diff --git a/espanso/src/cli/daemon/mod.rs b/espanso/src/cli/daemon/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a38a7d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/espanso/src/cli/daemon/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/*
+ * This file is part of espanso.
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2019-2021 Federico Terzi
+ *
+ * espanso is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * espanso is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with espanso.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+use log::info;
+
+use super::{CliModule, CliModuleArgs};
+
+pub fn new() -> CliModule {
+  #[allow(clippy::needless_update)]
+  CliModule {
+    requires_paths: true,
+    requires_config: true,
+    enable_logs: true,
+    log_mode: super::LogMode::Write,
+    subcommand: "daemon".to_string(),
+    entry: daemon_main,
+    ..Default::default()
+  }
+}
+
+const VERSION: &str = env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION");
+
+fn daemon_main(args: CliModuleArgs) {
+  let paths = args.paths.expect("missing paths in worker main");
+
+  info!("espanso version: {}", VERSION);
+}
diff --git a/espanso/src/cli/mod.rs b/espanso/src/cli/mod.rs
index fa68778..4c0af1f 100644
--- a/espanso/src/cli/mod.rs
+++ b/espanso/src/cli/mod.rs
@@ -21,12 +21,14 @@ use clap::ArgMatches;
 use espanso_config::{config::ConfigStore, matches::store::MatchStore};
 use espanso_path::Paths;
 
+pub mod daemon;
 pub mod log;
 pub mod path;
 pub mod worker;
 
 pub struct CliModule {
   pub enable_logs: bool,
+  pub log_mode: LogMode,
   pub requires_paths: bool,
   pub requires_config: bool,
   pub subcommand: String,
@@ -37,6 +39,7 @@ impl Default for CliModule {
   fn default() -> Self {
     Self {
       enable_logs: false,
+      log_mode: LogMode::Read,
       requires_paths: false, 
       requires_config: false, 
       subcommand: "".to_string(), 
@@ -45,6 +48,13 @@ impl Default for CliModule {
   }
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq)]
+pub enum LogMode {
+  Read,
+  Write,
+  Append,
+}
+
 pub struct CliModuleArgs {
   pub config_store: Option<Box<dyn ConfigStore>>,
   pub match_store: Option<Box<dyn MatchStore>>,
diff --git a/espanso/src/cli/worker/mod.rs b/espanso/src/cli/worker/mod.rs
index 561b84f..8ad11d0 100644
--- a/espanso/src/cli/worker/mod.rs
+++ b/espanso/src/cli/worker/mod.rs
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ pub fn new() -> CliModule {
     requires_paths: true,
     requires_config: true,
     enable_logs: true,
+    log_mode: super::LogMode::Append,
     subcommand: "worker".to_string(),
     entry: worker_main,
     ..Default::default()
diff --git a/espanso/src/logging/mod.rs b/espanso/src/logging/mod.rs
index ff3c52d..05f5bb2 100644
--- a/espanso/src/logging/mod.rs
+++ b/espanso/src/logging/mod.rs
@@ -31,25 +31,37 @@ use std::{
 /// decision of the output file
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub(crate) struct FileProxy {
-  output: Arc<Mutex<Option<File>>>,
+  output: Arc<Mutex<Output>>,
+}
+
+enum Output {
+  Memory(Vec<u8>),
+  File(File),
 }
 
 impl FileProxy {
   pub fn new() -> Self {
     Self {
-      output: Arc::new(Mutex::new(None)),
+      output: Arc::new(Mutex::new(Output::Memory(Vec::new()))),
     }
   }
 
-  pub fn set_output_file(&self, path: &Path) -> Result<()> {
-    let log_file = OpenOptions::new()
+  pub fn set_output_file(&self, path: &Path, truncate: bool, append: bool) -> Result<()> {
+    let mut log_file = OpenOptions::new()
       .read(true)
       .write(true)
       .create(true)
-      .append(true)
+      .truncate(truncate)
+      .append(append)
       .open(path)?;
     let mut lock = self.output.lock().expect("unable to obtain FileProxy lock");
-    *lock = Some(log_file);
+
+    // Transfer the log content that has been buffered into the file
+    if let Output::Memory(buffered) = &mut (*lock) {
+      log_file.write_all(&buffered)?;
+      buffered.clear();
+    }
+    *lock = Output::File(log_file);
     Ok(())
   }
 }
@@ -57,11 +69,15 @@ impl FileProxy {
 impl Write for FileProxy {
   fn write(&mut self, buf: &[u8]) -> std::io::Result<usize> {
     match self.output.lock() {
-      Ok(lock) => {
-        if let Some(mut output) = lock.as_ref() {
-          output.write(buf)
-        } else {
-          Ok(0)
+      Ok(mut lock) => {
+        match &mut (*lock) {
+          // Write to the memory buffer until a file is ready
+          Output::Memory(buffer) => {
+            buffer.write(buf)
+          }
+          Output::File(output) => {
+            output.write(buf)
+          }
         }
       }
       Err(_) => Err(std::io::Error::new(
@@ -73,11 +89,14 @@ impl Write for FileProxy {
 
   fn flush(&mut self) -> std::io::Result<()> {
     match self.output.lock() {
-      Ok(lock) => {
-        if let Some(mut output) = lock.as_ref() {
-          output.flush()
-        } else {
-          Ok(())
+      Ok(mut lock) => {
+        match &mut (*lock) {
+          Output::Memory(buffer) => {
+            buffer.flush()
+          }
+          Output::File(output) => {
+            output.flush()
+          }
         }
       }
       Err(_) => Err(std::io::Error::new(
diff --git a/espanso/src/main.rs b/espanso/src/main.rs
index e23fcf9..c210732 100644
--- a/espanso/src/main.rs
+++ b/espanso/src/main.rs
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ use simplelog::{
   CombinedLogger, ConfigBuilder, LevelFilter, TermLogger, TerminalMode, WriteLogger,
 };
 
+use crate::cli::LogMode;
+
 mod cli;
 mod engine;
 mod gui;
@@ -40,8 +42,12 @@ const VERSION: &str = env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION");
 const LOG_FILE_NAME: &str = "espanso.log";
 
 lazy_static! {
-  static ref CLI_HANDLERS: Vec<CliModule> =
-    vec![cli::path::new(), cli::log::new(), cli::worker::new(),];
+  static ref CLI_HANDLERS: Vec<CliModule> = vec![
+    cli::path::new(),
+    cli::log::new(),
+    cli::worker::new(),
+    cli::daemon::new()
+  ];
 }
 
 fn main() {
@@ -128,8 +134,9 @@ fn main() {
     // )
     // .subcommand(SubCommand::with_name("detect")
     //     .about("Tool to detect current window properties, to simplify filters creation."))
-    // .subcommand(SubCommand::with_name("daemon")
-    //     .about("Start the daemon without spawning a new process."))
+    .subcommand(SubCommand::with_name("daemon")
+      .setting(AppSettings::Hidden)
+      .about("Start the daemon without spawning a new process."))
     // .subcommand(SubCommand::with_name("register")
     //     .about("MacOS and Linux only. Register espanso in the system daemon manager."))
     // .subcommand(SubCommand::with_name("unregister")
@@ -228,8 +235,7 @@ fn main() {
 
   let matches = clap_instance.clone().get_matches();
   let log_level = match matches.occurrences_of("v") {
-    0 => LevelFilter::Warn,
-    1 => LevelFilter::Info,
+    0 | 1 => LevelFilter::Info,
 
     // Trace mode is only available in debug mode for security reasons
     #[cfg(debug_assertions)]
@@ -247,13 +253,14 @@ fn main() {
     if handler.enable_logs {
       let config = ConfigBuilder::new()
         .set_time_to_local(true)
+        .set_time_format(format!("%H:%M:%S [{}]", handler.subcommand))
         .set_location_level(LevelFilter::Off)
         .add_filter_ignore_str("html5ever")
         .build();
 
       CombinedLogger::init(vec![
         TermLogger::new(log_level, config.clone(), TerminalMode::Mixed),
-        WriteLogger::new(log_level, config, log_proxy.clone()),
+        WriteLogger::new(LevelFilter::Info, config, log_proxy.clone()),
       ])
       .expect("unable to initialize logs");
     }
@@ -264,8 +271,12 @@ fn main() {
       let force_config_path = get_path_override(&matches, "config_dir", "ESPANSO_CONFIG_DIR");
       let force_package_path = get_path_override(&matches, "package_dir", "ESPANSO_PACKAGE_DIR");
       let force_runtime_path = get_path_override(&matches, "runtime_dir", "ESPANSO_RUNTIME_DIR");
-      
-      let paths = espanso_path::resolve_paths(force_config_path.as_deref(), force_package_path.as_deref(), force_runtime_path.as_deref());
+
+      let paths = espanso_path::resolve_paths(
+        force_config_path.as_deref(),
+        force_package_path.as_deref(),
+        force_runtime_path.as_deref(),
+      );
 
       info!("reading configs from: {:?}", paths.config);
       info!("reading packages from: {:?}", paths.packages);
@@ -291,7 +302,11 @@ fn main() {
 
       if handler.enable_logs {
         log_proxy
-          .set_output_file(&paths.runtime.join(LOG_FILE_NAME))
+          .set_output_file(
+            &paths.runtime.join(LOG_FILE_NAME),
+            handler.log_mode == LogMode::Write,
+            handler.log_mode == LogMode::Append,
+          )
           .expect("unable to set up log output file");
       }
 
@@ -315,7 +330,7 @@ fn get_path_override(matches: &ArgMatches, argument: &str, env_var: &str) -> Opt
   if let Some(path) = matches.value_of(argument) {
     let path = PathBuf::from(path.trim());
     if path.is_dir() {
-      return Some(path)
+      return Some(path);
     } else {
       error!("{} argument was specified, but it doesn't point to a valid directory. Make sure to create it first.", argument);
       std::process::exit(1);
@@ -323,7 +338,7 @@ fn get_path_override(matches: &ArgMatches, argument: &str, env_var: &str) -> Opt
   } else if let Ok(path) = std::env::var(env_var) {
     let path = PathBuf::from(path.trim());
     if path.is_dir() {
-      return Some(path)
+      return Some(path);
     } else {
       error!("{} env variable was specified, but it doesn't point to a valid directory. Make sure to create it first.", env_var);
       std::process::exit(1);
@@ -331,4 +346,4 @@ fn get_path_override(matches: &ArgMatches, argument: &str, env_var: &str) -> Opt
   } else {
     None
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}