diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 6e62c01..e515af9 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"log/syslog"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ var (
 	appName   = path.Base(os.Args[0])
 	app       = kingpin.New(appName, "A command-line checker for IPMI checks using ipmi-sel, by CrossEngage")
 	checkName = app.Flag("name", "check name").Default(appName).String()
+	debug     = app.Flag("debug", "if set, enables debug log on stderr").Default("false").Bool()
 	ipmiSel   = app.Flag("ipmi-sel", "Path of ipmi-sel").Default("/usr/sbin/ipmi-sel").String()
 )
 
@@ -35,7 +37,12 @@ func main() {
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	log.SetOutput(slog)
+
+	if *debug {
+		log.SetOutput(io.MultiWriter(slog, os.Stderr))
+	} else {
+		log.SetOutput(slog)
+	}
 
 	cmd := exec.Command(*ipmiSel, "--output-event-state", "--comma-separated-output", "--no-header-output")
 	var stdout, stderr bytes.Buffer
@@ -46,15 +53,22 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	outStr, errStr := string(stdout.Bytes()), string(stderr.Bytes())
-	slog.Debug(fmt.Sprintf("%s: stdout `%s`, stderr `%s`", *ipmiSel, outStr, errStr))
+	log.Printf("%s: stdout `%s`, stderr `%s`", *ipmiSel, outStr, errStr)
 
 	outStr = strings.TrimSpace(outStr)
 	lines := strings.Split(outStr, "\n")
 	if len(lines) >= 0 {
 		for _, line := range lines {
+			line = strings.TrimSpace(line)
+			if len(line) == 0 {
+				log.Println("Got empty line from output of ipmi-sel.")
+				continue
+			}
+			log.Printf("Line: `%s`\n", line)
 			ev, err := newIPMIEvent(line)
+			log.Printf("Event: %#v\n", ev)
 			if err != nil {
-				slog.Err(fmt.Sprintf("Could not parse `%s` stdout: `%s`", line, outStr))
+				log.Printf("Could not parse `%s` stdout: `%s`", line, outStr)
 			}
 			fmt.Println(ev.InfluxDB(*checkName, hostname))
 		}