diff --git a/src/logging_utils.py b/src/logging_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09374c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/logging_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,270 @@
+"""
+Pretty, column-aligned, color-aware logging.
+
+Zero extra dependencies. On Windows, ANSI color support is enabled via
+the Console API. Colors are disabled automatically when:
+
+  - The output stream is not a TTY (e.g. piped to a file)
+  - The NO_COLOR environment variable is set
+  - DFT_NO_COLOR=1 is set
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import logging
+import os
+import sys
+import time
+
+
+# ─── ANSI palette ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+RESET   = "\x1b[0m"
+BOLD    = "\x1b[1m"
+DIM     = "\x1b[2m"
+ITALIC  = "\x1b[3m"
+
+# 8-bit / truecolor friendly foreground codes
+FG_GRAY    = "\x1b[38;5;245m"
+FG_BLUE    = "\x1b[38;5;39m"
+FG_CYAN    = "\x1b[38;5;45m"
+FG_GREEN   = "\x1b[38;5;42m"
+FG_YELLOW  = "\x1b[38;5;214m"
+FG_RED     = "\x1b[38;5;203m"
+FG_MAGENTA = "\x1b[38;5;177m"
+FG_PURPLE  = "\x1b[38;5;141m"
+FG_TEAL    = "\x1b[38;5;80m"
+FG_ORANGE  = "\x1b[38;5;208m"
+
+
+LEVEL_STYLE = {
+    "DEBUG":    f"{DIM}{FG_GRAY}",
+    "INFO":     f"{FG_GREEN}",
+    "WARNING":  f"{BOLD}{FG_YELLOW}",
+    "ERROR":    f"{BOLD}{FG_RED}",
+    "CRITICAL": f"{BOLD}{FG_MAGENTA}",
+}
+
+LEVEL_GLYPH = {
+    "DEBUG":    "·",
+    "INFO":     "•",
+    "WARNING":  "!",
+    "ERROR":    "✕",
+    "CRITICAL": "✕",
+}
+
+LEVEL_LABEL = {
+    "DEBUG":    "DEBUG",
+    "INFO":     "INFO ",
+    "WARNING":  "WARN ",
+    "ERROR":    "ERROR",
+    "CRITICAL": "CRIT ",
+}
+
+# Stable per-component color (keeps log scanning easy).
+COMPONENT_COLORS = {
+    "Main":         FG_CYAN,
+    "Proxy":        FG_BLUE,
+    "Fronter":      FG_PURPLE,
+    "H2":           FG_TEAL,
+    "MITM":         FG_ORANGE,
+    "Cert":         FG_MAGENTA,
+}
+
+
+# ─── color support detection ───────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+def _supports_color(stream) -> bool:
+    if os.environ.get("NO_COLOR"):
+        return False
+    if os.environ.get("DFT_NO_COLOR") == "1":
+        return False
+    if os.environ.get("FORCE_COLOR") or os.environ.get("DFT_FORCE_COLOR"):
+        return True
+    if not hasattr(stream, "isatty") or not stream.isatty():
+        return False
+    if sys.platform != "win32":
+        return True
+    # Try to enable ANSI on Windows 10+ consoles.
+    try:
+        import ctypes
+        kernel32 = ctypes.windll.kernel32
+        ENABLE_VIRTUAL_TERMINAL_PROCESSING = 0x0004
+        # -11 = STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE
+        handle = kernel32.GetStdHandle(-11)
+        mode = ctypes.c_ulong()
+        if not kernel32.GetConsoleMode(handle, ctypes.byref(mode)):
+            return False
+        if kernel32.SetConsoleMode(
+            handle, mode.value | ENABLE_VIRTUAL_TERMINAL_PROCESSING
+        ):
+            return True
+    except Exception:
+        return False
+    return False
+
+
+# ─── formatter ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+class PrettyFormatter(logging.Formatter):
+    """Column-aligned formatter with optional ANSI colors."""
+
+    COMPONENT_WIDTH = 8
+
+    def __init__(self, *, use_color: bool):
+        super().__init__()
+        self.use_color = use_color
+        self._start = time.time()
+
+    # -- helpers ------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def _c(self, code: str) -> str:
+        return code if self.use_color else ""
+
+    def _fmt_time(self, record: logging.LogRecord) -> str:
+        t = time.localtime(record.created)
+        ms = int((record.created - int(record.created)) * 1000)
+        return f"{time.strftime('%H:%M:%S', t)}"
+
+    def _fmt_level(self, levelname: str) -> str:
+        label = LEVEL_LABEL.get(levelname, levelname[:5].ljust(5))
+        glyph = LEVEL_GLYPH.get(levelname, "·")
+        style = LEVEL_STYLE.get(levelname, "")
+        if self.use_color:
+            return f"{style}{glyph} {label}{RESET}"
+        return f"{glyph} {label}"
+
+    def _fmt_component(self, name: str) -> str:
+        label = name[: self.COMPONENT_WIDTH].ljust(self.COMPONENT_WIDTH)
+        if not self.use_color:
+            return f"[{label}]"
+        color = COMPONENT_COLORS.get(name, FG_GRAY)
+        return f"{DIM}[{RESET}{color}{label}{RESET}{DIM}]{RESET}"
+
+    def format(self, record: logging.LogRecord) -> str:
+        # Pre-render message (honors %-args and {}-args).
+        try:
+            message = record.getMessage()
+        except Exception:
+            message = record.msg
+
+        time_part  = self._fmt_time(record)
+        level_part = self._fmt_level(record.levelname)
+        comp_part  = self._fmt_component(record.name)
+
+        if self.use_color:
+            time_part = f"{DIM}{FG_GRAY}{time_part}{RESET}"
+
+        line = f"{time_part}  {level_part}  {comp_part}  {message}"
+
+        # Exception tracebacks: render dimmed below the main line.
+        if record.exc_info:
+            tb = self.formatException(record.exc_info)
+            if self.use_color:
+                tb = f"{DIM}{FG_GRAY}{tb}{RESET}"
+            line = f"{line}\n{tb}"
+        if record.stack_info:
+            si = record.stack_info
+            if self.use_color:
+                si = f"{DIM}{FG_GRAY}{si}{RESET}"
+            line = f"{line}\n{si}"
+
+        return line
+
+
+# ─── public API ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+def configure(level: str = "INFO", *, stream=None) -> None:
+    """Install the pretty formatter on the root logger.
+
+    Safe to call multiple times; replaces prior handlers set up by this
+    module and leaves unrelated handlers alone (for tests / embedding).
+    """
+    stream = stream or sys.stderr
+    use_color = _supports_color(stream)
+
+    handler = logging.StreamHandler(stream)
+    handler.setFormatter(PrettyFormatter(use_color=use_color))
+    handler.set_name("mhrvpn.pretty")
+
+    root = logging.getLogger()
+    root.setLevel(getattr(logging, level.upper(), logging.INFO))
+
+    # Remove previous pretty handler(s) we installed.
+    for h in list(root.handlers):
+        if getattr(h, "name", "") == "mhrvpn.pretty":
+            root.removeHandler(h)
+    root.addHandler(handler)
+
+    # Suppress cosmetic asyncio warning spam:
+    #   "returning true from eof_received() has no effect when using ssl"
+    # It originates in Python's own StreamReaderProtocol when we wrap a
+    # stream in TLS via start_tls(); there's nothing actionable to do.
+    _install_asyncio_noise_filter()
+
+
+class _AsyncioNoiseFilter(logging.Filter):
+    _SUPPRESSED = (
+        "returning true from eof_received() has no effect when using ssl",
+    )
+
+    def filter(self, record: logging.LogRecord) -> bool:  # noqa: D401
+        try:
+            msg = record.getMessage()
+        except Exception:
+            return True
+        return not any(s in msg for s in self._SUPPRESSED)
+
+
+def _install_asyncio_noise_filter() -> None:
+    f = _AsyncioNoiseFilter()
+    aio = logging.getLogger("asyncio")
+    # Don't stack duplicates on repeat configure() calls.
+    for existing in list(aio.filters):
+        if isinstance(existing, _AsyncioNoiseFilter):
+            aio.removeFilter(existing)
+    aio.addFilter(f)
+
+
+def print_banner(version: str, *, stream=None) -> None:
+    """Print a polished startup banner with color fallbacks."""
+    stream = stream or sys.stderr
+    color = _supports_color(stream)
+
+    def c(code: str) -> str:
+        return code if color else ""
+
+    title = "mhr-cfw"
+    subtitle = "Domain-Fronted GAS-CFW Relay"
+    version_tag = f"v{version}"
+
+    left = f" {title} "
+    center = f" {subtitle} "
+    right = f" {version_tag} "
+    inner_width = max(68, len(left) + len(center) + len(right) + 2)
+
+    gap = inner_width - (len(left) + len(center) + len(right))
+    left_gap = gap // 2
+    right_gap = gap - left_gap
+
+    top = "╭" + ("─" * inner_width) + "╮"
+    mid = "│" + left + (" " * left_gap) + center + (" " * right_gap) + right + "│"
+    bot = "╰" + ("─" * inner_width) + "╯"
+
+    if color:
+        top = f"{DIM}{FG_GRAY}{top}{RESET}"
+        bot = f"{DIM}{FG_GRAY}{bot}{RESET}"
+        mid = (
+            f"{DIM}{FG_GRAY}│{RESET}"
+            f"{BOLD}{FG_CYAN}{left}{RESET}"
+            f"{' ' * left_gap}"
+            f"{FG_GRAY}{center}{RESET}"
+            f"{' ' * right_gap}"
+            f"{BOLD}{FG_TEAL}{right}{RESET}"
+            f"{DIM}{FG_GRAY}│{RESET}"
+        )
+
+    print(top, file=stream)
+    print(mid, file=stream)
+    print(bot, file=stream)
+    stream.flush()
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