diff --git a/include/common/log.h b/include/common/log.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b2ae2efd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/common/log.h
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#ifndef __LABWC_LOG_H
+#define __LABWC_LOG_H
+
+/**
+ * info - print info message
+ */
+void info(const char *msg, ...);
+
+/**
+ * warn - print warning
+ */
+void warn(const char *err, ...);
+
+#endif /* __LABWC_LOG_H */
diff --git a/src/action.c b/src/action.c
index 4861de9a..ab4a91c9 100644
--- a/src/action.c
+++ b/src/action.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "labwc.h"
 #include "common/spawn.h"
+#include "common/log.h"
 
 #include <strings.h>
 
@@ -16,7 +17,6 @@ void action(struct server *server, struct keybind *keybind)
 	} else if (!strcasecmp(keybind->action, "debug-views")) {
 		dbg_show_views(server);
 	} else {
-		fprintf(stderr, "warn: action (%s) not supported\n",
-			keybind->action);
+		warn("action (%s) not supported", keybind->action);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/common/dir.c b/src/common/dir.c
index aa8cadc4..2b8a2dbc 100644
--- a/src/common/dir.c
+++ b/src/common/dir.c
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <glib.h>
 
 #include "common/dir.h"
+#include "common/log.h"
 
 struct dir {
 	const char *prefix;
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ char *find_dir(struct ctx *ctx)
 			/* handle /etc/xdg... */
 			ctx->build_path_fn(ctx, NULL, d.path);
 			if (debug)
-				fprintf(stderr, "DEBUG: %s\n", ctx->buf);
+				info("%s", ctx->buf);
 			if (isdir(ctx->buf))
 				return ctx->buf;
 		} else {
@@ -96,8 +97,7 @@ char *find_dir(struct ctx *ctx)
 			for (gchar **p = prefixes; *p; p++) {
 				ctx->build_path_fn(ctx, *p, d.path);
 				if (debug)
-					fprintf(stderr, "DEBUG: %s\n",
-						ctx->buf);
+					info("%s", ctx->buf);
 				if (isdir(ctx->buf))
 					return ctx->buf;
 			}
diff --git a/src/common/log.c b/src/common/log.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4557d934
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/log.c
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#define LABWC_COLOR_YELLOW "\033[0;33m"
+#define LABWC_COLOR_RED "\033[0;31m"
+#define LABWC_COLOR_RESET "\033[0m"
+
+void info(const char *msg, ...)
+{
+	va_list params;
+	fprintf(stderr, LABWC_COLOR_YELLOW);
+	fprintf(stderr, "[labwc] info: ");
+	va_start(params, msg);
+	vfprintf(stderr, msg, params);
+	va_end(params);
+	fprintf(stderr, LABWC_COLOR_RESET);
+	fprintf(stderr, "\n");
+}
+
+void warn(const char *err, ...)
+{
+	va_list params;
+	fprintf(stderr, LABWC_COLOR_RED);
+	fprintf(stderr, "[labwc] warning: ");
+	va_start(params, err);
+	vfprintf(stderr, err, params);
+	va_end(params);
+	fprintf(stderr, LABWC_COLOR_RESET);
+	fprintf(stderr, "\n");
+}
diff --git a/src/common/meson.build b/src/common/meson.build
index 48e1dd56..d2f1af5f 100644
--- a/src/common/meson.build
+++ b/src/common/meson.build
@@ -3,5 +3,6 @@ labwc_sources += files(
   'dir.c',
   'font.c',
   'grab-file.c',
+  'log.c',
   'spawn.c',
 )
diff --git a/src/config/keybind.c b/src/config/keybind.c
index bbb47859..cac1047e 100644
--- a/src/config/keybind.c
+++ b/src/config/keybind.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 #include "config/keybind.h"
 #include "config/rcxml.h"
+#include "common/log.h"
 
 static uint32_t parse_modifier(const char *symname)
 {
@@ -35,8 +36,7 @@ struct keybind *keybind_add(const char *keybind)
 			xkb_keysym_t sym = xkb_keysym_from_name(
 				symname, XKB_KEYSYM_NO_FLAGS);
 			if (sym == XKB_KEY_NoSymbol) {
-				fprintf(stderr, "unknown keybind (%s)\n",
-					symname);
+				warn("unknown keybind (%s)", symname);
 				free(k);
 				k = NULL;
 				break;
diff --git a/src/config/rcxml.c b/src/config/rcxml.c
index 1e61ec14..d92d6131 100644
--- a/src/config/rcxml.c
+++ b/src/config/rcxml.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "common/dir.h"
 #include "common/bug-on.h"
 #include "common/font.h"
+#include "common/log.h"
 
 static bool in_keybind = false;
 static bool is_attribute = false;
@@ -205,7 +206,7 @@ void rcxml_parse_xml(struct buf *b)
 {
 	xmlDoc *d = xmlParseMemory(b->buf, b->len);
 	if (!d) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "fatal: xmlParseMemory()\n");
+		warn("xmlParseMemory()");
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 	xml_tree_walk(xmlDocGetRootElement(d));
@@ -225,7 +226,7 @@ static void bind(const char *binding, const char *action)
 	struct keybind *k = keybind_add(binding);
 	if (k)
 		k->action = strdup(action);
-	fprintf(stderr, "binding: %s: %s\n", binding, action);
+	info("binding %s: %s", binding, action);
 }
 
 static void set_title_height(void)
@@ -239,7 +240,7 @@ static void set_title_height(void)
 static void post_processing(void)
 {
 	if (!wl_list_length(&rc.keybinds)) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "info: loading default key bindings\n");
+		info("loading default key bindings");
 		bind("A-Escape", "Exit");
 		bind("A-Tab", "NextWindow");
 		bind("A-F3", "Execute");
@@ -273,10 +274,10 @@ void rcxml_read(const char *filename)
 	 * unit tests.
 	 */
 	rcxml_path(rcxml, sizeof(rcxml), filename);
-	fprintf(stderr, "info: read config file (%s)\n", rcxml);
+	info("reading config file (%s)", rcxml);
 	stream = fopen(rcxml, "r");
 	if (!stream) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "warn: cannot read '%s'\n", rcxml);
+		warn("cannot read (%s)", rcxml);
 		goto out;
 	}
 	buf_init(&b);
diff --git a/src/keyboard.c b/src/keyboard.c
index 94a2d1ea..9510fcc0 100644
--- a/src/keyboard.c
+++ b/src/keyboard.c
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "labwc.h"
+#include "common/log.h"
 
 static void keyboard_handle_modifiers(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data)
 {
@@ -65,8 +66,7 @@ static void keyboard_handle_key(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data)
 		} else if (event->state == WLR_KEY_PRESSED) {
 			/* cycle to next */
 			server->cycle_view = next_toplevel(server->cycle_view);
-			fprintf(stderr, "cycle_view=%p\n",
-				(void *)server->cycle_view);
+			info("cycle_view=%p", (void *)server->cycle_view);
 			return;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/theme/theme.c b/src/theme/theme.c
index c2ce6135..8124cc18 100644
--- a/src/theme/theme.c
+++ b/src/theme/theme.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 #include "theme/theme.h"
 #include "common/dir.h"
+#include "common/log.h"
 
 static int hex_to_dec(char c)
 {
@@ -96,10 +97,10 @@ void theme_read(const char *theme_name)
 	char themerc[4096];
 
 	snprintf(themerc, sizeof(themerc), "%s/themerc", theme_dir(theme_name));
-	fprintf(stderr, "info: read themerc (%s)\n", themerc);
+	info("reading themerc (%s)", themerc);
 	stream = fopen(themerc, "r");
 	if (!stream) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "warn: cannot read (%s)\n", themerc);
+		warn("cannot read (%s)", themerc);
 		return;
 	}
 	while (getline(&line, &len, stream) != -1) {
diff --git a/src/xwl.c b/src/xwl.c
index 29b938ec..6e81c6cc 100644
--- a/src/xwl.c
+++ b/src/xwl.c
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "labwc.h"
+#include "common/log.h"
 
 int xwl_nr_parents(struct view *view)
 {
@@ -6,7 +7,7 @@ int xwl_nr_parents(struct view *view)
 	int i = 0;
 
 	if (!s) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "warn: (%s) no xwayland surface\n", __func__);
+		warn("(%s) no xwayland surface\n", __func__);
 		return -1;
 	}
 	while (s->parent) {
diff --git a/tests/meson.build b/tests/meson.build
index 44756a17..f5584f26 100644
--- a/tests/meson.build
+++ b/tests/meson.build
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ rcxml_lib = static_library(
     '../src/common/dir.c',
     '../src/common/buf.c',
     '../src/common/font.c',
+    '../src/common/log.c',
   ),
   dependencies: labwc_deps,
   include_directories: [labwc_inc],