diff --git a/mpsd-software-environment.py b/mpsd-software-environment.py
index 215192b66b57695b58344bea7e8de214d05b66cd..12967c6379d74018685cfcfee5520b262bc5898d 100755
--- a/mpsd-software-environment.py
+++ b/mpsd-software-environment.py
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ def set_up_logging(loglevel="warning", filename=None):
     if filename:
         file_handler = logging.FileHandler(filename)
         file_logging_format = "%(asctime)s %(levelname)7s %(lineno)4d  |  %(message)s"
-        file_formatter = logging.Formatter(file_logging_format)
+        file_formatter = logging.Formatter(file_logging_format, datefmt="[%X]")
         file_handler.setFormatter(file_formatter)
         logger.addHandler(file_handler)
 
@@ -704,7 +704,7 @@ def main():
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
     # parse logging first
-    set_up_logging(args.loglevel)
+    set_up_logging(args.loglevel, filename="test.log")
 
     # target dir is the place where this script exists. the
     # release `dev` in script_dir/dev-23a