diff --git a/lib/logging.sh b/lib/logging.sh
index 1768443..549f533 100644
--- a/lib/logging.sh
+++ b/lib/logging.sh
@@ -28,21 +28,20 @@ init_logging() {
 _log() {
     local level="$1"; shift
     local msg="$*"
-    local configured_level="${LOG_LEVEL:-$DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL}"
-
-    local level_num; level_num=$(_log_level_num "$level")
-    local configured_num; configured_num=$(_log_level_num "$configured_level")
-
-    (( level_num < configured_num )) && return 0
 
     local ts; ts=$(date -u +"%d/%m/%Y %H:%M:%S")
     local upper; upper=$(echo "$level" | tr '[:lower:]' '[:upper:]')
     local line="[$ts] [$upper] $msg"
 
-    # Always write to log file if initialized
+    # Always write to log file if initialized (regardless of LOG_LEVEL)
     [[ -n "$LOG_FILE" ]] && echo "$line" >> "$LOG_FILE"
 
-    # Print to stderr based on level
+    # Print to stderr only if level meets configured threshold
+    local configured_level="${LOG_LEVEL:-$DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL}"
+    local level_num; level_num=$(_log_level_num "$level")
+    local configured_num; configured_num=$(_log_level_num "$configured_level")
+    (( level_num < configured_num )) && return 0
+
     case "$level" in
         error) echo "${C_RED}${line}${C_RESET}" >&2 ;;
         warn)  echo "${C_YELLOW}${line}${C_RESET}" >&2 ;;