diff --git a/panelctl.sh b/panelctl.sh
index 9b5c0bd..df40cb7 100644
--- a/panelctl.sh
+++ b/panelctl.sh
@@ -58,6 +58,12 @@ fail() {
   exit 1
 }
 
+log() {
+  local level="${1:-info}"
+  local msg="${2:-}"
+  echo "${msg}" | systemd-cat -t panelctl -p "${level}" 2>/dev/null || true
+}
+
 ensure_base_dirs() {
   mkdir -p "${STACKS_DIR}" "${VOLUMES_DIR}" "${ROUTES_DIR}" "${APPS_DIR}" "${BACKUPS_DIR}"
 }
@@ -275,7 +281,7 @@ cmd_init() {
   write_manifest "${name}" "${domains}" "${port}" "${auth}"
   cmd_render_route "${name}"
 
-  echo "initialized app '${name}'"
+  log info "initialized app '${name}'"
 }
 
 cmd_render_route() {
@@ -326,13 +332,13 @@ cmd_render_route() {
   } >>"${tmp}"
 
   install -m 0664 -o reudy -g panelroutes "${tmp}" "${route_file}"
-  echo "rendered route ${route_file}"
+  log info "rendered route ${route_file}"
 }
 
 maybe_reload_caddy() {
   # Try Caddy admin API first (no root required)
   if curl -sf -X POST http://localhost:2019/config/ >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    echo "reloaded caddy via admin API"
+    log info "reloaded caddy via admin API"
     return
   fi
 
@@ -345,52 +351,32 @@ maybe_reload_caddy() {
 
   # Fall back to systemctl (sudo if needed)
   if [[ "${EUID}" -eq 0 ]]; then
-    systemctl reload caddy && echo "reloaded caddy"
+    systemctl reload caddy && log info "reloaded caddy"
   elif sudo -n /run/current-system/sw/bin/systemctl reload caddy 2>/dev/null; then
-    echo "reloaded caddy via sudo"
+    log info "reloaded caddy via sudo"
   else
-    echo "caddy reload requires root; run: sudo systemctl reload caddy"
+    log warning "caddy reload requires root; run: sudo systemctl reload caddy"
   fi
 }
 
-# maybe_reload_caddy() {
-#   if [[ -x /run/current-system/sw/bin/caddy && -f /etc/caddy/Caddyfile ]]; then
-#     /run/current-system/sw/bin/caddy validate --config /etc/caddy/Caddyfile --adapter caddyfile || echo "warning: caddy validation failed" >&2
-#   fi
-
-#   if [[ "${EUID}" -eq 0 ]]; then
-#     systemctl reload caddy
-#     echo "reloaded caddy"
-#     return
-#   fi
-
-#   if command -v sudo >/dev/null 2>&1 && sudo -n true >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-#     sudo -n /run/current-system/sw/bin/systemctl reload caddy
-#     echo "reloaded caddy via sudo"
-#     return
-#   fi
-
-#   echo "caddy reload requires root; run: sudo systemctl reload caddy"
-# }
-
 cmd_deploy() {
   local name="$1"
   validate_name "${name}"
   load_app "${name}"
 
-  echo "Starting deployment for app '${name}'" | systemd-cat -t panelctl -p info 2>/dev/null || true
+  log info "Starting deployment for app '${name}'"
 
   cmd_render_route "${name}"
 
   if ! run_compose -f "${APP_COMPOSE_FILE}" up -d 2>&1 | systemd-cat -t panelctl -p info 2>/dev/null; then
-    echo "Deployment failed for app '${name}'" | systemd-cat -t panelctl -p err 2>/dev/null || true
+    log err "Deployment failed for app '${name}'"
     fail "compose up failed"
   fi
 
   maybe_reload_caddy
 
-  echo "Successfully deployed app '${name}'" | systemd-cat -t panelctl -p info 2>/dev/null || true
-  echo "deployed app '${name}'"
+  log info "Successfully deployed app '${name}'"
+  log info "deployed app '${name}'"
 }
 
 cmd_restart() {
@@ -398,7 +384,7 @@ cmd_restart() {
   validate_name "${name}"
   load_app "${name}"
 
-  echo "Restarting app '${name}'" | systemd-cat -t panelctl -p info 2>/dev/null || true
+  log info "Restarting app '${name}'"
 
   run_compose -f "${APP_COMPOSE_FILE}" down || fail "compose down failed"
 
@@ -406,7 +392,7 @@ cmd_restart() {
     fail "compose up failed during restart"
   fi
 
-  echo "restarted app '${name}'"
+  log info "restarted app '${name}'"
 }
 
 cmd_stop() {
@@ -415,7 +401,7 @@ cmd_stop() {
   load_app "${name}"
 
   run_compose -f "${APP_COMPOSE_FILE}" down || fail "compose down failed"
-  echo "stopped app '${name}'"
+  log info "stopped app '${name}'"
 }
 
 cmd_status() {
@@ -425,7 +411,7 @@ cmd_status() {
 
   run_compose -f "${APP_COMPOSE_FILE}" ps --format json 2>/dev/null || \
     run_compose -f "${APP_COMPOSE_FILE}" ps 2>/dev/null || \
-    echo "no containers running"
+    log info "no containers running"
 }
 
 cmd_logs() {
@@ -447,7 +433,7 @@ cmd_logs() {
     esac
   done
 
-  run_compose -f "${APP_COMPOSE_FILE}" logs --tail "${tail_lines}" 2>&1 || echo "no logs available"
+  run_compose -f "${APP_COMPOSE_FILE}" logs --tail "${tail_lines}" 2>&1 || log info "no logs available"
 }
 
 cmd_validate_compose() {
@@ -456,7 +442,7 @@ cmd_validate_compose() {
   load_app "${name}"
 
   if run_compose -f "${APP_COMPOSE_FILE}" config >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    echo "compose file is valid"
+    log info "compose file is valid"
   else
     local output
     output="$(run_compose -f "${APP_COMPOSE_FILE}" config 2>&1 || true)"
@@ -490,7 +476,7 @@ cmd_remove() {
   fi
 
   maybe_reload_caddy
-  echo "removed app '${name}'"
+  log info "removed app '${name}'"
 }
 
 cmd_backup() {
@@ -512,7 +498,7 @@ cmd_backup() {
   local was_running=false
   if run_compose -f "${APP_COMPOSE_FILE}" ps --format json 2>/dev/null | grep -q '"running"' 2>/dev/null; then
     was_running=true
-    echo "stopping containers for consistent backup..."
+    log info "stopping containers for consistent backup..."
     run_compose -f "${APP_COMPOSE_FILE}" down 2>/dev/null || true
   fi
 
@@ -527,13 +513,13 @@ cmd_backup() {
 
   # Restart if it was running
   if [[ "${was_running}" == "true" ]]; then
-    echo "restarting containers after backup..."
+    log info "restarting containers after backup..."
     run_compose -f "${APP_COMPOSE_FILE}" up -d 2>/dev/null || true
   fi
 
   local size
   size="$(du -h "${backup_file}" | cut -f1)"
-  echo "backup created: ${backup_file} (${size})"
+  log info "backup created: ${backup_file} (${size})"
 }
 
 cmd_list_backups() {
@@ -554,7 +540,7 @@ cmd_list_backups() {
   done
 
   if [[ "${found}" -eq 0 ]]; then
-    echo "no backups found for '${name}'"
+    log info "no backups found for '${name}'"
   fi
 }
 
@@ -582,7 +568,7 @@ cmd_restore() {
   volume_dir="$(app_volume_dir "${name}")"
 
   # Stop containers before restore
-  echo "stopping containers for restore..."
+  log info "stopping containers for restore..."
   run_compose -f "${APP_COMPOSE_FILE}" down 2>/dev/null || true
 
   # Clear existing volume data and extract backup
@@ -590,8 +576,8 @@ cmd_restore() {
   mkdir -p "${volume_dir}"
   (cd "${volume_dir}" && unzip -o "${norm_path}") || fail "unzip failed"
 
-  echo "restored '${name}' from $(basename "${norm_path}")"
-  echo "run 'panelctl deploy ${name}' to start the app"
+  log info "restored '${name}' from $(basename "${norm_path}")"
+  log info "run 'panelctl deploy ${name}' to start the app'"
 }
 
 cmd_list() {
@@ -607,7 +593,7 @@ cmd_list() {
   done
 
   if [[ "${found}" -eq 0 ]]; then
-    echo "no apps found"
+    log info "no apps found"
   fi
 }