diff --git a/cmd/ctrld/cli.go b/cmd/ctrld/cli.go
index 4e0f829..6fac8b4 100644
--- a/cmd/ctrld/cli.go
+++ b/cmd/ctrld/cli.go
@@ -421,32 +421,28 @@ func initCLI() {
 	}
 }
 
-func writeConfigFile() {
+func writeConfigFile() error {
 	if cfu := v.ConfigFileUsed(); cfu != "" {
 		defaultConfigFile = cfu
 	}
 	f, err := os.OpenFile(defaultConfigFile, os.O_CREATE|os.O_TRUNC|os.O_WRONLY, os.FileMode(0o644))
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Printf("failed to open config file: %v\n", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
+		return err
 	}
 	defer f.Close()
 	if cdUID != "" {
 		if _, err := f.WriteString("# AUTO-GENERATED VIA CD FLAG - DO NOT MODIFY\n\n"); err != nil {
-			log.Printf("failed to write header to config file: %v\n", err)
-			os.Exit(1)
+			return err
 		}
 	}
 	enc := toml.NewEncoder(f).SetIndentTables(true)
 	if err := enc.Encode(v.AllSettings()); err != nil {
-		log.Printf("failed to encode config file: %v\n", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
+		return err
 	}
 	if err := f.Close(); err != nil {
-		log.Printf("failed to write config file: %v\n", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
+		return err
 	}
-	fmt.Println("writing config file to:", defaultConfigFile)
+	return nil
 }
 
 func readConfigFile(writeDefaultConfig bool) bool {
@@ -464,7 +460,11 @@ func readConfigFile(writeDefaultConfig bool) bool {
 
 	// If error is viper.ConfigFileNotFoundError, write default config.
 	if _, ok := err.(viper.ConfigFileNotFoundError); ok {
-		writeConfigFile()
+		if err := writeConfigFile(); err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("failed to write default config file: %v", err)
+		} else {
+			fmt.Println("writing default config file to: " + defaultConfigFile)
+		}
 		defaultConfigWritten = true
 		return false
 	}
@@ -526,6 +526,7 @@ func processCDFlags() {
 		iface = "auto"
 	}
 	logger := mainLog.With().Str("mode", "cd").Logger()
+	logger.Info().Msg("fetching Controld-D configuration")
 	resolverConfig, err := controld.FetchResolverConfig(cdUID)
 	if uer, ok := err.(*controld.UtilityErrorResponse); ok && uer.ErrorField.Code == controld.InvalidConfigCode {
 		s, err := service.New(&prog{}, svcConfig)
@@ -533,10 +534,8 @@ func processCDFlags() {
 			logger.Warn().Err(err).Msg("failed to create new service")
 			return
 		}
-		if iface == "auto" {
-			iface = defaultIfaceName()
-		}
-		if netIface, _ := netIfaceFromName(iface); netIface != nil {
+
+		if netIface, _ := netInterface(iface); netIface != nil {
 			if err := resetDNS(netIface); err != nil {
 				logger.Warn().Err(err).Msg("something went wrong while restoring DNS")
 			}
@@ -552,6 +551,7 @@ func processCDFlags() {
 		return
 	}
 
+	logger.Info().Msg("generating ctrld config from Controld-D configuration")
 	cfg = ctrld.Config{}
 	cfg.Network = make(map[string]*ctrld.NetworkConfig)
 	cfg.Network["0"] = &ctrld.NetworkConfig{
@@ -583,7 +583,11 @@ func processCDFlags() {
 	v.Set("upstream", cfg.Upstream)
 	v.Set("listener", cfg.Listener)
 	processLogAndCacheFlags()
-	writeConfigFile()
+	if err := writeConfigFile(); err != nil {
+		logger.Fatal().Err(err).Msg("failed to write config file")
+	} else {
+		logger.Info().Msg("writing config file to: " + defaultConfigFile)
+	}
 }
 
 func processListenFlag() {
@@ -620,7 +624,10 @@ func processLogAndCacheFlags() {
 	v.Set("service", cfg.Service)
 }
 
-func netIfaceFromName(ifaceName string) (*net.Interface, error) {
+func netInterface(ifaceName string) (*net.Interface, error) {
+	if ifaceName == "auto" {
+		ifaceName = defaultIfaceName()
+	}
 	var iface *net.Interface
 	err := interfaces.ForeachInterface(func(i interfaces.Interface, prefixes []netip.Prefix) {
 		if i.Name == ifaceName {
diff --git a/cmd/ctrld/main.go b/cmd/ctrld/main.go
index c336a2b..ff6a4ad 100644
--- a/cmd/ctrld/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ctrld/main.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"net"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"time"
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ var (
 
 	cdUID          string
 	iface          string
+	netIface       *net.Interface
 	ifaceStartStop string
 )
 
diff --git a/cmd/ctrld/os_linux.go b/cmd/ctrld/os_linux.go
index a6bc39e..a8ff7f7 100644
--- a/cmd/ctrld/os_linux.go
+++ b/cmd/ctrld/os_linux.go
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ func resetDNS(iface *net.Interface) error {
 		c := client6.NewClient()
 		conversation, err := c.Exchange(iface.Name)
 		if err != nil {
-			mainLog.Warn().Err(err).Msg("failed to exchange DHCPv6")
+			mainLog.Warn().Err(err).Msg("could not exchange DHCPv6")
 		}
 		for _, packet := range conversation {
 			if packet.Type() == dhcpv6.MessageTypeReply {
diff --git a/cmd/ctrld/prog.go b/cmd/ctrld/prog.go
index 30a0688..bde892f 100644
--- a/cmd/ctrld/prog.go
+++ b/cmd/ctrld/prog.go
@@ -34,17 +34,7 @@ func (p *prog) Start(s service.Service) error {
 }
 
 func (p *prog) run() {
-	if iface != "" {
-		netIface, err := netIfaceFromName(iface)
-		if err != nil {
-			mainLog.Error().Err(err).Msg("could not get interface")
-		} else {
-			if err := setDNS(netIface, []string{cfg.Listener["0"].IP}); err != nil {
-				mainLog.Error().Err(err).Str("iface", iface).Msgf("could not set DNS for interface")
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
+	p.setDNS()
 	if p.cfg.Service.CacheEnable {
 		cacher, err := dnscache.NewLRUCache(p.cfg.Service.CacheSize)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -150,7 +140,11 @@ func (p *prog) run() {
 							Port: port,
 						},
 					})
-					writeConfigFile()
+					if err := writeConfigFile(); err != nil {
+						proxyLog.Fatal().Err(err).Msg("failed to write config file")
+					} else {
+						mainLog.Info().Msg("writing config file to: " + defaultConfigFile)
+					}
 					mainLog.Info().Msgf("Starting DNS server on listener.%s: %s", listenerNum, pc.LocalAddr())
 					// There can be a race between closing the listener and start our own UDP server, but it's
 					// rare, and we only do this once, so let conservative here.
@@ -175,15 +169,7 @@ func (p *prog) Stop(s service.Service) error {
 		mainLog.Error().Err(err).Msg("de-allocate ip failed")
 		return err
 	}
-	if iface != "" {
-		if netIface, err := netIfaceFromName(iface); err == nil {
-			if err := resetDNS(netIface); err != nil {
-				mainLog.Error().Err(err).Str("iface", iface).Msgf("could not reset DNS")
-			}
-		} else {
-			mainLog.Error().Err(err).Msg("could not get interface")
-		}
-	}
+	p.resetDNS()
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -205,3 +191,35 @@ func (p *prog) deAllocateIP() error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (p *prog) setDNS() {
+	if iface == "" {
+		return
+	}
+	logger := mainLog.With().Str("iface", iface).Logger()
+	var err error
+	netIface, err = netInterface(iface)
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Error().Err(err).Msg("could not get interface")
+		return
+	}
+	logger.Debug().Msg("setting DNS for interface")
+	if err := setDNS(netIface, []string{p.cfg.Listener["0"].IP}); err != nil {
+		logger.Error().Err(err).Msgf("could not set DNS for interface")
+		return
+	}
+	logger.Debug().Msg("setting DNS successfully")
+}
+
+func (p *prog) resetDNS() {
+	if netIface == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	logger := mainLog.With().Str("iface", iface).Logger()
+	logger.Debug().Msg("Restoring DNS for interface")
+	if err := resetDNS(netIface); err != nil {
+		logger.Error().Err(err).Msgf("could not reset DNS")
+		return
+	}
+	logger.Debug().Msg("Restoring DNS successfully")
+}