diff --git a/corefx/src/main/java/com/core/Main.java b/corefx/src/main/java/com/core/Main.java
index a3fa5396..626a3ffa 100644
--- a/corefx/src/main/java/com/core/Main.java
+++ b/corefx/src/main/java/com/core/Main.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package com.core;
 
+import com.core.utils.ConfigUtils;
 import com.jfoenix.controls.JFXDecorator;
 import com.jfoenix.svg.SVGGlyphLoader;
 import javafx.application.Application;
@@ -11,14 +12,21 @@ import javafx.scene.image.Image;
 import javafx.scene.image.ImageView;
 import javafx.scene.text.Font;
 import javafx.stage.Stage;
-import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager;
-import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
+
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.nio.file.Paths;
 
 public class Main extends Application {
-    private static final Logger logger = LogManager.getLogger();
+    private static final Path LOG_FILE = Paths.get(System.getProperty("user.home"), ".core", "core.log");
 
     @Override
     public void start(Stage window) throws Exception {
+        // set core dir property for logging
+        System.setProperty("core_log", LOG_FILE.toString());
+
+        // check for and create gui home directory
+        ConfigUtils.checkForHomeDirectory();
+
         // load svg icons
         SVGGlyphLoader.loadGlyphsFont(getClass().getResourceAsStream("/icons/icomoon_material.svg"),
                 "icomoon.svg");
@@ -51,11 +59,9 @@ public class Main extends Application {
 
         // configure window
         window.setOnCloseRequest(event -> {
-            logger.info("exiting gui");
             Platform.exit();
             System.exit(0);
         });
-        window.setOnShown(windowEvent -> logger.info("stage show event"));
         window.show();
     }
 
diff --git a/corefx/src/main/java/com/core/utils/ConfigUtils.java b/corefx/src/main/java/com/core/utils/ConfigUtils.java
index d5c0fec7..a48a1b0d 100644
--- a/corefx/src/main/java/com/core/utils/ConfigUtils.java
+++ b/corefx/src/main/java/com/core/utils/ConfigUtils.java
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ import java.util.*;
 
 public final class ConfigUtils {
     private static final Logger logger = LogManager.getLogger();
+    private static final Path HOME = Paths.get(System.getProperty("user.home"), ".core");
     private static final String CONFIG_FILE_NAME = "config.json";
     private static final String DEFAULT_CONFIG = "/" + CONFIG_FILE_NAME;
-    private static final Path HOME = Paths.get(System.getProperty("user.home"), ".core");
     private static final Path CONFIG_FILE = Paths.get(HOME.toString(), CONFIG_FILE_NAME);
     private static final Path XML_DIR = Paths.get(HOME.toString(), "xml");
     private static final Path MOBILITY_DIR = Paths.get(HOME.toString(), "mobility");
@@ -59,29 +59,31 @@ public final class ConfigUtils {
         return new NodeTypeConfig(model, display, iconPath.toUri().toString(), services);
     }
 
+    public static void checkForHomeDirectory() throws IOException {
+        if (!HOME.toFile().exists()) {
+            logger.info("creating core home directory");
+            Files.createDirectory(HOME);
+            Files.createDirectory(XML_DIR);
+            Files.createDirectory(MOBILITY_DIR);
+            Files.createDirectory(ICON_DIR);
+            createDefaultConfigFile();
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static void createDefaultConfigFile() throws IOException {
+        logger.info("creating default configuration");
+        Files.copy(ConfigUtils.class.getResourceAsStream(DEFAULT_CONFIG), CONFIG_FILE);
+        Configuration configuration = readConfig();
+        configuration.setXmlPath(XML_DIR.toString());
+        configuration.setMobilityPath(MOBILITY_DIR.toString());
+        configuration.setIconPath(ICON_DIR.toString());
+        configuration.setNodeTypeConfigs(createDefaults());
+        save(configuration);
+    }
+
     public static Configuration load() {
         try {
-            if (!HOME.toFile().exists()) {
-                logger.info("creating core home directory");
-                Files.createDirectory(HOME);
-                Files.createDirectory(XML_DIR);
-                Files.createDirectory(MOBILITY_DIR);
-                Files.createDirectory(ICON_DIR);
-            }
-
-            Configuration configuration;
-            if (!CONFIG_FILE.toFile().exists()) {
-                logger.info("creating default configuration");
-                Files.copy(ConfigUtils.class.getResourceAsStream(DEFAULT_CONFIG), CONFIG_FILE);
-                configuration = readConfig();
-                configuration.setXmlPath(XML_DIR.toString());
-                configuration.setMobilityPath(MOBILITY_DIR.toString());
-                configuration.setIconPath(ICON_DIR.toString());
-                configuration.setNodeTypeConfigs(createDefaults());
-                save(configuration);
-            } else {
-                configuration = readConfig();
-            }
+            Configuration configuration = readConfig();
 
             // initialize node types
             for (NodeTypeConfig nodeTypeConfig : configuration.getNodeTypeConfigs()) {
diff --git a/corefx/src/main/resources/log4j2.xml b/corefx/src/main/resources/log4j2.xml
index 2fda6f43..6e369f1f 100644
--- a/corefx/src/main/resources/log4j2.xml
+++ b/corefx/src/main/resources/log4j2.xml
@@ -4,10 +4,14 @@
         <Console name="Console" target="SYSTEM_OUT">
             <PatternLayout pattern="%d{HH:mm:ss.SSS} [%t] %-5level %logger{36} - %msg%n"/>
         </Console>
+        <File name="File" fileName="${sys:core_log}">
+            <PatternLayout pattern="%d{HH:mm:ss.SSS} [%t] %-5level %logger{36} - %msg%n"/>
+        </File>
     </Appenders>
     <Loggers>
         <Root level="debug">
             <AppenderRef ref="Console"/>
+            <AppenderRef ref="File"/>
         </Root>
     </Loggers>
 </Configuration>