diff --git a/api_logging.lua b/api_logging.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..60004d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api_logging.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+-- handle logging
+
+-- log changes done by players or admins to NPCs
+yl_speak_up.log_change = function(pname, n_id, text, log_level)
+	-- make sure all variables are defined
+	if(not(pname)) then
+		pname = "- unkown player -"
+	end
+	if(not(n_id)) then
+		n_id = "- unknown NPC -"
+	end
+	if(not(text)) then
+		text = "- no text given -"
+	end
+	if(not(log_level)) then
+		log_level = "info"
+	end
+	-- we don't want newlines in the texts
+	text = string.gsub(text, "\n", "\\n")
+
+	-- log in debug.txt
+	local log_text = "<"..tostring(n_id).."> ["..tostring(pname).."]: "..text
+	minetest.log(log_level, "[MOD] yl_speak_up "..log_text)
+
+	-- log in a file for each npc so that it can be shown when needed
+	-- date needs to be inserted manually (minetest.log does it automaticly);
+	-- each file logs just one npc, so n_id is not important
+	log_text = tostring(os.date("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S ")..tostring(pname).." "..text.."\n")
+	n_id = tostring(n_id)
+	if(n_id and n_id ~= "" and n_id ~= "n_" and n_id ~= "- unkown NPC -") then
+		-- actually append to the logfile
+		local file, err = io.open(yl_speak_up.worldpath..yl_speak_up.log_path..DIR_DELIM..
+					"log_"..tostring(n_id)..".txt", "a")
+		if err then
+			minetest.log("error", "[MOD] yl_speak_up Error saving NPC logfile: "..minetest.serialize(err))
+			return
+		end
+		file:write(log_text)
+		file:close()
+	end
+
+	-- log into a general all-npc-file as well
+	local file, err = io.open(yl_speak_up.worldpath..yl_speak_up.log_path..DIR_DELIM..
+					"log_ALL.txt", "a")
+	if err then
+		minetest.log("error","[MOD] yl_speak_up Error saving NPC logfile: "..minetest.serialize(err))
+		return
+	end
+	file:write(tostring(n_id).." "..log_text)
+	file:close()
+end
+
+
+-- this is used by yl_speak_up.eval_and_execute_function(..) in fs_edit_general.lua
+yl_speak_up.log_with_position = function(pname, n_id, text, log_level)
+	if(not(pname) or not(yl_speak_up.speak_to[pname])) then
+		yl_speak_up.log_change(pname, n_id,
+			"error: -npc not found- "..tostring(text))
+		return
+	end
+	local obj = yl_speak_up.speak_to[pname].obj
+	local n_id = yl_speak_up.speak_to[pname].n_id
+	local pos_str = "-unknown-"
+	if obj:get_luaentity() and tonumber(npc) then
+		pos_str = minetest.pos_to_string(obj:get_pos(),0)
+	end
+	yl_speak_up.log_change(pname, n_id,
+		"NPC at position "..pos_str.." "..tostring(text), log_level)
+end
diff --git a/init.lua b/init.lua
index e293057..890fa8e 100644
--- a/init.lua
+++ b/init.lua
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ yl_speak_up.reload = function(modpath, log_entry)
 	minetest.mkdir(yl_speak_up.worldpath..yl_speak_up.quest_path)
 
 	-- logging and showing the log
+	dofile(modpath .. "api_logging.lua")
 	dofile(modpath .. "fs_show_log.lua")
 	-- players *and* npc need privs for certain things; this here handles the NPC side of things
 	dofile(modpath .. "npc_privs.lua")