diff --git a/src/supremm/config.py b/src/supremm/config.py
index f3e37c57..83a6cde4 100644
--- a/src/supremm/config.py
+++ b/src/supremm/config.py
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ def __init__(self, confpath=None):
 
         self._xdmodconfig = None
 
+    def __str__(self):
+        return json.dumps(self._config, indent=4)
+
     @staticmethod
     def autodetectconfpath():
         """ search known paths for the configuration directory
diff --git a/src/supremm/supremmconf.py b/src/supremm/supremmconf.py
index db0e4780..9e11fd76 100644
--- a/src/supremm/supremmconf.py
+++ b/src/supremm/supremmconf.py
@@ -4,28 +4,38 @@
 import sys
 import os
 import json
+import logging
 from getopt import getopt
 
 from supremm.config import Config
+from supremm.scripthelpers import setuplogger
 
 def usage():
     """ print usage """
     print("usage: {0} [OPTS]".format(os.path.basename(__file__)))
+    print("  -d --debug            set log level to debug")
+    print("  -c --config           specify the path to the configuration file")
     print("  -s --section SECTION  output the configuration data from the specified section")
     print("  -i --item ITEM        output the configuration data for the specified item")
     print("  -h --help             print this help message")
 
-
 def getoptions():
     """ process comandline options """
 
-    retdata = {"section": None, "item": None}
+    retdata = {"log"	: logging.ERROR,
+               "config"	: None,
+               "section": None,
+               "item"	: None}
 
-    opts, _ = getopt(sys.argv[1:], "s:i:h", ["section=", "item="])
+    opts, _ = getopt(sys.argv[1:], "dc:s:i:h", ["debug", "config=", "section=", "item=", "help"])
 
     for opt in opts:
+        if opt[0] in ("-d", "--debug"):
+            retdata['log'] = logging.DEBUG 
+        if opt[0] in ("-c", "--config"):
+            retdata['config'] = opt[1]
         if opt[0] in ("-s", "--section"):
-            retdata['section'] = opt[1].encode("utf-8")
+            retdata['section'] = opt[1]
         if opt[0] in ("-i", "--item"):
             retdata['item'] = opt[1]
         if opt[0] in ("-h", "--help"):
@@ -41,18 +51,44 @@ def getoptions():
 def main():
     """ print out config data according to cmdline args """
     opts = getoptions()
-    conf = Config()
-    
+
+    setuplogger(opts['log'])
+
+    if opts['config']:
+        logging.debug("Using specified path: {}".format(opts['config']))
+    else:
+        logging.debug("Automatically detecting configuration path.")
+
     try:
-        section = conf.getsection(opts['section'])
-        if opts['item'] != None:
-            print(section[opts['item']])
-        else:
-            print(json.dumps(section, indent=4))
+        conf = Config(opts['config'])
+    except:
+        logging.error("Configuration could not be found.")
+        sys.exit(1)
 
+    if not opts['section']:
+       print(conf)
+       sys.exit(0)
+
+    try:
+        section = conf.getsection(opts['section'])
     except KeyError:
-        sys.stderr.write("Error section \"%s\" not defined in configuration file.\n" % (opts['section']))
+        logging.error("Section '{}' not defined in configuration file.".format(opts['section']))
         sys.exit(1)
 
+    if opts['item']:
+        try:
+            item = section[opts['item']]
+        except KeyError:
+            logging.error("Item '{}' not defined in section '{}'.".format(opts['item'], opts['section']))
+            sys.exit(1)
+
+        if isinstance(item, dict):
+            item = json.dumps(item, indent=4)
+ 
+        print(item)
+
+    else:
+        print(json.dumps(section, indent=4))
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     main()