diff --git a/opendm/log.py b/opendm/log.py
index 7ab2badb..f5cd2095 100644
--- a/opendm/log.py
+++ b/opendm/log.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import logging
+
 HEADER = '\033[95m'
 OKBLUE = '\033[94m'
 OKGREEN = '\033[92m'
@@ -5,18 +7,29 @@ WARNING = '\033[93m'
 FAIL = '\033[91m'
 ENDC = '\033[0m'
 
+# TODO add file handling
+
+logging.addLevelName(logging.INFO, '%s[%s]' % (OKBLUE, logging.getLevelName(logging.INFO)))
+logging.addLevelName(logging.WARNING, '%s[%s]' % (WARNING, logging.getLevelName(logging.WARNING)))
+logging.addLevelName(logging.ERROR, '%s[%s]' % (FAIL, logging.getLevelName(logging.ERROR)))
+logging.addLevelName(logging.DEBUG, '%s[%s]' % (OKGREEN, logging.getLevelName(logging.DEBUG)))
+
+logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG,
+                    format='%(levelname)-14s %(message)s' + ENDC)
+
 
 def ODM_INFO(str):
-    print OKBLUE + '[INFO] ' + str + ENDC
+    logging.info(str)
 
 
 def ODM_WARNING(str):
-    print WARNING + '[WARNING] ' + str + ENDC
+    logging.warning(str)
 
 
 def ODM_ERROR(str):
-    print FAIL + '[ERROR] ' + str + ENDC
+    logging.error(str)
 
 
 def ODM_DEBUG(str):
-    print OKGREEN + '[DEBUG] ' + str + ENDC
+    logging.debug(str)
+
diff --git a/opendm/system.py b/opendm/system.py
index 6da38e33..955c78c8 100644
--- a/opendm/system.py
+++ b/opendm/system.py
@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@ def run(cmd):
     returnCode = os.system(cmd)
 
     if (returnCode != 0):
-        # TODO(edgar): add as log.ODM_ERROR
-        sys.exit("\nquitting cause: \n\t" + cmd + "\nreturned with code " +
+        log.ODM_ERROR("quitting cause: \n\t" + cmd + "\nreturned with code " +
                  str(returnCode) + ".\n")