diff --git a/eos/__main__.py b/eos/__main__.py
index b8a6e1b..c3fff27 100644
--- a/eos/__main__.py
+++ b/eos/__main__.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import logging
 # need to do absolute import here as pyinstaller requires it
 from eos.options import ReflectivityConfig, ReaderConfig, ExperimentConfig, ReflectivityReductionConfig, ReflectivityOutputConfig
 from eos.command_line import commandLineArgs
-from eos.logconfig import setup_logging, update_loglevel
+from eos.logconfig import setup_logging, update_loglevel, setup_logfile
 
 
 def main():
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ def main():
     output_config = ReflectivityOutputConfig.from_args(clas)
     config = ReflectivityConfig(reader_config, experiment_config, reduction_config, output_config)
 
+    if output_config.logFile:
+        setup_logfile()
     logging.warning('######## eos - data reduction for Amor ########')
 
     # only import heavy module if sufficient command line parameters were provided
diff --git a/eos/logconfig.py b/eos/logconfig.py
index b93b104..6893d81 100644
--- a/eos/logconfig.py
+++ b/eos/logconfig.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import logging
 import logging.handlers
 
 def setup_logging():
-    logger = logging.getLogger()  # logging.getLogger('quicknxs')
+    logger = logging.getLogger()
     logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
     # rename levels to make clear warning is can be a normal message
     logging.addLevelName(logging.INFO, 'VERB')
@@ -19,18 +19,22 @@ def setup_logging():
     console.setLevel(logging.WARNING)
     logger.addHandler(console)
 
-    # if os.path.exists('amor_eos.log'):
-    #     rollover = True
-    # else:
-    #     rollover = False
-    logfile = logging.handlers.RotatingFileHandler('amor_eos.log', encoding='utf8', mode='w',
-                                                   maxBytes=200*1024**2, backupCount=20)
-    # if rollover: logfile.doRollover()
+
+def setup_logfile():
+    logfile = logging.handlers.RotatingFileHandler(
+            'amor_eos.log',
+            encoding='utf8',
+            mode='w',
+            maxBytes=200*1024**2,
+            backupCount=20,
+            )
     formatter = logging.Formatter(
-        '[%(levelname).4s] - %(asctime)s - %(filename)s:%(lineno)i:%(funcName)s %(message)s',
-            '')
+            '[%(levelname).4s] - %(asctime)s - %(filename)s:%(lineno)i:%(funcName)s %(message)s',
+            '',
+            )
     logfile.setFormatter(formatter)
     logfile.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
+    logger = logging.getLogger()
     logger.addHandler(logfile)
 
 def update_loglevel(verbose=0):
diff --git a/eos/options.py b/eos/options.py
index 233e41e..7f56a55 100644
--- a/eos/options.py
+++ b/eos/options.py
@@ -526,6 +526,13 @@ class ReflectivityOutputConfig(ArgParsable):
                 'help': '?',
                 },
             )
+    logFile: bool = field(
+            default = False,
+            metadata = {
+                'group': 'output',
+                'help': 'write log file "amor_eos.log"',
+                }
+            )
     plot: bool = field(
             default=False,
             metadata={