diff --git a/external/oxen-logging b/external/oxen-logging
index 44b6b7834..98a8882c8 160000
--- a/external/oxen-logging
+++ b/external/oxen-logging
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 44b6b7834bb0eee37f32bff6b9ae8bbbd4c5eb89
+Subproject commit 98a8882c81aa046fbadc0571fcea7bf92ed20154
diff --git a/llarp/config/config.cpp b/llarp/config/config.cpp
index 3ea4d970b..4ca1625c1 100644
--- a/llarp/config/config.cpp
+++ b/llarp/config/config.cpp
@@ -1099,13 +1099,7 @@ namespace llarp
         "logging",
         "type",
         DefaultLogType,
-        [this](std::string arg) {
-          auto type = log::type_from_string(arg);
-          if (type == log::Type::Unknown)
-            throw std::invalid_argument{fmt::format("invalid log type: {}", arg)};
-
-          m_logType = type;
-        },
+        [this](std::string arg) { m_logType = log::type_from_string(arg); },
         Comment{
             "Log type (format). Valid options are:",
             "  print - print logs to standard output",
@@ -1117,13 +1111,7 @@ namespace llarp
         "logging",
         "level",
         DefaultLogLevel,
-        [this](std::string arg) {
-          std::optional<log::Level> level = log::level_from_string(arg);
-          if (not level)
-            throw std::invalid_argument{fmt::format("invalid log level value: {}", arg)};
-
-          m_logLevel = *level;
-        },
+        [this](std::string arg) { m_logLevel = log::level_from_string(arg); },
         Comment{
             "Minimum log level to print. Logging below this level will be ignored.",
             "Valid log levels, in ascending order, are:",
diff --git a/llarp/config/config.hpp b/llarp/config/config.hpp
index 8d96ab71b..22385086b 100644
--- a/llarp/config/config.hpp
+++ b/llarp/config/config.hpp
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ namespace llarp
 
   struct LoggingConfig
   {
-    log::Type m_logType = log::Type::Unknown;
+    log::Type m_logType = log::Type::Print;
     log::Level m_logLevel = log::Level::off;
     std::string m_logFile;
 
diff --git a/llarp/lokinet_shared.cpp b/llarp/lokinet_shared.cpp
index 2452686ed..f2177d3de 100644
--- a/llarp/lokinet_shared.cpp
+++ b/llarp/lokinet_shared.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <mutex>
 #include <memory>
 #include <chrono>
+#include <stdexcept>
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #define EHOSTDOWN ENETDOWN
@@ -453,12 +454,17 @@ extern "C"
   int EXPORT
   lokinet_log_level(const char* level)
   {
-    if (auto maybe = llarp::log::level_from_string(level))
+    try
     {
-      last_log_set = *maybe;
-      llarp::log::reset_level(*maybe);
+      auto new_level = llarp::log::level_from_string(level);
+      llarp::log::reset_level(new_level);
+      last_log_set = new_level;
       return 0;
     }
+    catch (std::invalid_argument& e)
+    {
+      llarp::LogError(e.what());
+    }
     return -1;
   }
 
diff --git a/test/util/test_llarp_util_log_level.cpp b/test/util/test_llarp_util_log_level.cpp
index 7a67d9419..048c6324f 100644
--- a/test/util/test_llarp_util_log_level.cpp
+++ b/test/util/test_llarp_util_log_level.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include <catch2/catch.hpp>
 #include <util/logging.hpp>
 #include <config/config.hpp>
+#include <oxen/log/level.hpp>
 
 using TestString = std::string;
 
@@ -35,9 +36,16 @@ std::vector<TestParseLog> testParseLog{// bad cases
 
 TEST_CASE("parseLevel")
 {
-  const auto data = GENERATE(from_range(testParseLog));
-  const auto maybe = llarp::log::level_from_string(data.input);
-  CHECK(maybe == data.level);
+  const auto& [input, expected] = GENERATE(from_range(testParseLog));
+
+  if (not expected)
+    REQUIRE_THROWS_AS(llarp::log::level_from_string(input), std::invalid_argument);
+  else
+  {
+    llarp::log::Level level;
+    REQUIRE_NOTHROW(level = llarp::log::level_from_string(input));
+    CHECK(level == *expected);
+  }
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("TestLogLevelToString")