diff --git a/cmd/download.go b/cmd/download.go
index 3bc502f..5e87ea1 100644
--- a/cmd/download.go
+++ b/cmd/download.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ var downloadCmd = cobra.Command{
   makeshift download -xr
 `,
 	Short: "Download and modify files with plugins",
-	PreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+	PersistentPreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		setenv(cmd, "host", "MAKESHIFT_HOST")
 		setenv(cmd, "path", "MAKESHIFT_PATH")
 	},
@@ -158,10 +158,9 @@ var downloadProfileCmd = &cobra.Command{
 `,
 	Args:  cobra.ExactArgs(1),
 	Short: "Download a profile",
-	PreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-		setenv(cmd, "host", "MAKESHIFT_HOST")
-		setenv(cmd, "path", "MAKESHIFT_PATH")
-	},
+	// PreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+	// 	setenv(cmd, "host", "MAKESHIFT_HOST")
+	// },
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		var (
 			host, _       = cmd.Flags().GetString("host")
@@ -173,8 +172,14 @@ var downloadProfileCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			query string
 			err   error
 		)
+
+		log.Debug().
+			Str("host", host).
+			Str("output", outputPath).
+			Send()
+
 		for _, profileID := range args {
-			query = fmt.Sprintf("/profile/{%s}", profileID)
+			query = fmt.Sprintf("/profile/%s", profileID)
 			res, body, err = c.MakeRequest(client.HTTPEnvelope{
 				Path:   query,
 				Method: http.MethodGet,
@@ -212,10 +217,9 @@ var downloadPluginCmd = &cobra.Command{
 `,
 	Args:  cobra.ExactArgs(1),
 	Short: "Download a plugin",
-	PreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-		setenv(cmd, "host", "MAKESHIFT_HOST")
-		setenv(cmd, "path", "MAKESHIFT_PATH")
-	},
+	// PreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+	// 	setenv(cmd, "host", "MAKESHIFT_HOST")
+	// },
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		var (
 			host, _       = cmd.Flags().GetString("host")
@@ -229,7 +233,7 @@ var downloadPluginCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		)
 		for _, pluginName := range args {
 
-			query = fmt.Sprintf("/profile/%s?", pluginName)
+			query = fmt.Sprintf("/profile/%s", pluginName)
 			res, body, err = c.MakeRequest(client.HTTPEnvelope{
 				Path:   query,
 				Method: http.MethodGet,
@@ -260,9 +264,9 @@ var downloadPluginCmd = &cobra.Command{
 }
 
 func init() {
-	downloadCmd.Flags().String("host", "http://localhost:5050", "Set the makeshift remote host (can be set with MAKESHIFT_HOST)")
+	downloadCmd.PersistentFlags().String("host", "http://localhost:5050", "Set the makeshift remote host (can be set with MAKESHIFT_HOST)")
+	downloadCmd.PersistentFlags().StringP("output", "o", "", "Set the output path to write files")
 	downloadCmd.Flags().StringP("path", "p", ".", "Set the path to list files (can be set with MAKESHIFT_PATH)")
-	downloadCmd.Flags().StringP("output", "o", "", "Set the output path to write files")
 	downloadCmd.Flags().StringSlice("profiles", []string{}, "Set the profile(s) to use to populate data store")
 	downloadCmd.Flags().StringSlice("plugins", []string{}, "Set the plugin(s) to run before downloading files")
 	downloadCmd.Flags().BoolP("extract", "x", false, "Set whether to extract archive locally after downloading")
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 375f4bc..b068dcd 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ var (
 	// plugins    []string
 	// timeout    int
 	// logFile    string
-	logLevel logger.LogLevel = logger.INFO
+	loglevel logger.LogLevel = logger.INFO
 )
 
 var rootCmd = cobra.Command{
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ var rootCmd = cobra.Command{
 
 		// initialize the logger
 		logFile, _ = cmd.Flags().GetString("log-file")
-		err = logger.InitWithLogLevel(logLevel, logFile)
+		err = logger.InitWithLogLevel(loglevel, logFile)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Error().Err(err).Msg("failed to initialize logger")
 			os.Exit(1)
@@ -67,8 +67,12 @@ func Execute() {
 }
 
 func init() {
+	cobra.OnInitialize(
+		initLogger,
+		// initializeConfig,
+	)
 	// initialize the config a single time
-	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().VarP(&logLevel, "log-level", "l", "Set the log level output")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().VarP(&loglevel, "log-level", "l", "Set the log level output")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().String("log-file", "", "Set the log file path (can be set with MAKESHIFT_LOG_FILE)")
 }
 
@@ -81,3 +85,13 @@ func setenv(cmd *cobra.Command, varname string, envvar string) {
 		cmd.Flags().Set(varname, val)
 	}
 }
+
+func initLogger() {
+	// initialize the logger
+	logfile, _ := rootCmd.PersistentFlags().GetString("log-file")
+	err := logger.InitWithLogLevel(loglevel, logfile)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Error().Err(err).Msg("failed to initialize logger")
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+}