diff --git a/go/cmd/entrypoint/daemon.go b/go/cmd/entrypoint/daemon.go
index ef8d475..c8b8c04 100644
--- a/go/cmd/entrypoint/daemon.go
+++ b/go/cmd/entrypoint/daemon.go
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ import (
 
 	"isle/daemon"
 	"isle/daemon/daecommon"
-
-	"dev.mediocregopher.com/mediocre-go-lib.git/mlog"
 )
 
 // TODO it would be good to have an `isle daemon config-check` kind of command,
@@ -30,11 +28,6 @@ var subCmdDaemon = subCmd{
 			"Write the default configuration file to stdout and exit.",
 		)
 
-		logLevelStr := ctx.flags.StringP(
-			"log-level", "l", "info",
-			`Maximum log level which should be output. Values can be "debug", "info", "warn", "error", "fatal". Does not apply to sub-processes`,
-		)
-
 		ctx, err := ctx.withParsedFlags()
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("parsing flags: %w", err)
@@ -44,12 +37,8 @@ var subCmdDaemon = subCmd{
 			return daecommon.CopyDefaultConfig(os.Stdout)
 		}
 
-		logLevel := mlog.LevelFromString(*logLevelStr)
-		if logLevel == nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("couldn't parse log level %q", *logLevelStr)
-		}
-
-		logger := ctx.logger.WithMaxLevel(logLevel.Int())
+		logger := ctx.logger()
+		defer logger.Close()
 
 		// TODO check that daemon is either running as root, or that the
 		// required linux capabilities are set.
diff --git a/go/cmd/entrypoint/flags.go b/go/cmd/entrypoint/flags.go
index fcd8732..e1bc372 100644
--- a/go/cmd/entrypoint/flags.go
+++ b/go/cmd/entrypoint/flags.go
@@ -2,9 +2,13 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"encoding"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"isle/nebula"
+	"isle/toolkit"
 	"net/netip"
+
+	"dev.mediocregopher.com/mediocre-go-lib.git/mlog"
 )
 
 type textUnmarshaler[T any] interface {
@@ -37,3 +41,24 @@ type (
 	ipNetFlag    = textUnmarshalerFlag[nebula.IPNet, *nebula.IPNet]
 	ipFlag       = textUnmarshalerFlag[netip.Addr, *netip.Addr]
 )
+
+type logLevelFlag struct {
+	mlog.Level
+}
+
+func (f *logLevelFlag) Set(v string) error {
+	f.Level = toolkit.LogLevelFromString(v)
+	if f.Level == nil {
+		return errors.New("not a valid log level")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (f *logLevelFlag) String() string {
+	if f.Level == nil {
+		return "UNKNOWN"
+	}
+	return f.Level.String()
+}
+
+func (f *logLevelFlag) Type() string { return "string" }
diff --git a/go/cmd/entrypoint/logger.go b/go/cmd/entrypoint/logger.go
deleted file mode 100644
index a9a9510..0000000
--- a/go/cmd/entrypoint/logger.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,56 +0,0 @@
-package main
-
-import (
-	"fmt"
-	"os"
-	"path"
-	"sync"
-
-	"dev.mediocregopher.com/mediocre-go-lib.git/mctx"
-	"dev.mediocregopher.com/mediocre-go-lib.git/mlog"
-)
-
-type logMsgHandler struct {
-	stderr *os.File
-	l      sync.Mutex
-}
-
-func newLogMsgHandler() mlog.MessageHandler {
-	return &logMsgHandler{
-		stderr: os.Stderr,
-	}
-}
-
-func (h *logMsgHandler) Sync() error {
-	return h.stderr.Sync()
-}
-
-func (h *logMsgHandler) Handle(msg mlog.FullMessage) error {
-	h.l.Lock()
-	defer h.l.Unlock()
-
-	var namespaceStr string
-
-	if len(msg.Namespace) > 0 {
-		namespaceStr = "[" + path.Join(msg.Namespace...) + "] "
-	}
-
-	var annotationsStr string
-
-	if m := mctx.EvaluateAnnotations(msg.Context, nil).StringMap(); len(m) > 0 {
-
-		for k, v := range m {
-			annotationsStr += fmt.Sprintf(" %q=%q", k, v)
-		}
-	}
-
-	fmt.Fprintf(
-		h.stderr, "%s %s%s%s\n",
-		msg.Level.String(),
-		namespaceStr,
-		msg.Description,
-		annotationsStr,
-	)
-
-	return nil
-}
diff --git a/go/cmd/entrypoint/main.go b/go/cmd/entrypoint/main.go
index 1a2a35a..ca33e0c 100644
--- a/go/cmd/entrypoint/main.go
+++ b/go/cmd/entrypoint/main.go
@@ -29,11 +29,7 @@ func binPath(name string) string {
 }
 
 func main() {
-
-	logger := mlog.NewLogger(&mlog.LoggerOpts{
-		MessageHandler: newLogMsgHandler(),
-		MaxLevel:       mlog.LevelInfo.Int(), // TODO make this configurable
-	})
+	logger := mlog.NewLogger(nil)
 	defer logger.Close()
 
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
@@ -56,7 +52,6 @@ func main() {
 
 	err := subCmdCtx{
 		Context: ctx,
-		logger:  logger,
 		args:    os.Args[1:],
 	}.doSubCmd(
 		subCmdDaemon,
diff --git a/go/cmd/entrypoint/sub_cmd.go b/go/cmd/entrypoint/sub_cmd.go
index c8f50db..a9ca750 100644
--- a/go/cmd/entrypoint/sub_cmd.go
+++ b/go/cmd/entrypoint/sub_cmd.go
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ import (
 type flagSet struct {
 	*pflag.FlagSet
 
-	network string
+	network  string
+	logLevel logLevelFlag
 }
 
 type subCmd struct {
@@ -38,18 +39,16 @@ type subCmd struct {
 // subCmdCtx contains all information available to a subCmd's do method.
 type subCmdCtx struct {
 	context.Context
-	logger *mlog.Logger
 
 	subCmd      subCmd   // the subCmd itself
 	args        []string // command-line arguments, excluding the subCmd itself.
 	subCmdNames []string // names of subCmds so far, including this one
 
-	flags flagSet
+	flags *flagSet
 }
 
 func newSubCmdCtx(
 	ctx context.Context,
-	logger *mlog.Logger,
 	subCmd subCmd,
 	args []string,
 	subCmdNames []string,
@@ -72,7 +71,10 @@ func newSubCmdCtx(
 		os.Exit(2)
 	}
 
-	fs := flagSet{FlagSet: flags}
+	fs := &flagSet{
+		FlagSet:  flags,
+		logLevel: logLevelFlag{mlog.LevelInfo},
+	}
 
 	if !subCmd.noNetwork {
 		fs.FlagSet.StringVar(
@@ -80,9 +82,14 @@ func newSubCmdCtx(
 		)
 	}
 
+	fs.FlagSet.VarP(
+		&fs.logLevel,
+		"log-level", "l",
+		"Maximum log level to output. Can be DEBUG, CHILD, INFO, WARN, ERROR, or FATAL. Default is INFO",
+	)
+
 	return subCmdCtx{
 		Context:     ctx,
-		logger:      logger,
 		subCmd:      subCmd,
 		args:        args,
 		subCmdNames: subCmdNames,
@@ -99,6 +106,12 @@ func usagePrefix(subCmdNames []string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("\nUSAGE: %s %s", os.Args[0], subCmdNamesStr)
 }
 
+func (ctx subCmdCtx) logger() *mlog.Logger {
+	return mlog.NewLogger(&mlog.LoggerOpts{
+		MaxLevel: ctx.flags.logLevel.Int(),
+	})
+}
+
 func (ctx subCmdCtx) withParsedFlags() (subCmdCtx, error) {
 	ctx.flags.VisitAll(func(f *pflag.Flag) {
 		if f.Shorthand == "h" {
@@ -167,7 +180,6 @@ func (ctx subCmdCtx) doSubCmd(subCmds ...subCmd) error {
 
 	nextSubCmdCtx := newSubCmdCtx(
 		ctx.Context,
-		ctx.logger,
 		subCmd,
 		args,
 		append(ctx.subCmdNames, subCmdName),