diff --git a/package.lisp b/package.lisp
index b07bd51..39f88de 100644
--- a/package.lisp
+++ b/package.lisp
@@ -5,10 +5,21 @@
 
 (defpackage #:pgloader.utils
   (:use #:cl)
+  (:import-from #:cl-log
+		#:defcategory
+		#:log-manager
+		#:start-messenger
+		#:log-message
+		#:ring-messenger
+		#:text-file-messenger
+		#:formatted-message)
   (:import-from #:pgloader.params
 		#:*reject-path-root*
+		#:*log-filename*
+		#:*log-level*
 		#:*state*)
-  (:export #:report-header
+  (:export #:log-message
+	   #:report-header
 	   #:report-table-name
 	   #:report-results
 	   #:report-footer
@@ -37,6 +48,7 @@
 		#:*loader-kernel*
 		#:*state*)
   (:import-from #:pgloader.utils
+		#:log-message
 		#:report-header
 		#:report-table-name
 		#:report-results
@@ -70,6 +82,7 @@
 		#:*myconn-pass*
 		#:*state*)
   (:import-from #:pgloader.utils
+		#:log-message
 		#:report-header
 		#:report-table-name
 		#:report-results
@@ -101,6 +114,7 @@
 		#:*loader-kernel*
 		#:*state*)
   (:import-from #:pgloader.utils
+		#:log-message
 		#:report-header
 		#:report-table-name
 		#:report-results
diff --git a/params.lisp b/params.lisp
index b107e26..9e4c99b 100644
--- a/params.lisp
+++ b/params.lisp
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
   (:use #:cl)
   (:export #:*csv-path-root*
 	   #:*reject-path-root*
+	   #:*log-filename*
 	   #:*loader-kernel*
 	   #:*myconn-host*
 	   #:*myconn-user*
@@ -26,6 +27,12 @@
 (defparameter *reject-path-root*
   (make-pathname :directory "/tmp/pgloader/"))
 
+(defparameter *log-filename*
+  (make-pathname :directory "/tmp/pgloader/" :name "pgloader" :type "log"))
+
+(defparameter *log-level* :notice)
+(setq *log-level* :debug)
+
 ;;; package nicknames are only defined later, in package.lisp
 (defparameter *loader-kernel* (lparallel:make-kernel 2)
   "lparallel kernel to use for loading data in parallel")
diff --git a/pgloader.asd b/pgloader.asd
index 9099e3d..6aae6a8 100644
--- a/pgloader.asd
+++ b/pgloader.asd
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
   :description "Load data into PostgreSQL"
   :author "Dimitri Fontaine <dimitri@2ndQuadrant.fr>"
   :license "The PostgreSQL Licence"
-  :depends-on (#:postmodern
+  :depends-on (#:cl-log
+	       #:postmodern
 	       #:cl-postgres
 	       #:simple-date
 	       #:cl-mysql
diff --git a/pgsql.lisp b/pgsql.lisp
index f53ca13..f586c63 100644
--- a/pgsql.lisp
+++ b/pgsql.lisp
@@ -281,12 +281,15 @@ Finally returns how many rows where read and processed."
   "Fetch data from the QUEUE until we see :end-of-data. Update *state*"
   (when truncate (truncate-table dbname table-name))
 
+  (log-message :debug "pgsql:copy-from-queue: ~a ~a" dbname table-name)
+
   (let* ((conspec (remove :port (get-connection-string dbname))))
     (loop
        for retval =
 	 (let* ((stream (cl-postgres:open-db-writer conspec table-name nil))
 		(*batch* nil)
 		(*batch-size* 0))
+	   (log-message :debug "pgsql:copy-from-queue: starting new batch")
 	   (unwind-protect
 		(let ((process-row-fn
 		       (make-copy-and-batch-fn stream :date-columns date-columns)))
@@ -295,6 +298,7 @@ Finally returns how many rows where read and processed."
 	     ;; in case of data-exception, split the batch and try again
 	     (handler-case
 		 (progn
+		   (log-message :debug "pgsql:copy-from-queue: commit batch")
 		   (cl-postgres:close-db-writer stream))
 	       ((or
 		 CL-POSTGRES-ERROR:UNIQUE-VIOLATION
@@ -328,6 +332,8 @@ Finally returns how many rows where read and processed."
 	 (dataq       (lq:make-queue 4096))
 	 (*state*     (if report (pgloader.utils:make-pgstate) *state*)))
 
+    (log-message :debug "pgsql:copy-from-file: ~a ~a ~a" dbname table-name filename)
+
     (when report
       (pgstate-add-table *state* dbname table-name))
 
@@ -422,12 +428,16 @@ Finally returns how many rows where read and processed."
     (loop
        while (< processed-rows batch-size)
        do
+	 (log-message :debug "pgsql:retry-batch: splitting current batch")
 	 (let* ((current-batch current-batch-pos)
 		(current-batch-size (smaller-batch-size batch-size
 							processed-rows))
 		(stream
 		 (cl-postgres:open-db-writer conspec table-name nil)))
 
+	   (log-message :debug "pgsql:retry-batch: current-batch-size = ~d"
+			current-batch-size)
+
 	   (unwind-protect
 		(dotimes (i current-batch-size)
 		  ;; rows in that batch have already been processed
diff --git a/utils.lisp b/utils.lisp
index 736d4f9..59099fb 100644
--- a/utils.lisp
+++ b/utils.lisp
@@ -3,6 +3,27 @@
 ;;;
 (in-package :pgloader.utils)
 
+;;;
+;;; Logs
+;;;
+;;; First define the log categories
+(defcategory :critical)
+(defcategory :error   (or :error :critical))
+(defcategory :warning (or :warning :error))
+(defcategory :notice  (or :notice :warning))
+(defcategory :info    (or :info :notice))
+(defcategory :debug   (or :debug :info))
+
+;; Now define the Logger
+(setf (log-manager)
+      (make-instance 'log-manager :message-class 'formatted-message))
+
+;; And a messenger to store our message into
+(start-messenger 'text-file-messenger :filename *log-filename*)
+
+;; Announce what just happened
+(log-message :notice "Starting pgloader, log system is ready.")
+
 ;;;
 ;;; Timing Macro
 ;;;