diff --git a/src/logger.rs b/src/logger.rs
index f5501e1..ca1802c 100644
--- a/src/logger.rs
+++ b/src/logger.rs
@@ -14,44 +14,45 @@ use log4rs::{
 
 use crate::prelude::*;
 
-pub async fn init_logger() -> Res<()> {
+pub async fn init_logger(file: bool) -> Res<()> {
     let stderr = ConsoleAppender::builder()
         .target(Target::Stderr)
         .encoder(Box::new(PatternEncoder::new("{h({l})}: {m}\n")))
         .build();
 
-    let trigger = SizeTrigger::new(8 * 1024);
-    let roller = FixedWindowRoller::builder()
-        .base(0)
-        .build(
-            format!("{}/{{}}.log", CONFIG.get().await.log_dir.display()).as_str(),
-            3,
-        )
-        .unwrap();
-    let policy = CompoundPolicy::new(Box::new(trigger), Box::new(roller));
+    let mut builder = Config::builder().appender(
+        Appender::builder()
+            .filter(Box::new(ThresholdFilter::new(log::LevelFilter::Info)))
+            .build("stderr", Box::new(stderr)),
+    );
+    let mut root = Root::builder().appender("stderr");
 
-    let logfile = log4rs::append::rolling_file::RollingFileAppender::builder()
-        .encoder(Box::new(PatternEncoder::new("{l}: {m}\n")))
-        .build(
-            format!("{}/current.log", CONFIG.get().await.log_dir.display()).as_str(),
-            Box::new(policy),
-        )
-        .unwrap();
+    if file {
+        eprintln!("logging to file");
+        let trigger = SizeTrigger::new(8 * 1024);
+        let roller = FixedWindowRoller::builder()
+            .base(0)
+            .build(
+                format!("{}/{{}}.log", CONFIG.get().await.log_dir.display()).as_str(),
+                3,
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+        let policy = CompoundPolicy::new(Box::new(trigger), Box::new(roller));
 
-    let config = Config::builder()
-        .appender(Appender::builder().build("logfile", Box::new(logfile)))
-        .appender(
-            Appender::builder()
-                .filter(Box::new(ThresholdFilter::new(log::LevelFilter::Info)))
-                .build("stderr", Box::new(stderr)),
-        )
-        .build(
-            Root::builder()
-                .appender("logfile")
-                .appender("stderr")
-                .build(LevelFilter::Trace),
-        )
-        .unwrap();
+        let logfile = log4rs::append::rolling_file::RollingFileAppender::builder()
+            .encoder(Box::new(PatternEncoder::new("{l}: {m}\n")))
+            .build(
+                format!("{}/current.log", CONFIG.get().await.log_dir.display()).as_str(),
+                Box::new(policy),
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+        builder = builder.appender(Appender::builder().build("logfile", Box::new(logfile)));
+        root = root.appender("logfile");
+    } else {
+        eprintln!("not logging to file");
+    }
+
+    let config = builder.build(root.build(LevelFilter::Trace)).unwrap();
 
     let _handle = log4rs::init_config(config).map_err(|_| Error::Log4Rs)?;
 
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index cac4173..9335b98 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ static DEFAULT_BORDER: tokio::sync::OnceCell<colour::Format> = tokio::sync::Once
 #[tokio::main]
 async fn main() -> Res<()> {
     let _watch_handle = config::parse_config().await?;
-    logger::init_logger().await?;
+    // only log to file in release builds
+    logger::init_logger(!cfg!(debug_assertions)).await?;
 
     let mut event_connection = swayipc_async::Connection::new().await?;
     let mut autosplit_connection = swayipc_async::Connection::new().await?;