diff --git a/example-providers/homebridge-lockitron/index.js b/example-providers/homebridge-lockitron/index.js
index ccd1b29..266dd24 100644
--- a/example-providers/homebridge-lockitron/index.js
+++ b/example-providers/homebridge-lockitron/index.js
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ import request from 'request';
 // Create a logger for our provider
 let log = homebridge.logger('homebridge-lockitron');
 
-// Demonstrate that we were loaded
-log.info("Lockitron provider loaded!");
+// Demonstrate that we were loaded - run homebridge with the "-D" option to see this message
+log.debug("Lockitron provider loaded!");
 
 module.exports = {
   
diff --git a/lib/cli.js b/lib/cli.js
index 7641e09..ed85ca7 100644
--- a/lib/cli.js
+++ b/lib/cli.js
@@ -1,17 +1,18 @@
 import program from 'commander';
-import log from 'npmlog';
 import prompt from 'prompt';
 import { HOMEBRIDGE_VERSION } from './homebridge';
 import { User } from './user';
 import { Server } from './server';
 import { Provider } from './provider';
+import { log, setDebugEnabled } from './logger';
 import { camelCaseToRegularForm } from './util';
 
 export default function() {
 
   // Global options (none currently) and version printout
   program
-    .version(HOMEBRIDGE_VERSION);
+    .version(HOMEBRIDGE_VERSION)
+    .option('-D, --debug', 'turn on debug level logging', () => setDebugEnabled(true));
 
   // Run the HomeBridge server
   program
@@ -48,13 +49,13 @@ function runServer(options) {
     this.providerModules = providers.map((provider) => provider.load());
   }
   catch (err) {
-    console.log(err.message);
+    log.error(err.message);
     process.exit(1);
   }
 }
 
 function listInstalledProviders(options) {
-  Provider.installed().forEach((provider) => console.log(provider.name));
+  Provider.installed().forEach((provider) => log.info(provider.name));
 }
 
 // Encapsulates configuring a provider via the command line.
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ class CliProviderSetup {
     // if you didn't specify a provider, print help
     if (!providerName) {
       log.error("You must specify the name of the provider to setup. Type 'homebridge providers' to list the providers currently installed.");
-      program.help();
+      process.exit(1);
     }
 
     this.providerName = providerName;
@@ -117,7 +118,7 @@ class CliProviderSetup {
         log.info(`Setup complete.`);
       }
       else {
-        log.error(`Setup failed: ${err.message}`);
+        log.error(`Setup failed: ${err.message || err}`);
       }
     }
     
diff --git a/lib/logger.js b/lib/logger.js
index 74d0496..0874a6a 100644
--- a/lib/logger.js
+++ b/lib/logger.js
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
-import log from 'npmlog';
+import chalk from 'chalk';
+
+let DEBUG_ENABLED = false;
+
+// Turns on debug level logging
+export function setDebugEnabled(enabled) {
+  DEBUG_ENABLED = enabled;
+}
 
 // global cache of logger instances by provider name
 let loggerCache = {};
@@ -8,20 +15,44 @@ export class Logger {
   constructor(providerName: string) {
     this.providerName = providerName;
   }
+
+  debug(msg: string) {
+    if (DEBUG_ENABLED)
+      this.log('debug', msg);
+  }
   
   info(msg: string) {
-    log.info(`[${this.providerName}] ${msg}`);
+    this.log('info', msg);
   }
 
   warn(msg: string) {
-    log.warn(`[${this.providerName}] ${msg}`);
+    this.log('warn', msg);
   }
 
   error(msg: string) {
-    log.error(`[${this.providerName}] ${msg}`);
+    this.log('error', msg);
   }
   
-  static forProvider(providerName: string):Logger {
+  log(level: string, msg: string) {
+    
+    if (level == 'debug')
+      msg = chalk.gray(msg);
+    else if (level == 'warn')
+      msg = chalk.yellow(msg);
+    else if (level == 'error')
+      msg = chalk.bold.red(msg);
+    
+    // prepend provider name if applicable
+    if (this.providerName)
+      msg = chalk.cyan(`[${this.providerName}]`) + " " + msg;
+      
+    console.log(msg);
+  }
+  
+  static forProvider(providerName: string): Logger {
     return loggerCache[providerName] || (loggerCache[providerName] = new Logger(providerName));
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+// system logger, for internal use only
+export let log = new Logger();
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 187bcd5..8c6a582 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@
   "preferGlobal": true,
   "dependencies": {
     "babel": "^5.6.14",
+    "chalk": "^1.1.0",
     "commander": "^2.8.1",
     "hap-nodejs": "git+https://github.com/khaost/HAP-NodeJS#2a1bc8d99a2009317ab5da93faebea34c89f197c",
-    "npmlog": "^1.2.1",
     "prompt": "^0.2.14",
     "semver": "^4.3.6"
   }