diff --git a/source/src/log.cpp b/source/src/log.cpp
index adae4c85..0121b6d2 100644
--- a/source/src/log.cpp
+++ b/source/src/log.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
     static const int levels[] = { LOG_DEBUG, LOG_DEBUG, LOG_INFO, LOG_WARNING, LOG_ERR };
 #endif
 
-static const char *leveldesc[] = { "", "", "", "WARNING: ", "ERROR: " };
+static const char *levelprefix[] = { "", "", "", "WARNING: ", "ERROR: " };
+static const char *levelname[] = { "DEBUG", "VERBOSE", "INFO", "WARNING", "ERROR", "DISABLED" };
 static FILE *fp = NULL;
 static string filepath, ident;
 static int facility = -1,
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ bool initlogging(const char *identity, int facility_, int consolethres, int file
     if(syslogthreshold < ACLOG_NUM)
     {
         facility &= 7;
-        s_sprintf(ident)("AssaultCube%s", identity);
+        s_sprintf(ident)("AssaultCube[%s]", identity);
         openlog(ident, LOG_NDELAY, facilities[facility]);
     }
 #endif
@@ -50,7 +51,15 @@ bool initlogging(const char *identity, int facility_, int consolethres, int file
         fp = fopen(filepath, "w");
         if(!fp) printf("failed to open \"%s\" for writing\n", filepath);
     }
+    s_sprintfd(msg)("logging started: console(%s), file(%s", levelname[consolethreshold], levelname[fp ? filethreshold : ACLOG_NUM]);
+    if(fp) s_strcatf(msg, ", \"%s\"", filepath);
+#ifdef AC_USE_SYSLOG
+    s_strcatf(msg, "), syslog(%s", levelname[syslogthreshold]);
+    if(syslogthreshold < ACLOG_NUM) s_strcatf(msg, ", \"%s\", local%d", ident, facility);
+#endif
+    s_strcatf(msg, "), timestamp(%s)", timestamp ? "ENABLED" : "DISABLED");
     enabled = consolethreshold < ACLOG_NUM || fp || syslogthreshold < ACLOG_NUM;
+    if(enabled) printf("%s\n", msg);
     return enabled;
 }
 
@@ -70,7 +79,7 @@ bool logline(int level, const char *msg, ...)
     if(level < 0 || level >= ACLOG_NUM) return false;
     s_sprintfdv(sf, msg);
     filtertext(sf, sf, 2);
-    const char *ts = timestamp ? timestring(true, "%b %d %H:%M:%S ") : "", *ld = leveldesc[level];
+    const char *ts = timestamp ? timestring(true, "%b %d %H:%M:%S ") : "", *ld = levelprefix[level];
     char *p, *l = sf;
     do
     { // break into single lines first
diff --git a/source/src/protos.h b/source/src/protos.h
index d5496f3c..fb41a51d 100644
--- a/source/src/protos.h
+++ b/source/src/protos.h
@@ -803,6 +803,7 @@ struct servercommandline
                 char *buf = loadcfgfile(clfilename, a, &len);
                 if(buf)
                 {
+                    printf("reading commandline parameters from file '%s'\n", clfilename);
                     for(char *p = buf, *l; p < buf + len; line++)
                     {
                         l = p; p += strlen(p) + 1;
diff --git a/source/src/server.cpp b/source/src/server.cpp
index a485a302..e2f25735 100644
--- a/source/src/server.cpp
+++ b/source/src/server.cpp
@@ -3925,12 +3925,12 @@ void initserver(bool dedicated)
     srand(time(NULL));
 
     string identity;
-    if(scl.logident[0]) s_sprintf(identity)("[%s]", scl.logident);
-    else s_sprintf(identity)("[%s#%d]", scl.ip[0] ? scl.ip : "local", scl.serverport);
+    if(scl.logident[0]) filtertext(identity, scl.logident, 0);
+    else s_sprintf(identity)("%s#%d", scl.ip[0] ? scl.ip : "local", scl.serverport);
     int conthres = scl.verbose > 1 ? ACLOG_DEBUG : (scl.verbose ? ACLOG_VERBOSE : ACLOG_INFO);
     if(dedicated && !initlogging(identity, scl.syslogfacility, conthres, scl.filethres, scl.syslogthres, scl.logtimestamp))
         printf("WARNING: logging not started!\n");
-    logline(ACLOG_INFO, "logging local AssaultCube server (version %d, protocol %d/%d, logident %s(%d)) now..", AC_VERSION, SERVER_PROTOCOL_VERSION, EXT_VERSION, identity, scl.syslogfacility);
+    logline(ACLOG_INFO, "logging local AssaultCube server (version %d, protocol %d/%d) now..", AC_VERSION, SERVER_PROTOCOL_VERSION, EXT_VERSION);
 
     s_strcpy(servdesc_current, scl.servdesc_full);
     servermsinit(scl.master ? scl.master : AC_MASTER_URI, scl.ip, CUBE_SERVINFO_PORT(scl.serverport), dedicated);
diff --git a/source/src/serverms.cpp b/source/src/serverms.cpp
index 4cd1ddbe..60958fcd 100644
--- a/source/src/serverms.cpp
+++ b/source/src/serverms.cpp
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ void servermsinit(const char *master, const char *ip, int infoport, bool listen)
         ENetAddress address = { ENET_HOST_ANY, infoport };
         if(*ip)
         {
-            if(enet_address_set_host(&address, ip)<0) logline(ACLOG_WARNING, "server ip not resolved\n");
+            if(enet_address_set_host(&address, ip)<0) logline(ACLOG_WARNING, "server ip not resolved");
             else msaddress.host = address.host;
         }
         pongsock = enet_socket_create(ENET_SOCKET_TYPE_DATAGRAM);
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ void servermsinit(const char *master, const char *ip, int infoport, bool listen)
             enet_socket_destroy(pongsock);
             pongsock = ENET_SOCKET_NULL;
         }
-        if(pongsock == ENET_SOCKET_NULL) fatal("could not create server info socket\n");
+        if(pongsock == ENET_SOCKET_NULL) fatal("could not create server info socket");
         else enet_socket_set_option(pongsock, ENET_SOCKOPT_NONBLOCK, 1);
         address.port = CUBE_SERVINFO_PORT_LAN;
         lansock = enet_socket_create(ENET_SOCKET_TYPE_DATAGRAM);
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ void servermsinit(const char *master, const char *ip, int infoport, bool listen)
             enet_socket_destroy(lansock);
             lansock = ENET_SOCKET_NULL;
         }
-        if(lansock == ENET_SOCKET_NULL) logline(ACLOG_WARNING, "could not create LAN server info socket\n");
+        if(lansock == ENET_SOCKET_NULL) logline(ACLOG_WARNING, "could not create LAN server info socket");
         else enet_socket_set_option(lansock, ENET_SOCKOPT_NONBLOCK, 1);
 	}
 }