diff --git a/channelAcceptor.go b/channelAcceptor.go
index 9a4fbe9..62ba128 100644
--- a/channelAcceptor.go
+++ b/channelAcceptor.go
@@ -104,9 +104,19 @@ func (app *App) interceptChannelEvents(ctx context.Context) error {
 			)
 		}
 
+		contextLogger := log.WithFields(log.Fields{
+			"event":           "channel_request",
+			"amount":          req.FundingAmt,
+			"alias":           alias,
+			"pubkey":          hex.EncodeToString(req.NodePubkey),
+			"pending_chan_id": hex.EncodeToString(req.PendingChanId),
+			"total_capacity":  info.TotalCapacity,
+			"num_channels":    info.NumChannels,
+		})
+
 		res := lnrpc.ChannelAcceptResponse{}
 		if accept {
-			log.Infof("[channel] ✅ Allow channel %s", channel_info_string)
+			contextLogger.Infof("[channel] ✅ Allow channel %s", channel_info_string)
 			res = lnrpc.ChannelAcceptResponse{Accept: true,
 				PendingChanId:   req.PendingChanId,
 				CsvDelay:        req.CsvDelay,
@@ -117,7 +127,7 @@ func (app *App) interceptChannelEvents(ctx context.Context) error {
 			}
 
 		} else {
-			log.Infof("[channel] ❌ Deny channel %s", channel_info_string)
+			contextLogger.Infof("[channel] ❌ Deny channel %s", channel_info_string)
 			res = lnrpc.ChannelAcceptResponse{Accept: false,
 				Error: Configuration.ChannelRejectMessage}
 		}
@@ -150,7 +160,14 @@ func (app *App) logChannelEvents(ctx context.Context) error {
 				event.GetOpenChannel().Capacity,
 				alias,
 			)
-			log.Infof("[channel] Opened channel %s %s", ParseChannelID(event.GetOpenChannel().ChanId), channel_info_string)
+			contextLogger := log.WithFields(log.Fields{
+				"event":    "channel_open",
+				"capacity": event.GetOpenChannel().Capacity,
+				"alias":    alias,
+				"pubkey":   event.GetOpenChannel().RemotePubkey,
+				"chan_id":  ParseChannelID(event.GetOpenChannel().ChanId),
+			})
+			contextLogger.Infof("[channel] Opened channel %s %s", ParseChannelID(event.GetOpenChannel().ChanId), channel_info_string)
 		}
 		log.Tracef("[channel] Event: %s", event.String())
 	}
diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 5bcb7a8..5b4603a 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ var Configuration = struct {
 	MacaroonPath         string   `yaml:"macaroon_path"`
 	TLSPath              string   `yaml:"tls-path"`
 	Debug                bool     `yaml:"debug"`
+	LogMode              string   `yaml:"log-mode"`
 	ChannelAllowlist     []string `yaml:"channel-allowlist"`
 	ChannelDenylist      []string `yaml:"channel-denylist"`
 	ChannelRejectMessage string   `yaml:"channel-reject-message"`
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 func checkConfig() {
-	setLogger(Configuration.Debug)
+	setLogger(Configuration.Debug, Configuration.LogMode == "json")
 	welcome()
 
 	if Configuration.Host == "" {
diff --git a/config.yaml.example b/config.yaml.example
index bf1a936..e96b773 100644
--- a/config.yaml.example
+++ b/config.yaml.example
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ host: "127.0.0.1:10009"
 macaroon_path: "/home/bitcoin/.lnd/data/chain/bitcoin/mainnet/admin.macaroon"
 tls-path: "/home/bitcoin/.lnd/tls.cert"
 debug: true
+# to get only json output
+# log-mode: "json"
 
 # ----- Channel openings -----
 
diff --git a/helpers.go b/helpers.go
index 64e61b3..3ac3ed3 100644
--- a/helpers.go
+++ b/helpers.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
+	"os"
 	"strconv"
 
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -20,11 +21,17 @@ func trimPubKey(pubkey []byte) string {
 }
 
 func welcome() {
-	log.Info("---- ⚡️ electronwall 0.3.2 ⚡️ ----")
+	log.Info("---- ⚡️ electronwall 0.3.3 ⚡️ ----")
 }
 
 // setLogger will initialize the log format
-func setLogger(debug bool) {
+func setLogger(debug bool, json bool) {
+	if json {
+		log.SetFormatter(&log.JSONFormatter{})
+		return
+	}
+
+	log.SetOutput(os.Stdout)
 	if debug {
 		log.SetLevel(log.DebugLevel)
 	} else {
@@ -33,6 +40,8 @@ func setLogger(debug bool) {
 	customFormatter := new(log.TextFormatter)
 	customFormatter.TimestampFormat = "2006-01-02 15:04:05"
 	customFormatter.FullTimestamp = true
+	customFormatter.ForceColors = true
+
 	log.SetFormatter(customFormatter)
 }
 
@@ -55,76 +64,3 @@ func ParseChannelID(e uint64) string {
 	int_block1, _ := strconv.ParseInt(hexstr[12:], 16, 64)
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%dx%dx%d", int_block3, int_block2, int_block1)
 }
-
-// These functions are inspired by by Joost Jager's circuitbreaker
-
-// // getNodeInfo returns the information of a node given a pubKey
-// func (app *App) getNodeInfo(ctx context.Context, pubkey string) (nodeInfo *lnrpc.NodeInfo, err error) {
-// 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 10*time.Second)
-// 	defer cancel()
-
-// 	info, err := app.client.GetNodeInfo(ctx, &lnrpc.NodeInfoRequest{
-// 		PubKey: pubkey,
-// 	})
-// 	if err != nil {
-// 		return &lnrpc.NodeInfo{}, err
-// 	}
-// 	return info, nil
-// }
-
-// // getNodeAlias returns the alias of a node pubkey
-// func (app *App) getNodeAlias(ctx context.Context, pubkey string) (string, error) {
-// 	info, err := app.getNodeInfo(ctx, pubkey)
-// 	if err != nil {
-// 		return "", err
-// 	}
-
-// 	if info.Node == nil {
-// 		return "", errors.New("node info not available")
-// 	}
-// 	return info.Node.Alias, nil
-// }
-
-// // getMyPubkey returns the pubkey of my own node
-// func (app *App) getMyInfo(ctx context.Context) (*lnrpc.GetInfoResponse, error) {
-// 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 10*time.Second)
-// 	defer cancel()
-
-// 	info, err := app.client.GetInfo(ctx, &lnrpc.GetInfoRequest{})
-// 	if err != nil {
-// 		return &lnrpc.GetInfoResponse{}, err
-// 	}
-// 	return info, nil
-// }
-
-// type channelEdge struct {
-// 	node1Pub, node2Pub route.Vertex
-// }
-
-// // getPubKeyFromChannel returns the pubkey of the remote node in a channel
-// func (app *App) getPubKeyFromChannel(ctx context.Context, chan_id uint64) (*channelEdge, error) {
-// 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 10*time.Second)
-// 	defer cancel()
-
-// 	info, err := app.client.GetChanInfo(ctx, &lnrpc.ChanInfoRequest{
-// 		ChanId: chan_id,
-// 	})
-// 	if err != nil {
-// 		return nil, err
-// 	}
-
-// 	node1Pub, err := route.NewVertexFromStr(info.Node1Pub)
-// 	if err != nil {
-// 		return nil, err
-// 	}
-
-// 	node2Pub, err := route.NewVertexFromStr(info.Node2Pub)
-// 	if err != nil {
-// 		return nil, err
-// 	}
-
-// 	return &channelEdge{
-// 		node1Pub: node1Pub,
-// 		node2Pub: node2Pub,
-// 	}, nil
-// }
diff --git a/htlcInterceptor.go b/htlcInterceptor.go
index 50e1740..99fb3c5 100644
--- a/htlcInterceptor.go
+++ b/htlcInterceptor.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ func (app *App) interceptHtlcEvents(ctx context.Context) error {
 			}
 
 			log.Tracef("[forward] HTLC event (%d->%d)", event.IncomingCircuitKey.ChanId, event.OutgoingRequestedChanId)
+
 			forward_info_string := fmt.Sprintf(
 				"from %s to %s (%d sat, chan_id:%s->%s, htlc_id:%d)",
 				aliasFrom,
@@ -97,11 +99,22 @@ func (app *App) interceptHtlcEvents(ctx context.Context) error {
 			response := &routerrpc.ForwardHtlcInterceptResponse{
 				IncomingCircuitKey: event.IncomingCircuitKey,
 			}
+
+			contextLogger := log.WithFields(log.Fields{
+				"event":       "forward_request",
+				"in_alias":    aliasFrom,
+				"out_alias":   aliasTo,
+				"amount":      event.IncomingAmountMsat / 1000,
+				"in_chan_id":  ParseChannelID(event.IncomingCircuitKey.ChanId),
+				"out_chan_id": ParseChannelID(event.OutgoingRequestedChanId),
+				"htlc_id":     event.IncomingCircuitKey.HtlcId,
+			})
+
 			if <-decision_chan {
-				log.Infof("[forward] ✅ Allow HTLC %s", forward_info_string)
+				contextLogger.Infof("[forward] ✅ Allow HTLC %s", forward_info_string)
 				response.Action = routerrpc.ResolveHoldForwardAction_RESUME
 			} else {
-				log.Infof("[forward] ❌ Deny HTLC %s", forward_info_string)
+				contextLogger.Infof("[forward] ❌ Deny HTLC %s", forward_info_string)
 				response.Action = routerrpc.ResolveHoldForwardAction_FAIL
 			}
 			err = interceptor.Send(response)
@@ -123,6 +136,9 @@ func (app *App) htlcInterceptDecision(ctx context.Context, event *routerrpc.Forw
 	var accept bool
 	var listToParse []string
 
+	// // sleep for 60 seconds
+	// time.Sleep(60 * time.Second)
+
 	// determine filtering mode and list to parse
 	switch Configuration.ForwardMode {
 	case "allowlist":
@@ -181,18 +197,29 @@ func (app *App) logHtlcEvents(ctx context.Context) error {
 			continue
 		}
 
+		contextLogger := log.WithFields(log.Fields{
+			"event":   "forward_event",
+			"chan_id": ParseChannelID(event.IncomingChannelId),
+			"htlc_id": event.IncomingHtlcId,
+		})
+
 		switch event.Event.(type) {
 		case *routerrpc.HtlcEvent_SettleEvent:
-			log.Debugf("[forward] ⚡️ HTLC SettleEvent (chan_id:%s, htlc_id:%d)", ParseChannelID(event.IncomingChannelId), event.IncomingHtlcId)
+			contextLogger.Infof("[forward] ⚡️ HTLC SettleEvent")
+			log.Debugf("[forward] Preimage: %s", hex.EncodeToString(event.GetSettleEvent().Preimage))
 
 		case *routerrpc.HtlcEvent_ForwardFailEvent:
-			log.Debugf("[forward] HTLC ForwardFailEvent (chan_id:%s, htlc_id:%d)", ParseChannelID(event.IncomingChannelId), event.IncomingHtlcId)
+			contextLogger.Infof("[forward] HTLC ForwardFailEvent")
+			log.Debugf("[forward] Reason: %s", event.GetForwardFailEvent().String())
 
 		case *routerrpc.HtlcEvent_ForwardEvent:
-			log.Debugf("[forward] HTLC ForwardEvent (chan_id:%s, htlc_id:%d)", ParseChannelID(event.IncomingChannelId), event.IncomingHtlcId)
+			contextLogger.Infof("[forward] HTLC ForwardEvent")
+			// log.Infof("[forward] HTLC ForwardEvent (chan_id:%s, htlc_id:%d)", ParseChannelID(event.IncomingChannelId), event.IncomingHtlcId)
+			// log.Debugf("[forward] Details: %s", event.GetForwardEvent().String())
 
 		case *routerrpc.HtlcEvent_LinkFailEvent:
-			log.Debugf("[forward] HTLC LinkFailEvent (chan_id:%s, htlc_id:%d)", ParseChannelID(event.IncomingChannelId), event.IncomingHtlcId)
+			contextLogger.Infof("[forward] HTLC LinkFailEvent")
+			log.Debugf("[forward] Reason: %s", event.GetLinkFailEvent().FailureString)
 		}
 
 	}