diff --git a/src/helpers.go b/src/helpers.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6a86a1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/helpers.go
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+
+package main
+
+import (
+    log "github.com/inconshreveable/log15"
+)
+
+func parseLogFormatter(name string) log.Format {
+
+    switch name {
+    case "logfmt" :
+        return log.LogfmtFormat()
+    case "json" :
+        return log.JsonFormat()
+    case "json-pretty" :
+        return log.JsonFormatEx(true, true)
+    default :
+        return log.TerminalFormat()
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/helpers_test.go b/src/helpers_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..760adb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/helpers_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+    "reflect"
+	"testing"
+
+	log "github.com/inconshreveable/log15"
+)
+
+func Test_parseLogFormatter(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		arg  string
+		want log.Format
+	}{
+		{ "Default", "", log.TerminalFormat() },
+        { "LogFmt", "logfmt", log.LogfmtFormat() },
+        { "Json", "json", log.JsonFormat() },
+        { "JsonPretty", "json-pretty", log.JsonFormat() },
+        { "Unknown", "unknown", log.TerminalFormat() },
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if got := parseLogFormatter(tt.arg); reflect.ValueOf(got).Pointer() != reflect.ValueOf(tt.want).Pointer() {
+				t.Errorf("parseLogFormatter() = %v, want %v", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}