diff --git a/sshpiperd/log.go b/sshpiperd/log.go
index 7fa377ba..97898a48 100644
--- a/sshpiperd/log.go
+++ b/sshpiperd/log.go
@@ -26,12 +26,16 @@ func (l loggerConfig) createLogger() (logger *log.Logger) {
 		logger.SetOutput(f)
 	}
 
+	if l.LogLevel == "" {
+		l.LogLevel = "info"
+	}
+
 	level, err := log.ParseLevel(l.LogLevel)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("parse log level %v error %v", l.LogLevel, err)
 		return
 	}
-	
+
 	logger.SetLevel(level)
 
 	return
diff --git a/sshpiperd/log_test.go b/sshpiperd/log_test.go
index 1ae928db..840e21e9 100644
--- a/sshpiperd/log_test.go
+++ b/sshpiperd/log_test.go
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ func TestCreateLogger(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// flags
 	{
-		logger := loggerConfig{LogFlags: 2}.createLogger()
+		logger := loggerConfig{LogLevel: "trace"}.createLogger()
 
-		if logger.Flags() != 2 {
-			t.Errorf("flags not set")
+		if logger.GetLevel().String() != "trace" {
+			t.Errorf("logger level not set")
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/sshpiperd/upstream/database/handler_test.go b/sshpiperd/upstream/database/handler_test.go
index 7a6e828b..d761f4ce 100644
--- a/sshpiperd/upstream/database/handler_test.go
+++ b/sshpiperd/upstream/database/handler_test.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package database
 
 import (
 	"net"
-	"os"
 	"testing"
 
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -36,7 +35,7 @@ func newTestPlugin(t *testing.T) *plugin {
 
 	p.Config.File = "file::memory:?mode=memory&cache=shared"
 
-	err := p.Init(log.New(os.Stdout, "", 0))
+	err := p.Init(log.New())
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/sshpiperd/upstream/workingdir/workingdir_test.go b/sshpiperd/upstream/workingdir/workingdir_test.go
index 30226e29..a08eef05 100644
--- a/sshpiperd/upstream/workingdir/workingdir_test.go
+++ b/sshpiperd/upstream/workingdir/workingdir_test.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func init() {
-	logger = log.New(ioutil.Discard, "", 0)
+	logger = log.New()
 }
 
 func buildWorkingDir(users []string, t *testing.T) {