diff --git a/src/main/java/org/ids_mannheim/TotalNGram.java b/src/main/java/org/ids_mannheim/TotalNGram.java
index 6e0add0..5de0f84 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/ids_mannheim/TotalNGram.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/ids_mannheim/TotalNGram.java
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 import java.nio.file.FileAlreadyExistsException;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.concurrent.*;
 import java.util.logging.FileHandler;
@@ -25,7 +24,8 @@
 
 public class TotalNGram implements Callable<Integer> {
     private static final int MAX_THREADS = Runtime.getRuntime().availableProcessors() * 2 / 3;
-    static private final Logger logger;
+    private static final String DEFAULT_LOGFILE = "totalngram.log";
+    static public final Logger logger;
 
     static {
         String path = TotalNGram.class.getClassLoader()
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
     @CommandLine.Parameters(arity = "1..*", description = "input files")
     private final ArrayList<String> inputFiles = new ArrayList<>();
     @CommandLine.Option(names = {"-L",
-            "--log-file"}, defaultValue = "totalngram.log", description = "log file name (default: ${DEFAULT-VALUE})")
+            "--log-file"}, defaultValue = DEFAULT_LOGFILE, description = "log file name (default: ${DEFAULT-VALUE})")
     String logFileName;
 
     @SuppressWarnings("CanBeFinal")
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
     String output_fillename = "-";
 
     @SuppressWarnings("CanBeFinal")
-    @CommandLine.Option(names = {"--force"}, description = "Force overwrrite (default: ${DEFAULT-VALUE})")
+    @CommandLine.Option(names = {"--force"}, description = "Force overwrite (default: ${DEFAULT-VALUE})")
     boolean force_overwrite = false;
 
     @SuppressWarnings("CanBeFinal")
@@ -78,19 +78,27 @@
         System.exit(new CommandLine(new TotalNGram()).execute(args));
     }
 
-    @Override
-    public Integer call() throws Exception {
+    private void initLogging() {
+        if (logFileName.equals(DEFAULT_LOGFILE) && !output_fillename.equals("-")) {
+            logFileName = Utils.newExtension(output_fillename, "log");
+        }
         try {
             FileHandler fileHandler = new FileHandler(logFileName);
+            System.setProperty("java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter.format",
+                    "[%1$tF %1$tT] [%4$-7s] %5$s %n");
             fileHandler.setFormatter(new SimpleFormatter());
             //java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter.format="%1$tb %1$td, %1$tY %1$tl:%1$tM:%1$tS %1$Tp %2$s%n%4$s: %5$s%n";
             java.util.Locale.setDefault(Locale.Category.FORMAT, Locale.ROOT);
             logger.addHandler(fileHandler);
-
         } catch (Exception e) {
+            System.err.println("Cannot write logfile " + logFileName + ": " + e);
+            System.exit(-1);
         }
+    }
 
-        PrintStream output_stream;
+    @Override
+    public Integer call() throws Exception {
+        initLogging();
         final PrintStream output_stream;
         if ((output_fillename == null) || output_fillename.equals("-")) {
             output_stream = System.out;
@@ -126,6 +134,7 @@
             max_threads = workerNodePool.size;
         }
         int threads = Math.min(max_threads, inputFiles.size());
+        logger.info("Using " + threads + " threads");
         IntStream.range(0, threads).forEach(unused -> es.execute(new Worker(queue, inputFiles, ngram_size, FOLDS, map, workerNodePool, etaPrinter, logger)));
         queue.addAll(IntStream.range(0, inputFiles.size()).boxed().collect(Collectors.toList()));
         IntStream.range(0, threads).forEach(unused -> {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/ids_mannheim/Utils.java b/src/main/java/org/ids_mannheim/Utils.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d60dc9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/org/ids_mannheim/Utils.java
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+package org.ids_mannheim;
+
+public class Utils {
+    public static String newExtension(String original, String newExtension) {
+        if (original.contains("."))
+            return original.replaceFirst("(\\.[^.]*|\\.[^.]+\\.gz)$", "."+newExtension);
+        else
+            return original+".log";
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/resources/logging.properties b/src/main/resources/logging.properties
index c793dcc..ce9250c 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/logging.properties
+++ b/src/main/resources/logging.properties
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 handlers= java.util.logging.FileHandler
 .level= INFO
+java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter.format=[%1$tF %1$tT] [%4$-7s] %5$s %n
 java.util.logging.FileHandler.level = INFO
 java.util.logging.FileHandler.pattern = totalngrams.log
 java.util.logging.FileHandler.limit = 50000
 java.util.logging.FileHandler.count = 1
 java.util.logging.FileHandler.formatter = java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter
 # java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter.format=%4$s: %5$s [%1$tc]%n
-java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter.format="%1$tb %1$td, %1$tY %1$tH:%1$tM:%1$tS %1$Tp %2$s%n%4$s: %5$s%n"
+# java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter.format="%1$tb %1$td, %1$tY %1$tH:%1$tM:%1$tS %1$Tp %2$s%n%4$s: %5$s%n"
+
+java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.level = WARNING
+java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.formatter = java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter