diff --git a/cmd/khepri/debug.go b/cmd/khepri/debug.go
index bc60b8dad..dc978a51a 100644
--- a/cmd/khepri/debug.go
+++ b/cmd/khepri/debug.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// +build debug
+// +build debug_cmd
 
 package main
 
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ func initDebugLogger() *log.Logger {
 	// create new log file
 	filename := fmt.Sprintf("khepri-debug-%d-%s",
 		os.Getpid(), time.Now().Format("20060201-150405"))
-	f, err := os.OpenFile(filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), filename),
-		os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE, 0600)
+	path := filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), filename)
+	f, err := os.OpenFile(path, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE, 0600)
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "unable to create debug log file: %v", err)
 		os.Exit(2)
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func initDebugLogger() *log.Logger {
 
 	// open logger
 	l := log.New(io.MultiWriter(os.Stderr, f), "DEBUG: ", log.LstdFlags)
-	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "logging activated, writing log file %s\n", filename)
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "debug log for khepri command activated, writing log file %s\n", path)
 	l.Printf("khepri %s", version)
 
 	return l
diff --git a/cmd/khepri/debug_release.go b/cmd/khepri/debug_release.go
index 77f5c1b76..ef42f0638 100644
--- a/cmd/khepri/debug_release.go
+++ b/cmd/khepri/debug_release.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// +build !debug
+// +build !debug_cmd
 
 package main
 
diff --git a/debug.go b/debug.go
index cd4141dc3..80952b3e7 100644
--- a/debug.go
+++ b/debug.go
@@ -11,15 +11,14 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
-var version = "compiled manually"
 var debugLogger = initDebugLogger()
 
 func initDebugLogger() *log.Logger {
 	// create new log file
-	filename := fmt.Sprintf("khepri-debug-%d-%s",
+	filename := fmt.Sprintf("khepri-lib-debug-%d-%s",
 		os.Getpid(), time.Now().Format("20060201-150405"))
-	f, err := os.OpenFile(filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), filename),
-		os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE, 0600)
+	path := filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), filename)
+	f, err := os.OpenFile(path, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE, 0600)
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "unable to create debug log file: %v", err)
 		os.Exit(2)
@@ -27,8 +26,7 @@ func initDebugLogger() *log.Logger {
 
 	// open logger
 	l := log.New(io.MultiWriter(os.Stderr, f), "DEBUG: ", log.LstdFlags)
-	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "logging activated, writing log file %s\n", filename)
-	l.Printf("khepri %s", version)
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "debug log for khepri library activated, writing log file %s\n", path)
 
 	return l
 }