diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 5150c0b..69db617 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ clap = { version = "4.4.2", features = ["derive"] }
 xkbcommon = "0.6.0"
 xdg = "2.5.2"
 lazy_static = "1.4.0"
+tracing-appender = "0.2.2"
+walkdir = "2.4.0"
 
 [features]
 default = ["egl", "winit", "udev", "xwayland"]
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index f306c13..a80581f 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,12 @@
 // #![deny(unused_imports)] // gonna force myself to keep stuff clean
 #![warn(clippy::unwrap_used)]
 
+use std::path::Path;
+
 use clap::Parser;
+use tracing_subscriber::{fmt::writer::MakeWriterExt, EnvFilter};
+use walkdir::WalkDir;
+use xdg::BaseDirectories;
 
 mod api;
 mod backend;
@@ -29,6 +34,11 @@ mod state;
 mod tag;
 mod window;
 
+lazy_static::lazy_static! {
+    pub static ref XDG_BASE_DIRS: BaseDirectories =
+        BaseDirectories::with_prefix("pinnacle").expect("couldn't create xdg BaseDirectories");
+}
+
 #[derive(clap::Args, Debug)]
 #[group(id = "backend", required = false, multiple = false)]
 struct Backends {
@@ -53,18 +63,24 @@ struct Args {
     force: bool,
 }
 
+const PINNACLE_LOG_PREFIX: &str = "pinnacle.log";
+
 fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
-    match tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter::try_from_default_env() {
-        Ok(env_filter) => {
-            tracing_subscriber::fmt()
-                .compact()
-                .with_env_filter(env_filter)
-                .init();
-        }
-        Err(_) => {
-            tracing_subscriber::fmt().compact().init();
-        }
-    }
+    let xdg_state_dir = XDG_BASE_DIRS.get_state_home();
+
+    trim_logs(&xdg_state_dir);
+
+    let appender = tracing_appender::rolling::hourly(xdg_state_dir, PINNACLE_LOG_PREFIX);
+    let (appender, _guard) = tracing_appender::non_blocking(appender);
+    let writer = appender.and(std::io::stdout);
+
+    let env_filter = EnvFilter::try_from_default_env().unwrap_or(EnvFilter::new("debug"));
+
+    tracing_subscriber::fmt()
+        .compact()
+        .with_env_filter(env_filter)
+        .with_writer(writer)
+        .init();
 
     let args = Args::parse();
 
@@ -124,3 +140,38 @@ fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
     Ok(())
 }
+
+fn trim_logs(log_path: impl AsRef<Path>) {
+    let logs = WalkDir::new(log_path)
+        .sort_by(|a, b| {
+            let a_creation_time = a
+                .metadata()
+                .expect("failed to get log metadata")
+                .created()
+                .expect("failed to get log creation time");
+            let b_creation_time = b
+                .metadata()
+                .expect("failed to get log metadata")
+                .created()
+                .expect("failed to get log creation time");
+
+            a_creation_time.cmp(&b_creation_time)
+        })
+        .into_iter()
+        .filter_entry(|entry| {
+            entry.file_type().is_file()
+                && entry
+                    .file_name()
+                    .to_string_lossy()
+                    .starts_with(PINNACLE_LOG_PREFIX)
+        })
+        .filter_map(|dir| dir.ok())
+        .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+
+    // If there are more than 3 logs, delete the oldest ones
+    let num_to_delete = logs.len().saturating_sub(3);
+
+    for entry in logs.into_iter().take(num_to_delete) {
+        std::fs::remove_file(entry.path()).expect("failed to remove oldest log file");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/state.rs b/src/state.rs
index 645366e..a219b35 100644
--- a/src/state.rs
+++ b/src/state.rs
@@ -65,15 +65,9 @@ use smithay::{
     },
     xwayland::{X11Surface, X11Wm, XWayland, XWaylandEvent},
 };
-use xdg::BaseDirectories;
 
 use crate::input::InputState;
 
-lazy_static::lazy_static! {
-    static ref XDG_BASE_DIRS: BaseDirectories =
-        BaseDirectories::with_prefix("pinnacle").expect("couldn't create xdg BaseDirectories");
-}
-
 pub enum Backend {
     Winit(Winit),
     Udev(Udev),
@@ -412,7 +406,7 @@ fn get_config_dir() -> PathBuf {
         .ok()
         .and_then(|s| Some(PathBuf::from(shellexpand::full(&s).ok()?.to_string())));
 
-    config_dir.unwrap_or(XDG_BASE_DIRS.get_config_home())
+    config_dir.unwrap_or(crate::XDG_BASE_DIRS.get_config_home())
 }
 
 /// This should be called *after* you have created the [`PinnacleSocketSource`] to ensure
@@ -460,6 +454,8 @@ fn start_config(metaconfig: Metaconfig, config_dir: &Path) -> anyhow::Result<Con
         .args(command)
         .envs(envs)
         .current_dir(config_dir)
+        .stdout(async_process::Stdio::inherit())
+        .stderr(async_process::Stdio::inherit())
         .spawn()
         .expect("failed to spawn config");