diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 193ca6f..40790b4 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -14,6 +14,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "zerocopy",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "aho-corasick"
+version = "1.1.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "8e60d3430d3a69478ad0993f19238d2df97c507009a52b3c10addcd7f6bcb916"
+dependencies = [
+ "memchr",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "allocator-api2"
 version = "0.2.18"
@@ -85,6 +94,27 @@ dependencies = [
  "winapi",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "directories"
+version = "5.0.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "9a49173b84e034382284f27f1af4dcbbd231ffa358c0fe316541a7337f376a35"
+dependencies = [
+ "dirs-sys",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "dirs-sys"
+version = "0.4.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "520f05a5cbd335fae5a99ff7a6ab8627577660ee5cfd6a94a6a929b52ff0321c"
+dependencies = [
+ "libc",
+ "option-ext",
+ "redox_users",
+ "windows-sys",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "either"
 version = "1.11.0"
@@ -97,6 +127,17 @@ version = "1.0.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "5443807d6dff69373d433ab9ef5378ad8df50ca6298caf15de6e52e24aaf54d5"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "getrandom"
+version = "0.2.15"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "c4567c8db10ae91089c99af84c68c38da3ec2f087c3f82960bcdbf3656b6f4d7"
+dependencies = [
+ "cfg-if",
+ "libc",
+ "wasi",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "hashbrown"
 version = "0.14.5"
@@ -146,9 +187,9 @@ checksum = "49f1f14873335454500d59611f1cf4a4b0f786f9ac11f4312a78e4cf2566695b"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lazy_static"
-version = "1.4.0"
+version = "1.5.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "e2abad23fbc42b3700f2f279844dc832adb2b2eb069b2df918f455c4e18cc646"
+checksum = "bbd2bcb4c963f2ddae06a2efc7e9f3591312473c50c6685e1f298068316e66fe"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "libc"
@@ -156,6 +197,16 @@ version = "0.2.154"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "ae743338b92ff9146ce83992f766a31066a91a8c84a45e0e9f21e7cf6de6d346"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "libredox"
+version = "0.1.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "c0ff37bd590ca25063e35af745c343cb7a0271906fb7b37e4813e8f79f00268d"
+dependencies = [
+ "bitflags",
+ "libc",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "lock_api"
 version = "0.4.12"
@@ -181,6 +232,21 @@ dependencies = [
  "hashbrown",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "matchers"
+version = "0.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "8263075bb86c5a1b1427b5ae862e8889656f126e9f77c484496e8b47cf5c5558"
+dependencies = [
+ "regex-automata 0.1.10",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "memchr"
+version = "2.7.4"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "78ca9ab1a0babb1e7d5695e3530886289c18cf2f87ec19a575a0abdce112e3a3"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "mio"
 version = "0.8.11"
@@ -193,12 +259,34 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows-sys",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "nu-ansi-term"
+version = "0.46.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "77a8165726e8236064dbb45459242600304b42a5ea24ee2948e18e023bf7ba84"
+dependencies = [
+ "overload",
+ "winapi",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "once_cell"
 version = "1.19.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "3fdb12b2476b595f9358c5161aa467c2438859caa136dec86c26fdd2efe17b92"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "option-ext"
+version = "0.2.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "04744f49eae99ab78e0d5c0b603ab218f515ea8cfe5a456d7629ad883a3b6e7d"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "overload"
+version = "0.1.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "b15813163c1d831bf4a13c3610c05c0d03b39feb07f7e09fa234dac9b15aaf39"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "parking_lot"
 version = "0.12.2"
@@ -228,6 +316,12 @@ version = "1.0.14"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "de3145af08024dea9fa9914f381a17b8fc6034dfb00f3a84013f7ff43f29ed4c"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "pin-project-lite"
+version = "0.2.14"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "bda66fc9667c18cb2758a2ac84d1167245054bcf85d5d1aaa6923f45801bdd02"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "proc-macro2"
 version = "1.0.81"
@@ -274,6 +368,61 @@ dependencies = [
  "bitflags",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "redox_users"
+version = "0.4.5"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "bd283d9651eeda4b2a83a43c1c91b266c40fd76ecd39a50a8c630ae69dc72891"
+dependencies = [
+ "getrandom",
+ "libredox",
+ "thiserror",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "regex"
+version = "1.10.4"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "c117dbdfde9c8308975b6a18d71f3f385c89461f7b3fb054288ecf2a2058ba4c"
+dependencies = [
+ "aho-corasick",
+ "memchr",
+ "regex-automata 0.4.6",
+ "regex-syntax 0.8.3",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "regex-automata"
+version = "0.1.10"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "6c230d73fb8d8c1b9c0b3135c5142a8acee3a0558fb8db5cf1cb65f8d7862132"
+dependencies = [
+ "regex-syntax 0.6.29",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "regex-automata"
+version = "0.4.6"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "86b83b8b9847f9bf95ef68afb0b8e6cdb80f498442f5179a29fad448fcc1eaea"
+dependencies = [
+ "aho-corasick",
+ "memchr",
+ "regex-syntax 0.8.3",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "regex-syntax"
+version = "0.6.29"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f162c6dd7b008981e4d40210aca20b4bd0f9b60ca9271061b07f78537722f2e1"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "regex-syntax"
+version = "0.8.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "adad44e29e4c806119491a7f06f03de4d1af22c3a680dd47f1e6e179439d1f56"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "rustversion"
 version = "1.0.15"
@@ -325,6 +474,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "unsafe-libyaml",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "sharded-slab"
+version = "0.1.7"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "f40ca3c46823713e0d4209592e8d6e826aa57e928f09752619fc696c499637f6"
+dependencies = [
+ "lazy_static",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "signal-hook"
 version = "0.3.17"
@@ -422,9 +580,115 @@ dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "colored",
  "crossterm",
+ "directories",
+ "lazy_static",
  "ratatui",
  "serde",
  "serde_yaml",
+ "tracing",
+ "tracing-error",
+ "tracing-subscriber",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "thiserror"
+version = "1.0.63"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "c0342370b38b6a11b6cc11d6a805569958d54cfa061a29969c3b5ce2ea405724"
+dependencies = [
+ "thiserror-impl",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "thiserror-impl"
+version = "1.0.63"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "a4558b58466b9ad7ca0f102865eccc95938dca1a74a856f2b57b6629050da261"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn 2.0.60",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "thread_local"
+version = "1.1.8"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "8b9ef9bad013ada3808854ceac7b46812a6465ba368859a37e2100283d2d719c"
+dependencies = [
+ "cfg-if",
+ "once_cell",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "tracing"
+version = "0.1.40"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "c3523ab5a71916ccf420eebdf5521fcef02141234bbc0b8a49f2fdc4544364ef"
+dependencies = [
+ "pin-project-lite",
+ "tracing-attributes",
+ "tracing-core",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "tracing-attributes"
+version = "0.1.27"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "34704c8d6ebcbc939824180af020566b01a7c01f80641264eba0999f6c2b6be7"
+dependencies = [
+ "proc-macro2",
+ "quote",
+ "syn 2.0.60",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "tracing-core"
+version = "0.1.32"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "c06d3da6113f116aaee68e4d601191614c9053067f9ab7f6edbcb161237daa54"
+dependencies = [
+ "once_cell",
+ "valuable",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "tracing-error"
+version = "0.2.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "d686ec1c0f384b1277f097b2f279a2ecc11afe8c133c1aabf036a27cb4cd206e"
+dependencies = [
+ "tracing",
+ "tracing-subscriber",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "tracing-log"
+version = "0.2.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "ee855f1f400bd0e5c02d150ae5de3840039a3f54b025156404e34c23c03f47c3"
+dependencies = [
+ "log",
+ "once_cell",
+ "tracing-core",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "tracing-subscriber"
+version = "0.3.18"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "ad0f048c97dbd9faa9b7df56362b8ebcaa52adb06b498c050d2f4e32f90a7a8b"
+dependencies = [
+ "matchers",
+ "nu-ansi-term",
+ "once_cell",
+ "regex",
+ "sharded-slab",
+ "smallvec",
+ "thread_local",
+ "tracing",
+ "tracing-core",
+ "tracing-log",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -451,6 +715,12 @@ version = "0.2.11"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "673aac59facbab8a9007c7f6108d11f63b603f7cabff99fabf650fea5c32b861"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "valuable"
+version = "0.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "830b7e5d4d90034032940e4ace0d9a9a057e7a45cd94e6c007832e39edb82f6d"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "version_check"
 version = "0.9.4"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 7dae75f..30239b0 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@ edition = "2021"
 anyhow = "1.0.79"
 colored = "2.1.0"
 crossterm = "0.27.0"
+directories = "5.0.1"
+lazy_static = "1.5.0"
 ratatui = "0.25.0"
 serde = "1.0.195"
 serde_yaml = "0.9.30"
+tracing = "0.1.40"
+tracing-error = "0.2.0"
+tracing-subscriber = { version = "0.3.18", features = ["env-filter"] }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 5a0ef50..7b360a8 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -9,8 +9,13 @@ use taskui::{
 
 mod taskfile;
 mod taskui;
+mod trace;
 
 fn main() -> Result<()> {
+    trace::initialize_logging()?;
+
+    trace_dbg!("Starting taskui");
+
     let taskfile = taskfile::config::load()?;
 
     let cfg = Config::load();
diff --git a/src/taskfile/config.rs b/src/taskfile/config.rs
index 15d71c7..131a0ea 100644
--- a/src/taskfile/config.rs
+++ b/src/taskfile/config.rs
@@ -1,18 +1,18 @@
-use anyhow::{bail, Result};
+use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, Result};
 use serde_yaml::Value;
 use std::{
     fs::{metadata, File},
     path::PathBuf,
 };
 
-#[derive(Clone)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub struct Task {
     pub name: String,
     pub body: String,
     pub internal: bool,
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 struct Include {
     name: String,
     path: String,
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ fn find_supported_file() -> Result<&'static str> {
 
     match found {
         Some(file_name) => Ok(file_name),
-        None => bail!("no supported file found"),
+        None => Err(anyhow!("no supported file found")),
     }
 }
 
@@ -73,15 +73,7 @@ fn handle_includes(includes: Vec<Include>, current_path: &str) -> Result<Vec<Tas
                 let include_tasks = get_tasks(&taskfile_yml)?;
                 let include_tasks: Vec<Task> =
                     prefix_tasks(include_tasks.clone(), include.name.clone());
-                let include_tasks: Vec<Task> = include_tasks
-                    .into_iter()
-                    .map(|task| Task {
-                        name: task.name,
-                        body: task.body,
-                        internal: task.internal || include.internal,
-                    })
-                    .collect();
-
+                let include_tasks: Vec<Task> = flag_internal_tasks(&include, include_tasks);
                 tasks.extend(include_tasks);
 
                 if let Some(sub_includes) = get_includes(&taskfile_yml)? {
@@ -90,15 +82,15 @@ fn handle_includes(includes: Vec<Include>, current_path: &str) -> Result<Vec<Tas
                     let sub_include_tasks = handle_includes(sub_includes, include_path)?;
                     let sub_include_tasks: Vec<Task> =
                         prefix_tasks(sub_include_tasks.clone(), include.name.clone());
+                    let sub_include_tasks = flag_internal_tasks(&include, sub_include_tasks);
                     tasks.extend(sub_include_tasks);
                 }
             }
             Err(_) => {
                 if include.optional {
                     continue;
-                } else {
-                    bail!("include not found: {}", include.path);
                 }
+                bail!("include not found: {}", include.path);
             }
         }
     }
@@ -108,6 +100,17 @@ fn handle_includes(includes: Vec<Include>, current_path: &str) -> Result<Vec<Tas
     Ok(tasks)
 }
 
+fn flag_internal_tasks(include: &Include, tasks: Vec<Task>) -> Vec<Task> {
+    tasks
+        .into_iter()
+        .map(|task| Task {
+            name: task.name,
+            body: task.body,
+            internal: task.internal || include.internal,
+        })
+        .collect()
+}
+
 fn prefix_tasks(tasks: Vec<Task>, include_name: String) -> Vec<Task> {
     tasks
         .into_iter()
diff --git a/src/trace.rs b/src/trace.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..410bcb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/trace.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+use anyhow::Result;
+use directories::ProjectDirs;
+use lazy_static::lazy_static;
+use tracing_error::ErrorLayer;
+use tracing_subscriber::{self, layer::SubscriberExt, util::SubscriberInitExt, Layer};
+
+lazy_static! {
+    pub static ref PROJECT_NAME: String = env!("CARGO_CRATE_NAME").to_uppercase().to_string();
+    pub static ref DATA_FOLDER: Option<PathBuf> =
+        std::env::var(format!("{}_DATA", PROJECT_NAME.clone()))
+            .ok()
+            .map(PathBuf::from);
+    pub static ref LOG_ENV: String = format!("{}_LOGLEVEL", PROJECT_NAME.clone());
+    pub static ref LOG_FILE: String = format!("{}.log", env!("CARGO_PKG_NAME"));
+}
+
+fn project_directory() -> Option<ProjectDirs> {
+    ProjectDirs::from("de", "thmshmm", env!("CARGO_PKG_NAME"))
+}
+
+pub fn get_data_dir() -> PathBuf {
+    let directory = if let Some(s) = DATA_FOLDER.clone() {
+        s
+    } else if let Some(proj_dirs) = project_directory() {
+        proj_dirs.data_local_dir().to_path_buf()
+    } else {
+        PathBuf::from(".").join(".data")
+    };
+    directory
+}
+
+pub fn initialize_logging() -> Result<()> {
+    let directory = get_data_dir();
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(directory.clone())?;
+    let log_path = directory.join(LOG_FILE.clone());
+    let log_file = std::fs::File::create(log_path)?;
+    std::env::set_var(
+        "RUST_LOG",
+        std::env::var("RUST_LOG")
+            .or_else(|_| std::env::var(LOG_ENV.clone()))
+            .unwrap_or_else(|_| format!("{}=info", env!("CARGO_CRATE_NAME"))),
+    );
+    let file_subscriber = tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer()
+        .with_file(true)
+        .with_line_number(true)
+        .with_writer(log_file)
+        .with_target(false)
+        .with_ansi(false)
+        .with_filter(tracing_subscriber::filter::EnvFilter::from_default_env());
+    tracing_subscriber::registry()
+        .with(file_subscriber)
+        .with(ErrorLayer::default())
+        .init();
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[macro_export]
+macro_rules! trace_dbg {
+    (target: $target:expr, level: $level:expr, $ex:expr) => {{
+        match $ex {
+            value => {
+                tracing::event!(target: $target, $level, ?value, stringify!($ex));
+                value
+            }
+        }
+    }};
+    (level: $level:expr, $ex:expr) => {
+        trace_dbg!(target: module_path!(), level: $level, $ex)
+    };
+    (target: $target:expr, $ex:expr) => {
+        trace_dbg!(target: $target, level: tracing::Level::DEBUG, $ex)
+    };
+    ($ex:expr) => {
+        trace_dbg!(level: tracing::Level::DEBUG, $ex)
+    };
+}