diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a4734b9e..045425c8 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
 
 # this defines the CORE version number, must be static for AC_INIT
-AC_INIT(core, 5.5.0)
+AC_INIT(core, 5.5.1)
 
 # autoconf and automake initialization
 AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([netns/version.h.in])
diff --git a/daemon/core/utils.py b/daemon/core/utils.py
index 425fc0ac..20d2384e 100644
--- a/daemon/core/utils.py
+++ b/daemon/core/utils.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import sys
 
 from past.builtins import basestring
 
-from core import constants
 from core.errors import CoreCommandError
 
 DEVNULL = open(os.devnull, "wb")
@@ -451,16 +450,13 @@ def load_classes(path, clazz):
     return classes
 
 
-def load_logging_config(config_path=None):
+def load_logging_config(config_path):
     """
     Load CORE logging configuration file.
 
-    :param str config_path: path to logging config file,
-        when None defaults to /etc/core/logging.conf
+    :param str config_path: path to logging config file
     :return: nothing
     """
-    if not config_path:
-        config_path = os.path.join(constants.CORE_CONF_DIR, "logging.conf")
     with open(config_path, "r") as log_config_file:
         log_config = json.load(log_config_file)
         logging.config.dictConfig(log_config)
diff --git a/daemon/examples/python/emane80211.py b/daemon/examples/python/emane80211.py
index 7cbfd586..0e42be95 100644
--- a/daemon/examples/python/emane80211.py
+++ b/daemon/examples/python/emane80211.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 # Example CORE Python script that attaches N nodes to an EMANE 802.11abg network.
 
 import datetime
+import logging
 import parser
 from builtins import range
 
@@ -10,9 +11,6 @@ from core.emane.ieee80211abg import EmaneIeee80211abgModel
 from core.emulator.coreemu import CoreEmu
 from core.emulator.emudata import IpPrefixes
 from core.emulator.enumerations import EventTypes
-from core.utils import load_logging_config
-
-load_logging_config()
 
 
 def example(options):
@@ -52,6 +50,7 @@ def example(options):
 
 
 def main():
+    logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
     options = parser.parse_options("emane80211")
     start = datetime.datetime.now()
     print(
diff --git a/daemon/examples/python/switch.py b/daemon/examples/python/switch.py
index 5b086d6a..d669478d 100644
--- a/daemon/examples/python/switch.py
+++ b/daemon/examples/python/switch.py
@@ -6,15 +6,13 @@
 # nodestep
 
 import datetime
+import logging
 import parser
 from builtins import range
 
 from core.emulator.coreemu import CoreEmu
 from core.emulator.emudata import IpPrefixes
 from core.emulator.enumerations import EventTypes, NodeTypes
-from core.utils import load_logging_config
-
-load_logging_config()
 
 
 def example(options):
@@ -56,8 +54,8 @@ def example(options):
 
 
 def main():
+    logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
     options = parser.parse_options("switch")
-
     start = datetime.datetime.now()
     print("running switch example: nodes(%s) time(%s)" % (options.nodes, options.time))
     example(options)
diff --git a/daemon/examples/python/switch_inject.py b/daemon/examples/python/switch_inject.py
index b8587760..ff1ff84b 100644
--- a/daemon/examples/python/switch_inject.py
+++ b/daemon/examples/python/switch_inject.py
@@ -4,13 +4,11 @@
 # n nodes are connected to a virtual wlan; run test for testsec
 # and repeat for minnodes <= n <= maxnodes with a step size of
 # nodestep
+import logging
 from builtins import range
 
 from core.emulator.emudata import IpPrefixes
 from core.emulator.enumerations import EventTypes, NodeTypes
-from core.utils import load_logging_config
-
-load_logging_config()
 
 
 def example(nodes):
@@ -38,4 +36,5 @@ def example(nodes):
 
 
 if __name__ in {"__main__", "__builtin__"}:
+    logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
     example(2)
diff --git a/daemon/examples/python/wlan.py b/daemon/examples/python/wlan.py
index f94fd528..376f34d0 100644
--- a/daemon/examples/python/wlan.py
+++ b/daemon/examples/python/wlan.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 # nodestep
 
 import datetime
+import logging
 import parser
 from builtins import range
 
@@ -13,9 +14,6 @@ from core.emulator.coreemu import CoreEmu
 from core.emulator.emudata import IpPrefixes, NodeOptions
 from core.emulator.enumerations import EventTypes, NodeTypes
 from core.location.mobility import BasicRangeModel
-from core.utils import load_logging_config
-
-load_logging_config()
 
 
 def example(options):
@@ -60,6 +58,7 @@ def example(options):
 
 
 def main():
+    logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
     options = parser.parse_options("wlan")
 
     start = datetime.datetime.now()
diff --git a/daemon/scripts/core-daemon b/daemon/scripts/core-daemon
index 4becdaa1..07c6a9a7 100755
--- a/daemon/scripts/core-daemon
+++ b/daemon/scripts/core-daemon
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ message handlers are defined and some support for sending messages.
 
 import argparse
 import logging
+import os
 import sys
 import threading
 import time
@@ -96,7 +97,7 @@ def get_merged_config(filename):
         "numthreads": "1",
         "grpcport": "50051",
         "grpcaddress": "localhost",
-        "logfile": ""
+        "logfile": os.path.join(constants.CORE_CONF_DIR, "logging.conf")
     }
 
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
@@ -125,9 +126,6 @@ def get_merged_config(filename):
     cfg = ConfigParser(defaults)
     cfg.read(filename)
 
-    # load logging configuration
-    load_logging_config(args.logfile)
-
     section = "core-daemon"
     if not cfg.has_section(section):
         cfg.add_section(section)
@@ -149,6 +147,10 @@ def main():
     """
     # get a configuration merged from config file and command-line arguments
     cfg = get_merged_config("%s/core.conf" % constants.CORE_CONF_DIR)
+
+    # load logging configuration
+    load_logging_config(cfg["logfile"])
+
     banner()
 
     try: