diff --git a/rest_tools/server/handler.py b/rest_tools/server/handler.py
index 7944878a..7c622b78 100644
--- a/rest_tools/server/handler.py
+++ b/rest_tools/server/handler.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 from ..utils.json_util import json_decode
 from ..utils.pkce import PKCEMixin
 
-LOGGER = logging.getLogger('rest')
+LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
 def _log_auth_failed(e: Exception):
@@ -162,13 +162,19 @@ def get_current_user(self):
     @wtt.evented()
     def prepare(self):
         """Prepare before http-method request handlers."""
-        LOGGER.debug(f"{self.request.method} [{self.__class__.__name__}]")
+
+        # log at the very start of every new request
+        logging.info(">>> %s", self._request_summary())  # use the root logger
+        # ^^^ this mimics the log line that tornado provides at the end of a request:
+        #       see rest_tools.server.tornado_logger().
+        #       ">>>" makes logs line-up (end-of-request log line uses http code: 200, 400, etc.)
+        LOGGER.debug(f"[{self.__class__.__name__}]")
 
         if self.route_stats is not None:
             stat = self.route_stats[self.request.path]
             if stat.is_overloaded():
                 backoff = stat.get_backoff_time()
-                LOGGER.warn('Server is overloaded, backoff %r', backoff)
+                LOGGER.warning('Server is overloaded, backoff %r', backoff)
                 self.set_header('Retry-After', backoff)
                 raise tornado.web.HTTPError(503, reason="server overloaded")
             self.start_time = time.time()
diff --git a/rest_tools/server/server.py b/rest_tools/server/server.py
index 035241c3..eb4e217c 100644
--- a/rest_tools/server/server.py
+++ b/rest_tools/server/server.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 """
 
 # fmt:off
-# pylint: skip-file
 
 import binascii
 import logging
@@ -14,15 +13,17 @@
 
 AsyncIOMainLoop().install()
 
+LOGGER = logging.getLogger()  # this stuff always needs to be logged -> use the 'root' logger
+
 
 def tornado_logger(handler):
     """Log tornado messages to root logger."""
     if handler.get_status() < 400:
-        log_method = logging.debug
+        log_method = LOGGER.info
     elif handler.get_status() < 500:
-        log_method = logging.warning
+        log_method = LOGGER.warning
     else:
-        log_method = logging.error
+        log_method = LOGGER.error
     request_time = 1000.0 * handler.request.request_time()
     log_method("%d %s %.2fms", handler.get_status(), handler._request_summary(), request_time)
 
@@ -58,7 +59,7 @@ def startup(self, address='localhost', port=8080):
             address (str): bind address
             port (int): bind port
         """
-        logging.warning('tornado bound to %s:%d', address, port)
+        LOGGER.warning('tornado bound to %s:%d', address, port)
 
         app = tornado.web.Application(self.routes, **self.app_args)