diff --git a/src/command.c b/src/command.c
index 0b1e10cf..0b021853 100644
--- a/src/command.c
+++ b/src/command.c
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ static PAutocomplete commands_ac;
 void
 cmd_init(void)
 {
-    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, "prof", "Initialising commands");
+    log_info("Initialising commands");
     commands_ac = p_autocomplete_new();
 
     unsigned int i;
@@ -471,16 +471,16 @@ _cmd_connect(const char * const inp, struct cmd_help_t help)
         inp_get_password(passwd);
         inp_non_block();
 
-        log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_DEBUG, PROF, "Connecting as %s", lower);
+        log_debug("Connecting as %s", lower);
         
         conn_status = jabber_connect(lower, passwd);
         if (conn_status == JABBER_CONNECTING) {
             cons_show("Connecting...");
-            log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_DEBUG, PROF, "Connecting...");
+            log_debug("Connecting...");
         }
         if (conn_status == JABBER_DISCONNECTED) {
             cons_bad_show("Connection to server failed.");
-            log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_DEBUG, PROF, "Connection using %s failed", lower);
+            log_debug("Connection using %s failed", lower);
         }
 
         result = TRUE;
diff --git a/src/jabber.c b/src/jabber.c
index 1901b6b2..6d5a50b4 100644
--- a/src/jabber.c
+++ b/src/jabber.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ static log_level_t get_log_level(xmpp_log_level_t xmpp_level)
 
 static xmpp_log_level_t get_xmpp_log_level()
 {
-    log_level_t prof_level = log_get_level();
+    log_level_t prof_level = log_get_filter();
 
     if (prof_level == PROF_LEVEL_DEBUG) {
         return XMPP_LEVEL_DEBUG;
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ static int _ping_timed_handler(xmpp_conn_t * const conn, void * const userdata);
 void
 jabber_init(const int disable_tls)
 {
-    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, "prof", "Initialising XMPP");
+    log_info("Initialising XMPP");
     jabber_conn.conn_status = JABBER_STARTED;
     jabber_conn.presence = PRESENCE_OFFLINE;
     jabber_conn.tls_disabled = disable_tls;
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ jabber_conn_status_t
 jabber_connect(const char * const user, 
     const char * const passwd)
 {
-    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, "prof", "Connecting as %s", user);
+    log_info("Connecting as %s", user);
     xmpp_initialize();
 
     jabber_conn.log = xmpp_get_file_logger();
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ void
 jabber_disconnect(void)
 {
     if (jabber_conn.conn_status == JABBER_CONNECTED) {
-        log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, "prof", "Closing connection");
+        log_info("Closing connection");
         xmpp_conn_release(jabber_conn.conn);
         xmpp_ctx_free(jabber_conn.ctx);
         xmpp_shutdown();
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ _jabber_conn_handler(xmpp_conn_t * const conn,
         title_bar_set_status(PRESENCE_ONLINE);
 
         cons_show(line);
-        log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, "prof", line);
+        log_info(line);
         win_page_off();
         status_bar_print_message(jid);
         status_bar_refresh();
@@ -370,14 +370,14 @@ _jabber_conn_handler(xmpp_conn_t * const conn,
     else {
         if (jabber_conn.conn_status == JABBER_CONNECTED) {
             cons_bad_show("Lost connection.");
-            log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, "prof", "Lost connection");
+            log_info("Lost connection");
             win_disconnected();
         } else {
             cons_bad_show("Login failed.");
-            log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, "prof", "Login failed");
+            log_info("Login failed");
         }
         win_page_off();
-        log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, CONN, "disconnected");
+        log_info("disconnected");
         xmpp_stop(ctx);
         jabber_conn.conn_status = JABBER_DISCONNECTED;
         jabber_conn.presence = PRESENCE_OFFLINE;
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ _roster_handler(xmpp_conn_t * const conn,
     type = xmpp_stanza_get_type(stanza);
     
     if (strcmp(type, "error") == 0)
-        log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_ERROR, CONN, "ERROR: query failed");
+        log_error("Roster query failed");
     else {
         query = xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_name(stanza, "query");
         cons_show("Roster:");
diff --git a/src/log.c b/src/log.c
index b063f2b4..8b9fb5cf 100644
--- a/src/log.c
+++ b/src/log.c
@@ -28,38 +28,54 @@
 #include "log.h"
 #include "common.h"
 
+#define PROF "prof"
+
 static FILE *logp;
 
 static GTimeZone *tz;
 static GDateTime *dt;
-static log_level_t prof_log_level;
+static log_level_t level_filter;
 
 void
-log_msg(log_level_t level, const char * const area, const char * const msg, ...)
+log_debug(const char * const msg, ...) 
 {
-    if (level >= prof_log_level) {
-        dt = g_date_time_new_now(tz);
-
-        va_list arg;
-        va_start(arg, msg);
-        GString *msg_formatted = g_string_new(NULL);
-        g_string_vprintf(msg_formatted, msg, arg);
-        va_end(arg);
-
-        gchar *date_fmt = g_date_time_format(dt, "%d/%m/%Y %H:%M:%S");               
-        fprintf(logp, "%s: %s: %s\n", date_fmt, area, msg_formatted->str);
-        g_date_time_unref(dt);
-        g_string_free(msg_formatted, TRUE);
-    
-        fflush(logp);
-
-    }
+    va_list arg;
+    va_start(arg, msg);
+    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_DEBUG, PROF, msg, arg);
+    va_end(arg);
 }
 
 void
-log_init(log_level_t log_level)
+log_info(const char * const msg, ...) 
 {
-    prof_log_level = log_level;
+    va_list arg;
+    va_start(arg, msg);
+    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, PROF, msg, arg);
+    va_end(arg);
+}
+
+void
+log_warning(const char * const msg, ...) 
+{
+    va_list arg;
+    va_start(arg, msg);
+    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_WARN, PROF, msg, arg);
+    va_end(arg);
+}
+
+void
+log_error(const char * const msg, ...) 
+{
+    va_list arg;
+    va_start(arg, msg);
+    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_ERROR, PROF, msg, arg);
+    va_end(arg);
+}
+
+void
+log_init(log_level_t filter)
+{
+    level_filter = filter;
     tz = g_time_zone_new_local();
     GString *log_file = g_string_new(getenv("HOME"));
     g_string_append(log_file, "/.profanity/log");
@@ -70,9 +86,9 @@ log_init(log_level_t log_level)
 }
 
 log_level_t
-log_get_level(void)
+log_get_filter(void)
 {
-    return prof_log_level;
+    return level_filter;
 }
 
 void
@@ -81,3 +97,25 @@ log_close(void)
     g_time_zone_unref(tz);
     fclose(logp);
 }
+
+void
+log_msg(log_level_t level, const char * const area, const char * const msg, ...)
+{
+    if (level >= level_filter) {
+        dt = g_date_time_new_now(tz);
+
+        va_list arg;
+        va_start(arg, msg);
+        GString *msg_formatted = g_string_new(NULL);
+        g_string_vprintf(msg_formatted, msg, arg);
+        va_end(arg);
+
+        gchar *date_fmt = g_date_time_format(dt, "%d/%m/%Y %H:%M:%S"); 
+        fprintf(logp, "%s: %s: %s\n", date_fmt, area, msg_formatted->str);
+        g_date_time_unref(dt);
+        g_string_free(msg_formatted, TRUE);
+    
+        fflush(logp);
+    }
+}
+
diff --git a/src/log.h b/src/log.h
index a1fb681e..d8c09e14 100644
--- a/src/log.h
+++ b/src/log.h
@@ -25,10 +25,6 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 
-// log areas
-#define PROF "prof"
-#define CONN "conn"
-
 // log levels
 typedef enum {
     PROF_LEVEL_DEBUG,
@@ -37,10 +33,14 @@ typedef enum {
     PROF_LEVEL_ERROR
 } log_level_t;
 
-void log_init(log_level_t log_level);
+void log_init(log_level_t filter);
+log_level_t log_get_filter(void);
+void log_close(void);
+void log_debug(const char * const msg, ...);
+void log_info(const char * const msg, ...);
+void log_warning(const char * const msg, ...);
+void log_error(const char * const msg, ...);
 void log_msg(log_level_t level, const char * const area, 
     const char * const msg, ...);
-log_level_t log_get_level(void);
-void log_close(void);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/preferences.c b/src/preferences.c
index 7aaed850..02b97a59 100644
--- a/src/preferences.c
+++ b/src/preferences.c
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ static void _save_prefs(void);
 void
 prefs_load(void)
 {
-    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, "prof", "Loading preferences");
+    log_info("Loading preferences");
     ac = p_autocomplete_new();
     prefs_loc = g_string_new(getenv("HOME"));
     g_string_append(prefs_loc, "/.profanity/config");
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ prefs_load(void)
 void
 prefs_close(void)
 {
-    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, "prof", "Closing down preferences");
+    log_info("Closing down preferences");
     g_key_file_free(prefs);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/profanity.c b/src/profanity.c
index 253c7f32..66593b97 100644
--- a/src/profanity.c
+++ b/src/profanity.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ profanity_run(void)
 {
     gboolean cmd_result = TRUE;
 
-    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, "prof", "Starting main event loop");
+    log_info("Starting main event loop");
 
     inp_non_block();
     while(cmd_result == TRUE) {
@@ -80,13 +80,13 @@ profanity_init(const int disable_tls, char *log_level)
     create_config_directory();
     log_level_t prof_log_level = _get_log_level(log_level);
     log_init(prof_log_level);
-    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, PROF, "Starting Profanity (%s)...", PACKAGE_VERSION);
+    log_info("Starting Profanity (%s)...", PACKAGE_VERSION);
     chat_log_init();
     prefs_load();
     gui_init();
     jabber_init(disable_tls);
     cmd_init();
-    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, "prof", "Initialising contact list");
+    log_info("Initialising contact list");
     contact_list_init();
     atexit(_profanity_shutdown);
 }
@@ -94,12 +94,12 @@ profanity_init(const int disable_tls, char *log_level)
 void
 _profanity_shutdown(void)
 {
-    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, PROF, "Profanity is shutting down.");
+    log_info("Profanity is shutting down.");
     jabber_disconnect();
     gui_close();
     chat_log_close();
     prefs_close();
-    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, "prof", "Shutdown complete");
+    log_info("Shutdown complete");
     log_close();
 }
 
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ _get_log_level(char *log_level)
 gboolean
 _process_input(char *inp)
 {
-    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_DEBUG, PROF, "Input recieved: %s", inp);
+    log_debug("Input recieved: %s", inp);
     gboolean result = FALSE;
     g_strstrip(inp);
     
diff --git a/src/windows.c b/src/windows.c
index 3a6a5c7e..afd88056 100644
--- a/src/windows.c
+++ b/src/windows.c
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ static void _win_notify_typing(char * short_from);
 void
 gui_init(void)
 {
-    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, "prof", "Initialising UI");
+    log_info("Initialising UI");
     initscr();
     cbreak();
     keypad(stdscr, TRUE);
@@ -137,14 +137,14 @@ gui_refresh(void)
 void
 gui_close(void)
 {
-    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, "prof", "Closing UI");
+    log_info("Closing UI");
     endwin();
 }
 
 void
 gui_resize(const int ch, const char * const input, const int size)
 {
-    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, "prof", "Resizing UI");
+    log_info("Resizing UI");
     title_bar_resize();
     status_bar_resize();
     _win_resize_all();