diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e0f71db..cb99148 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 # applog
 
 applog is a opinionated logger configuration.
+
+WARNING: do not use this library, the API is not stable and I make breaking changes at random. There's a reason it's not on GitHub yet, or possibly ever tbh.
diff --git a/applog.go b/applog.go
index ea96aef..007c439 100644
--- a/applog.go
+++ b/applog.go
@@ -22,21 +22,27 @@ var (
 
 // AppLogOpts contains options for configuring the application logger.
 type AppLogOpts struct {
-	// Verbose enables verbose logging, which will use the LogOutput writer
-	// for pretty-printed console output. If false, console output is disabled.
-	Verbose bool
+	// ConsoleOutput is the writer for pretty-printed console logs. If nil,
+	// console output is disabled. Generally recommended to set this to
+	// os.Stderr, leaving os.Stdout for application output (usually via
+	// fmt.Print*).
+	ConsoleOutput io.Writer
 
-	// LogOutput is the output writer for the pretty-printed slog console
-	// logger that is enabled if Verbose is set to true. If nil, console
-	// output will be disabled.
-	LogOutput io.Writer
+	// ConsoleLevel is the minimum log level for console output. Defaults to
+	// slog.LevelInfo.
+	ConsoleLevel slog.Level
 
-	// LogFile is the file where JSON formatted logs will be written. If
-	// empty, log file output will be disabled.
-	LogFile string
+	// FileOutput is the path to a file where JSON formatted logs will be
+	// written. If empty, file output will be disabled.
+	FileOutput string
+
+	// FileLevel is the minimum log level for file output. Defaults to
+	// slog.LevelInfo.
+	FileLevel slog.Level
 
 	// SetDefault indicates whether to set the logger as the default logger
-	// for slog. Generally not recommended.
+	// for slog. Generally recommended to manage logger via app lifecycle
+	// instead of relying on globals.
 	SetDefault bool
 }
 
@@ -44,23 +50,14 @@ type AppLogOpts struct {
 func (opts AppLogOpts) Module() *app.Module {
 	return app.NewModule(ModuleName, app.ModuleOpts{
 		Setup: func(m *app.Module) error {
-			if opts.LogFile == "" && (opts.LogOutput == nil || !opts.Verbose) {
+			if opts.FileOutput == "" && opts.ConsoleOutput == nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("no logging output configured")
 			}
 
-			output := opts.LogOutput
-			if !opts.Verbose {
-				output = nil
-			}
-
-			if err := setupLogger(m.Lifecycle(), opts.LogFile, output); err != nil {
+			if err := setupLogger(m.Lifecycle(), opts); err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("failed to set up logger: %w", err)
 			}
 
-			if opts.SetDefault {
-				slog.SetDefault(m.Logger())
-			}
-
 			return nil
 		},
 		Teardown: func(m *app.Module) error {
@@ -80,32 +77,37 @@ func Module(opts AppLogOpts) *app.Module {
 // and a tint handler for pretty-printed console output. May return an error
 // if the log file cannot be opened. Log file should be created if it does not
 // exist and appended to if it does.
-func setupLogger(lifecycle *app.Lifecycle, logFilePath string, logoutput io.Writer) error {
+func setupLogger(lifecycle *app.Lifecycle, opts AppLogOpts) error {
 	handlers := make([]slog.Handler, 0)
 
 	// If log file is specified, set up JSON file logging
-	if logFilePath != "" {
+	if opts.FileOutput != "" {
 		var err error
-		logfile, err = os.OpenFile(logFilePath, os.O_APPEND|os.O_CREATE|os.O_WRONLY, 0644)
+		logfile, err = os.OpenFile(opts.FileOutput, os.O_APPEND|os.O_CREATE|os.O_WRONLY, 0644)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		handlers = append(handlers, slog.NewJSONHandler(logfile, &slog.HandlerOptions{}))
+		handlers = append(handlers, slog.NewJSONHandler(logfile, &slog.HandlerOptions{
+			Level: opts.FileLevel,
+		}))
 	}
 
 	// If log output is specified, set up pretty-printed console logging
-	if logoutput != nil {
-		handlers = append(handlers, tint.NewHandler(logoutput, &tint.Options{
-			Level:      slog.LevelDebug,
+	if opts.ConsoleOutput != nil {
+		handlers = append(handlers, tint.NewHandler(opts.ConsoleOutput, &tint.Options{
+			Level:      opts.ConsoleLevel,
 			TimeFormat: time.Kitchen,
 		}))
 	}
 
-	logger := slog.New(
-		slogmulti.Fanout(handlers...),
-	)
-	lifecycle.WithLogger(logger)
+	logger := slog.New(slogmulti.Fanout(handlers...))
+	lifecycle.WithLogger(logger) // set logger on lifecycle
+
+	// optionally set logger as slog default (not recommended)
+	if opts.SetDefault {
+		slog.SetDefault(logger)
+	}
 
 	return nil
 }