diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e6acb46..0e655ce 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 build/
+logs/concordia-server.log
 concordia.cfg
 concordia-server/config.hpp
 index/
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index cb8a50a..ef3f14f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ configure_file (
   )
 
 set(CONFIG_FILE_PATH "${concordia-server_SOURCE_DIR}/concordia.cfg")
+set(LOG_FILE_PATH "${concordia-server_SOURCE_DIR}/logs/concordia-server.log")
 
 # --------------
 # db settings
diff --git a/concordia-server/concordia_server.cpp b/concordia-server/concordia_server.cpp
index 03755b6..a9eb967 100644
--- a/concordia-server/concordia_server.cpp
+++ b/concordia-server/concordia_server.cpp
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ std::string ConcordiaServer::handleRequest(std::string & requestString) {
                 _searcherController->simpleSearch(jsonWriter, pattern);
             } else if (operation == CONCORDIA_SEARCH_OP) {
                 std::string pattern = d[PATTERN_PARAM].GetString();
+                Logger::logString("concordia search pattern", pattern);
                 _searcherController->concordiaSearch(jsonWriter, pattern);         
             } else {
                 JsonGenerator::signalError(jsonWriter, "no such operation");            
diff --git a/concordia-server/config.hpp.in b/concordia-server/config.hpp.in
index 2e20ba1..12ef39e 100644
--- a/concordia-server/config.hpp.in
+++ b/concordia-server/config.hpp.in
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #define CONFIG_FILE_PATH "@CONFIG_FILE_PATH@"
+#define LOG_FILE_PATH "@LOG_FILE_PATH@"
 
 // database connection information
 #define DB_NAME "@DB_NAME@"
diff --git a/concordia-server/logger.cpp b/concordia-server/logger.cpp
index aed26e2..fa3eb3e 100644
--- a/concordia-server/logger.cpp
+++ b/concordia-server/logger.cpp
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@
 
 #include "log4cpp/Appender.hh"
 #include "log4cpp/FileAppender.hh"
-#include "log4cpp/BasicLayout.hh"
+#include "log4cpp/PatternLayout.hh"
 #include "log4cpp/Priority.hh"
 
+#include "config.hpp"
 #include <sstream>
 
 Logger::Logger() {
@@ -44,8 +45,10 @@ void Logger::logString(std::string name, std::string value) {
 }
 
 void Logger::_initialize(log4cpp::Category & root) {
-    log4cpp::Appender *appender = new log4cpp::FileAppender("default", "/tmp/concordia-server.log");
-    appender->setLayout(new log4cpp::BasicLayout());
+    log4cpp::Appender *appender = new log4cpp::FileAppender("default", LOG_FILE_PATH);
+    log4cpp::PatternLayout *layout = new log4cpp::PatternLayout();
+    layout->setConversionPattern("%d{%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S}%c %x: %m%n");
+    appender->setLayout(layout);
 
     root.setPriority(log4cpp::Priority::INFO);
     root.addAppender(appender);