diff --git a/src/app.js b/src/app.js
index 2f545fc..3e13ac7 100644
--- a/src/app.js
+++ b/src/app.js
@@ -49,7 +49,12 @@ function sanitizeReturnTo(value, fallback = "/app") {
   return value;
 }
 
-function buildApp({ config, initialState = null, onMutation = null }) {
+function buildApp({
+  config,
+  initialState = null,
+  onMutation = null,
+  logger = console,
+}) {
   const engine = new XArtAudioEngine({
     creditConfig: config.credit,
     initialState: initialState && initialState.engine ? initialState.engine : null,
@@ -79,8 +84,8 @@ function buildApp({ config, initialState = null, onMutation = null }) {
         updatedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
         engine: engine.exportState(),
       });
-    } catch {
-      // avoid breaking request flow on persistence callback issues
+    } catch (error) {
+      logger.error({ err: error }, "failed to persist mutation");
     }
   }
 
@@ -165,6 +170,7 @@ function buildApp({ config, initialState = null, onMutation = null }) {
         publicLink: result.reply ? result.reply.publicLink : `/audio/${result.job.assetId}`,
       });
     } catch (error) {
+      logger.warn({ err: error }, "x webhook request failed");
       return json(400, { error: error.message });
     }
   }
@@ -192,6 +198,7 @@ function buildApp({ config, initialState = null, onMutation = null }) {
       persistMutation();
       return json(200, { status: "credited" });
     } catch (error) {
+      logger.warn({ err: error }, "polar webhook request failed");
       return json(400, { error: error.message });
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/config.js b/src/config.js
index fe42547..fb0510b 100644
--- a/src/config.js
+++ b/src/config.js
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ function strFromEnv(name, fallback) {
 const parsed = {
   port: intFromEnv("PORT", 3000),
   stateFilePath: strFromEnv("STATE_FILE_PATH", "./data/state.json"),
+  logLevel: strFromEnv("LOG_LEVEL", "info"),
   xWebhookSecret: process.env.X_WEBHOOK_SECRET || "dev-x-secret",
   polarWebhookSecret: process.env.POLAR_WEBHOOK_SECRET || "dev-polar-secret",
   rateLimits: {
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ const parsed = {
 const ConfigSchema = z.object({
   port: z.number().int().positive(),
   stateFilePath: z.string().min(1),
+  logLevel: z.enum(["fatal", "error", "warn", "info", "debug", "trace", "silent"]),
   xWebhookSecret: z.string().min(1),
   polarWebhookSecret: z.string().min(1),
   rateLimits: z.object({
diff --git a/src/lib/logger.js b/src/lib/logger.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..05998c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/logger.js
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+"use strict";
+
+const pino = require("pino");
+
+function createLogger({ level = "info", name = "xartaudio" } = {}) {
+  return pino({
+    name,
+    level,
+    base: {
+      service: name,
+    },
+    timestamp: pino.stdTimeFunctions.isoTime,
+  });
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  createLogger,
+};
diff --git a/src/server.js b/src/server.js
index 0ab6792..a0a6a3a 100644
--- a/src/server.js
+++ b/src/server.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const http = require("node:http");
 const { buildApp } = require("./app");
 const { config } = require("./config");
 const { JsonFileStateStore } = require("./lib/state-store");
+const { createLogger } = require("./lib/logger");
 
 function readBody(req) {
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ function createMutationPersister({ stateStore, logger = console }) {
       queue = queue
         .then(() => stateStore.save(state))
         .catch((error) => {
-          logger.error("failed to persist state", error);
+          logger.error({ err: error }, "failed to persist state");
         });
 
       return queue;
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@ async function createRuntime({ runtimeConfig = config, logger = console } = {})
   const app = buildApp({
     config: runtimeConfig,
     initialState,
+    logger,
     onMutation(state) {
       void persister.enqueue(state);
     },
@@ -102,7 +104,11 @@ async function createRuntime({ runtimeConfig = config, logger = console } = {})
 }
 
 async function start() {
-  const runtime = await createRuntime({ runtimeConfig: config });
+  const logger = createLogger({
+    level: config.logLevel,
+    name: "xartaudio",
+  });
+  const runtime = await createRuntime({ runtimeConfig: config, logger });
   const { server, persister } = runtime;
 
   let shuttingDown = false;
@@ -112,7 +118,7 @@ async function start() {
     }
 
     shuttingDown = true;
-    console.log(`received ${signal}, shutting down`);
+    logger.info({ signal }, "received shutdown signal");
 
     server.close();
     await persister.flush();
@@ -126,13 +132,17 @@ async function start() {
   });
 
   server.listen(config.port, () => {
-    console.log(`xartaudio server listening on :${config.port}`);
+    logger.info({ port: config.port }, "xartaudio server listening");
   });
 }
 
 if (require.main === module) {
   start().catch((error) => {
-    console.error("failed to start server", error);
+    const logger = createLogger({
+      level: config.logLevel,
+      name: "xartaudio",
+    });
+    logger.error({ err: error }, "failed to start server");
     process.exitCode = 1;
   });
 }
diff --git a/test/config.test.js b/test/config.test.js
index f4e652b..34b3327 100644
--- a/test/config.test.js
+++ b/test/config.test.js
@@ -7,11 +7,13 @@ test("config uses defaults when env is missing", () => {
   const previous = {
     PORT: process.env.PORT,
     STATE_FILE_PATH: process.env.STATE_FILE_PATH,
+    LOG_LEVEL: process.env.LOG_LEVEL,
     WEBHOOK_RPM: process.env.WEBHOOK_RPM,
   };
 
   delete process.env.PORT;
   delete process.env.STATE_FILE_PATH;
+  delete process.env.LOG_LEVEL;
   delete process.env.WEBHOOK_RPM;
 
   delete require.cache[require.resolve("../src/config")];
@@ -19,6 +21,7 @@ test("config uses defaults when env is missing", () => {
 
   assert.equal(config.port, 3000);
   assert.equal(config.stateFilePath, "./data/state.json");
+  assert.equal(config.logLevel, "info");
   assert.equal(config.rateLimits.webhookPerMinute, 120);
 
   if (previous.PORT === undefined) {
@@ -33,6 +36,12 @@ test("config uses defaults when env is missing", () => {
     process.env.STATE_FILE_PATH = previous.STATE_FILE_PATH;
   }
 
+  if (previous.LOG_LEVEL === undefined) {
+    delete process.env.LOG_LEVEL;
+  } else {
+    process.env.LOG_LEVEL = previous.LOG_LEVEL;
+  }
+
   if (previous.WEBHOOK_RPM === undefined) {
     delete process.env.WEBHOOK_RPM;
   } else {
@@ -44,11 +53,13 @@ test("config reads state path and numeric env overrides", () => {
   const previous = {
     PORT: process.env.PORT,
     STATE_FILE_PATH: process.env.STATE_FILE_PATH,
+    LOG_LEVEL: process.env.LOG_LEVEL,
     WEBHOOK_RPM: process.env.WEBHOOK_RPM,
   };
 
   process.env.PORT = "8080";
   process.env.STATE_FILE_PATH = "/data/prod-state.json";
+  process.env.LOG_LEVEL = "debug";
   process.env.WEBHOOK_RPM = "77";
 
   delete require.cache[require.resolve("../src/config")];
@@ -56,6 +67,7 @@ test("config reads state path and numeric env overrides", () => {
 
   assert.equal(config.port, 8080);
   assert.equal(config.stateFilePath, "/data/prod-state.json");
+  assert.equal(config.logLevel, "debug");
   assert.equal(config.rateLimits.webhookPerMinute, 77);
 
   if (previous.PORT === undefined) {
@@ -69,6 +81,11 @@ test("config reads state path and numeric env overrides", () => {
   } else {
     process.env.STATE_FILE_PATH = previous.STATE_FILE_PATH;
   }
+  if (previous.LOG_LEVEL === undefined) {
+    delete process.env.LOG_LEVEL;
+  } else {
+    process.env.LOG_LEVEL = previous.LOG_LEVEL;
+  }
   if (previous.WEBHOOK_RPM === undefined) {
     delete process.env.WEBHOOK_RPM;
   } else {
diff --git a/test/logger.test.js b/test/logger.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..626fb39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/logger.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+"use strict";
+
+const test = require("node:test");
+const assert = require("node:assert/strict");
+const { createLogger } = require("../src/lib/logger");
+
+test("createLogger returns pino-compatible logger", () => {
+  const logger = createLogger({ level: "debug", name: "test" });
+  assert.equal(typeof logger.info, "function");
+  assert.equal(typeof logger.error, "function");
+  assert.equal(logger.level, "debug");
+});