...tooling.logger import logger
+import logging
 from fastapi import APIRouter
 
 def init_router() -> APIRouter:
 
+    logger = logging.getLogger('api')
+
     router = APIRouter()
 
     return router
diff --git a/api/routers/database/redis.py b/api/routers/database/redis.py
index 5d37807..941eb8d 100644
--- a/api/routers/database/redis.py
+++ b/api/routers/database/redis.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import redis
 import urllib.parse
-# from ...tooling.logger import logger
+import logging
+
+
 
 def check_conf_server(host_param):
     """
@@ -11,6 +13,8 @@ def check_conf_server(host_param):
     :return: (status_code, r) tuple where status_code is boolean for the check success, and r is the Redis handle if successful
     """
 
+    logger = logging.getLogger('api')
+
     redissplit = urllib.parse.urlsplit('//' + host_param) # split parameter into .hostname and .port
     if redissplit.port:
             redisport = redissplit.port
diff --git a/api/routers/internal/get_config_section.py b/api/routers/internal/get_config_section.py
index 9516ab8..312b33d 100644
--- a/api/routers/internal/get_config_section.py
+++ b/api/routers/internal/get_config_section.py
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 import requests
+import logging
 
 def get_config_section(api_url, redis_url, instance, section):
 
+    logger = logging.getLogger('api')
+
     params = {
 
     }
diff --git a/api/routers/internal/toml.py b/api/routers/internal/toml.py
index 446fa4b..7a1eb36 100644
--- a/api/routers/internal/toml.py
+++ b/api/routers/internal/toml.py
@@ -8,11 +8,13 @@
 
 import sys
 import json
-
+import logging
 
 
 def toml_import(logger, toml_file) :
     
+    logger = logging.getLogger('api')
+
     toml_dict = None
     logger.debug("> " + sys._getframe().f_code.co_name + "()")
     
@@ -29,6 +31,8 @@ def toml_import(logger, toml_file) :
 
 def toml_export(logger, redis, instance_name, table_name) :
 
+    logger = logging.getLogger('api')
+
     logger.debug("> " + sys._getframe().f_code.co_name + "()")
     
     # initialize toml_dict dict since it doesn't exist here
diff --git a/api/tooling/check_env_vars.py b/api/tooling/check_env_vars.py
index b48734c..4a8830f 100644
--- a/api/tooling/check_env_vars.py
+++ b/api/tooling/check_env_vars.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ def check_env_vars() -> Dict:
     """
 
     # access the 'global' logger
-    logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+    logger = logging.getLogger('api')
 
     vars = [
         'REDIS_HOST',
diff --git a/api/tooling/logger_init.py b/api/tooling/logger_init.py
index 342b9a7..5074d85 100644
--- a/api/tooling/logger_init.py
+++ b/api/tooling/logger_init.py
@@ -29,18 +29,19 @@ class ANSIColors:
     yellow = '\033[33m'
     red = '\033[31m'
     bold_red = '\033[31;1m'
-    cyan = '\036m'
+    cyan = '\033[36m'
     reset = '\033[0m'
 
 
 
 # Define custom formats for each severity level
 level_formats = {
-    logging.DEBUG: ANSIColors.green + '%(levelname)s:' + ANSIColors.white + '\t  %(asctime)s %(module)s' + ANSIColors.green + ' %(message)s' + ANSIColors.reset,
-    logging.INFO: ANSIColors.cyan + '%(levelname)s:' + ANSIColors.reset + '\t  %(message)s',
+    # logging.DEBUG: ANSIColors.cyan + '%(levelname)s:' + ANSIColors.white + '\t  %(asctime)s %(module)s' + ANSIColors.cyan + ' %(message)s' + ANSIColors.reset,
+    logging.DEBUG: ANSIColors.cyan + '%(levelname)s:' + ANSIColors.white + '\t  %(module)s' + ANSIColors.cyan + ' %(message)s' + ANSIColors.reset,
+    logging.INFO: ANSIColors.green + '%(levelname)s:  \t  %(message)s' + ANSIColors.reset,
     logging.WARNING: ANSIColors.yellow + '%(levelname)s:' + ANSIColors.reset + '\t  %(message)s',
     logging.ERROR: ANSIColors.red + '%(levelname)s:' + ANSIColors.reset + '\t  %(message)s',
-    logging.CRITICAL: ANSIColors.bold_red + '%(levelname)s:' + ANSIColors.reset + '\t  %(message)s'
+    logging.CRITICAL: ANSIColors.bold_red + '%(levelname)s:' + ANSIColors.reset + ' %(message)s'
 }
 
 
@@ -56,10 +57,12 @@ def logger_init(startup_logging_level: str = 'INFO') -> logging.Logger:
         logging.Logger: returns a Logger with custom formatter/handler and level set (see Args).
     """
 
-    # access the 'global' logger
-    logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+    logger = logging.getLogger('api')
 
-    formatter = CustomFormatter(level_formats=level_formats)
+    # reduce datatimestamp {asctime} to HH:MM:SS without msec
+    date_format = '%H:%M:%S'
+
+    formatter = CustomFormatter(level_formats=level_formats,datefmt=date_format)
     handler = logging.StreamHandler(sys.stdout)
     handler.setFormatter(formatter)
     
diff --git a/api/tooling/set_log_level.py b/api/tooling/set_log_level.py
index 7b2eee4..0f09236 100644
--- a/api/tooling/set_log_level.py
+++ b/api/tooling/set_log_level.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import logging
+import os
+from time import sleep
 
 def set_log_level(level_str: str) -> None:
     """
@@ -10,7 +12,7 @@ def set_log_level(level_str: str) -> None:
     """
 
     # access the 'global' logger
-    logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+    logger = logging.getLogger('api')
 
     level_str = level_str.upper()
 
@@ -25,7 +27,10 @@ def set_log_level(level_str: str) -> None:
     logger.debug(f'level_str = {level_str}')
 
     if not level_str in log_levels:
-        level_str = 'DEBUG'
+        logger.critical('unrecognized LOG_LEVEL, FastAPI will probably throw up, exiting.')
+        logger.debug('sleeping for 5 seconds to reduce thrashing.')
+        sleep(5)
+        os.sys.exit()
 
     logger.setLevel(logging.getLevelName(level_str))