diff --git a/clean_files.txt b/clean_files.txt
index a5959798..857ef910 100644
--- a/clean_files.txt
+++ b/clean_files.txt
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ completion/available/vuejs.completion.bash
 completion/available/wpscan.completion.bash
 
 # libraries
+lib/log.bash
 lib/utilities.bash
 
 # plugins
diff --git a/lib/log.bash b/lib/log.bash
index 6bc53a12..444a6854 100644
--- a/lib/log.bash
+++ b/lib/log.bash
@@ -1,60 +1,90 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# shellcheck shell=bash
+#
+# A collection of logging functions.
 
-export BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_ERROR=1
-export BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_WARNING=2
-export BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_ALL=3
+# Declare log severity levels, matching syslog numbering
+: "${BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_FATAL:=1}"
+: "${BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_ERROR:=3}"
+: "${BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_WARNING:=4}"
+: "${BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_ALL:=6}"
+: "${BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_INFO:=6}"
+: "${BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_TRACE:=7}"
+readonly "${!BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_@}"
 
-function _has_colors()
-{
-  # Check that stdout is a terminal
-  test -t 1 || return 1
+function _bash-it-log-prefix-by-path() {
+	local component_path="${1?${FUNCNAME[0]}: path specification required}"
+	local without_extension component_directory
+	local component_filename component_type component_name
 
-  ncolors=$(tput colors)
-  test -n "$ncolors" && test "$ncolors" -ge 8 || return 1
-  return 0
+	# get the directory, if any
+	component_directory="${component_path%/*}"
+	# drop the directory, if any
+	component_filename="${component_path##*/}"
+	# strip the file extension
+	without_extension="${component_filename%.bash}"
+	# strip before the last dot
+	component_type="${without_extension##*.}"
+	# strip component type, but try not to strip other words
+	# - aliases, completions, plugins, themes
+	component_name="${without_extension%.[acpt][hlo][eimu]*[ens]}"
+	# Finally, strip load priority prefix
+	component_name="${component_name##[[:digit:]][[:digit:]][[:digit:]]"${BASH_IT_LOAD_PRIORITY_SEPARATOR:----}"}"
+
+	# best-guess for files without a type
+	if [[ "${component_type:-${component_name}}" == "${component_name}" ]]; then
+		if [[ "${component_directory}" == *'vendor'* ]]; then
+			component_type='vendor'
+		else
+			component_type="${component_directory##*/}"
+		fi
+	fi
+
+	# shellcheck disable=SC2034
+	BASH_IT_LOG_PREFIX="${component_type:-lib}: $component_name"
 }
 
-function _log_general()
-{
-  about 'Internal function used for logging, uses BASH_IT_LOG_PREFIX as a prefix'
-  param '1: color of the message'
-  param '2: log level to print before the prefix'
-  param '3: message to log'
-  group 'log'
-
-  message=$2${BASH_IT_LOG_PREFIX:-default: }$3
-  _has_colors && echo -e "$1${message}${echo_normal:-}" || echo -e "${message}"
+function _has_colors() {
+	# Check that stdout is a terminal, and that it has at least 8 colors.
+	[[ -t 1 && "${_bash_it_available_colors:=$(tput colors 2> /dev/null)}" -ge 8 ]]
 }
 
-function _log_debug()
-{
-  about 'log a debug message by echoing to the screen. needs BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL >= BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_ALL'
-  param '1: message to log'
-  example '$ _log_debug "Loading plugin git..."'
-  group 'log'
+function _bash-it-log-message() {
+	about 'Internal function used for logging, uses BASH_IT_LOG_PREFIX as a prefix'
+	param '1: color of the message'
+	param '2: log level to print before the prefix'
+	param '3: message to log'
+	group 'log'
 
-  [[ "${BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL:-0}" -ge $BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_ALL ]] || return 0
-  _log_general "${echo_green:-}" "DEBUG: " "$1"
+	message="$2${BASH_IT_LOG_PREFIX:-default: }$3"
+	_has_colors && echo -e "$1${message}${echo_normal:-}" || echo -e "${message}"
 }
 
-function _log_warning()
-{
-  about 'log a message by echoing to the screen. needs BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL >= BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_WARNING'
-  param '1: message to log'
-  example '$ _log_warning "git binary not found, disabling git plugin..."'
-  group 'log'
+function _log_debug() {
+	about 'log a debug message by echoing to the screen. needs BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL >= BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_INFO'
+	param '1: message to log'
+	example '$ _log_debug "Loading plugin git..."'
+	group 'log'
 
-  [[ "${BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL:-0}" -ge $BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_WARNING ]] || return 0
-  _log_general "${echo_yellow:-}" " WARN: " "$1"
+	[[ "${BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL:-0}" -ge "${BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_INFO?}" ]] || return 0
+	_bash-it-log-message "${echo_green:-}" "DEBUG: " "$1"
 }
 
-function _log_error()
-{
-  about 'log a message by echoing to the screen. needs BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL >= BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_ERROR'
-  param '1: message to log'
-  example '$ _log_error "Failed to load git plugin..."'
-  group 'log'
+function _log_warning() {
+	about 'log a message by echoing to the screen. needs BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL >= BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_WARNING'
+	param '1: message to log'
+	example '$ _log_warning "git binary not found, disabling git plugin..."'
+	group 'log'
 
-  [[ "${BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL:-0}" -ge $BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_ERROR ]] || return 0
-  _log_general "${echo_red:-}" "ERROR: " "$1"
+	[[ "${BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL:-0}" -ge "${BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_WARNING?}" ]] || return 0
+	_bash-it-log-message "${echo_yellow:-}" " WARN: " "$1"
+}
+
+function _log_error() {
+	about 'log a message by echoing to the screen. needs BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL >= BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_ERROR'
+	param '1: message to log'
+	example '$ _log_error "Failed to load git plugin..."'
+	group 'log'
+
+	[[ "${BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL:-0}" -ge "${BASH_IT_LOG_LEVEL_ERROR?}" ]] || return 0
+	_bash-it-log-message "${echo_red:-}" "ERROR: " "$1"
 }