diff --git a/backportpackage b/backportpackage
index 8fe2788..3856e82 100755
--- a/backportpackage
+++ b/backportpackage
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ from ubuntutools.misc import (system_distribution, vendor_to_distroinfo,
 from ubuntutools.question import YesNoQuestion
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 
 def error(msg):
diff --git a/bitesize b/bitesize
index 5a2c132..04d1eef 100755
--- a/bitesize
+++ b/bitesize
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ from launchpadlib.errors import HTTPError
 from ubuntutools.config import UDTConfig
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 
 def error_out(msg):
diff --git a/grep-merges b/grep-merges
index 7c75cd4..6a1b895 100755
--- a/grep-merges
+++ b/grep-merges
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ from httplib2 import Http, HttpLib2Error
 import ubuntutools.misc
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 
 def main():
diff --git a/hugdaylist b/hugdaylist
index 5140ae1..ef33523 100755
--- a/hugdaylist
+++ b/hugdaylist
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ from launchpadlib.launchpad import Launchpad
 from ubuntutools.lp.libsupport import translate_web_api
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 
 def check_args():
diff --git a/import-bug-from-debian b/import-bug-from-debian
index b9ab478..9aeac46 100755
--- a/import-bug-from-debian
+++ b/import-bug-from-debian
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ from launchpadlib.launchpad import Launchpad
 from ubuntutools.config import UDTConfig
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 
 def main():
diff --git a/merge-changelog b/merge-changelog
index f14d4db..d808dbf 100755
--- a/merge-changelog
+++ b/merge-changelog
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import sys
 from debian.changelog import Changelog
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 
 def usage(exit_code=1):
diff --git a/pbuilder-dist b/pbuilder-dist
index 4e1b47b..9ae4eff 100755
--- a/pbuilder-dist
+++ b/pbuilder-dist
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ from ubuntutools.config import UDTConfig
 from ubuntutools.question import YesNoQuestion
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 
 class PbuilderDist(object):
diff --git a/pull-debian-debdiff b/pull-debian-debdiff
index 50f15ce..365b7f8 100755
--- a/pull-debian-debdiff
+++ b/pull-debian-debdiff
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ from ubuntutools.config import UDTConfig
 from ubuntutools.version import Version
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 
 def previous_version(package, version, distance):
diff --git a/requestbackport b/requestbackport
index a6e30f3..53771f8 100755
--- a/requestbackport
+++ b/requestbackport
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ from ubuntutools.question import (YesNoQuestion, EditBugReport,
 from ubuntutools.rdepends import query_rdepends, RDependsException
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 
 class DestinationException(Exception):
diff --git a/requestsync b/requestsync
index a12a669..781834f 100755
--- a/requestsync
+++ b/requestsync
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ from ubuntutools.question import confirmation_prompt, EditBugReport
 from ubuntutools.version import Version
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 #
 # entry point
diff --git a/reverse-depends b/reverse-depends
index d5ca6b8..15aa669 100755
--- a/reverse-depends
+++ b/reverse-depends
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ from ubuntutools.misc import (system_distribution, vendor_to_distroinfo,
 from ubuntutools.rdepends import query_rdepends, RDependsException
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 DEFAULT_MAX_DEPTH = 10  # We want avoid any infinite loop...
 
diff --git a/seeded-in-ubuntu b/seeded-in-ubuntu
index 846f92e..b3f9d7f 100755
--- a/seeded-in-ubuntu
+++ b/seeded-in-ubuntu
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ from ubuntutools.lp.lpapicache import (Distribution, Launchpad,
                                        PackageNotFoundException)
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 DATA_URL = 'http://qa.ubuntuwire.org/ubuntu-seeded-packages/seeded.json.gz'
 
diff --git a/sponsor-patch b/sponsor-patch
index 1e77852..4125a44 100755
--- a/sponsor-patch
+++ b/sponsor-patch
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ from ubuntutools.config import UDTConfig
 from ubuntutools.sponsor_patch.sponsor_patch import sponsor_patch, check_dependencies
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 
 def parse(script_name):
diff --git a/submittodebian b/submittodebian
index 13a5bc1..a2cc145 100755
--- a/submittodebian
+++ b/submittodebian
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ from ubuntutools.question import YesNoQuestion, EditFile
 from ubuntutools.update_maintainer import update_maintainer, restore_maintainer
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 
 def get_most_recent_debian_version(changelog):
diff --git a/syncpackage b/syncpackage
index 8282bb3..fefd668 100755
--- a/syncpackage
+++ b/syncpackage
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ from ubuntutools.requestsync.lp import get_debian_srcpkg, get_ubuntu_srcpkg
 from ubuntutools.version import Version
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 
 def remove_signature(dscname):
diff --git a/ubuntu-build b/ubuntu-build
index af5345d..a08a7ef 100755
--- a/ubuntu-build
+++ b/ubuntu-build
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ from ubuntutools.lp.lpapicache import Distribution, PersonTeam
 from ubuntutools.misc import split_release_pocket
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 
 def main():
diff --git a/ubuntu-iso b/ubuntu-iso
index c07b420..3c5afbb 100755
--- a/ubuntu-iso
+++ b/ubuntu-iso
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import subprocess
 import sys
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 
 def extract(iso, path):
diff --git a/ubuntu-upload-permission b/ubuntu-upload-permission
index 2742eb2..394b186 100755
--- a/ubuntu-upload-permission
+++ b/ubuntu-upload-permission
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ from ubuntutools.lp.lpapicache import (Launchpad, Distribution, PersonTeam,
 from ubuntutools.misc import split_release_pocket
 
 from ubuntutools import getLogger
-Logger = getLogger(__name__)
+Logger = getLogger()
 
 
 def parse_arguments():
diff --git a/ubuntutools/__init__.py b/ubuntutools/__init__.py
index f886333..eadee07 100644
--- a/ubuntutools/__init__.py
+++ b/ubuntutools/__init__.py
@@ -4,18 +4,50 @@
 # https://launchpad.net/ubuntu-dev-tools
 
 import logging
+import sys
 
 
-def _loggingBasicConfig(**kwargs):
-    '''Set log level to INFO and define log format to use.'''
-    if 'level' not in kwargs:
-        kwargs['level'] = logging.INFO
-    if 'format' not in kwargs:
-        kwargs['format'] = '%(message)s'
-    logging.basicConfig(**kwargs)
+def getLogger():
+    ''' Get the logger instance for this module
 
+    Quick guide for using this or not: if you want to call ubuntutools
+    module code and have its output print to stdout/stderr ONLY, you can
+    use the logger this creates. You can also log directly to this logger
+    from your own code to send output to stdout/stderr.
 
-def getLogger(name=None):
-    '''Get standard Python logging.Logger with some ubuntutools defaults.'''
-    _loggingBasicConfig()
-    return logging.getLogger(name)
+    This creates the ubuntutools module-level logger, and sets some default
+    values for formatting and levels, and directs INFO-level logs messages to
+    stdout and logs higher than INFO to stderr. The logger's level may be
+    adjusted to show more logs (e.g. DEBUG) or less (e.g. WARNING, to suppress
+    all INFO messages).
+
+    Without calling this module, the ubuntutools logs will propagate up to
+    higher level loggers (possibly the root logger) and be handled by them.
+    Note that the default for python logging is to print WARNING and above
+    logs to stderr.
+
+    Note if any code calls this method, the ubuntutools module-level logger
+    will no longer propagate ubuntutools log message up to higher level
+    loggers.
+
+    This should only be used by runnable scripts provided by the
+    ubuntu-dev-tools package, or other runnable scripts that want the behavior
+    described above.
+    '''
+    logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+    logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)
+    logger.propagate = False
+
+    fmt = logging.Formatter('%(message)s')
+
+    stdout_handler = logging.StreamHandler(stream=sys.stdout)
+    stdout_handler.setFormatter(fmt)
+    stdout_handler.addFilter(lambda r: r.levelno <= logging.INFO)
+    logger.addHandler(stdout_handler)
+
+    stderr_handler = logging.StreamHandler(stream=sys.stderr)
+    stdout_handler.setFormatter(fmt)
+    stderr_handler.setLevel(logging.INFO+1)
+    logger.addHandler(stderr_handler)
+
+    return logger
diff --git a/ubuntutools/pullpkg.py b/ubuntutools/pullpkg.py
index f812d63..4077ed8 100644
--- a/ubuntutools/pullpkg.py
+++ b/ubuntutools/pullpkg.py
@@ -49,8 +49,10 @@ from ubuntutools.misc import (split_release_pocket,
                               UPLOAD_QUEUE_STATUSES,
                               STATUSES)
 
-from ubuntutools import _loggingBasicConfig
 
+# by default we use standard logging.getLogger() and only use
+# ubuntutools.getLogger() in PullPkg().main()
+from ubuntutools import getLogger as ubuntutools_getLogger
 import logging
 Logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -98,7 +100,7 @@ class PullPkg(object):
         unexpected errors will flow up to the caller.
         On success, this simply returns.
         """
-        _loggingBasicConfig()
+        Logger = ubuntutools_getLogger()
 
         try:
             cls(*args, **kwargs).pull()