diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index d92fd823..fb55958e 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/hyperledger-labs/yui-relayer/config"
 	"github.com/hyperledger-labs/yui-relayer/core"
@@ -18,10 +19,18 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	homePath    string
-	debug       bool
-	defaultHome = os.ExpandEnv("$HOME/.yui-relayer")
-	configPath  = "config/config.json"
+	homePath         string
+	debug            bool
+	timeout          time.Duration
+	logLevel         string
+	logFormat        string
+	logOutput        string
+	defaultHome      = os.ExpandEnv("$HOME/.yui-relayer")
+	defaultTimeout   = 10 * time.Second
+	defaultLogLevel  = "DEBUG"
+	defaultLogFormat = "json"
+	defaultLogOutput = "stderr"
+	configPath       = "config/config.json"
 )
 
 // Execute adds all child commands to the root command and sets flags appropriately.
@@ -41,6 +50,10 @@ func Execute(modules ...config.ModuleI) error {
 	// Register top level flags --home and --debug
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&homePath, flags.FlagHome, defaultHome, "set home directory")
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&debug, "debug", "d", false, "debug output")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().DurationVar(&timeout, "timeout", defaultTimeout, "rpc timeout duration")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&logLevel, "log-level", defaultLogLevel, "set the log level")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&logFormat, "log-format", defaultLogFormat, "set the log format")
+	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&logOutput, "log-output", defaultLogOutput, "set the log output")
 	if err := viper.BindPFlag(flags.FlagHome, rootCmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup(flags.FlagHome)); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -79,10 +92,10 @@ func Execute(modules ...config.ModuleI) error {
 		if err := viper.BindPFlags(cmd.Flags()); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to bind the flag set to the configuration: %v", err)
 		}
-		if err := ctx.Config.InitConfig(ctx, homePath, configPath, debug); err != nil {
+		if err := ctx.Config.InitConfig(ctx, homePath, configPath, debug, timeout); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to initialize the configuration: %v", err)
 		}
-		if err := initLogger(ctx); err != nil {
+		if err := log.InitLogger(logLevel, logFormat, logOutput); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		if err := metrics.InitializeMetrics(metrics.ExporterNull{}); err != nil {
@@ -106,11 +119,6 @@ func readStdin() (string, error) {
 	return strings.TrimSpace(str), err
 }
 
-func initLogger(ctx *config.Context) error {
-	c := ctx.Config.Global.LoggerConfig
-	return log.InitLogger(c.Level, c.Format, c.Output)
-}
-
 func noCommand(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	cmd.Help()
 	return errors.New("specified command does not exist")
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 30aa67b6..c62f9a24 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 type Config struct {
-	Global GlobalConfig             `yaml:"global" json:"global"`
 	Chains []core.ChainProverConfig `yaml:"chains" json:"chains"`
 	Paths  core.Paths               `yaml:"paths" json:"paths"`
 
@@ -24,39 +23,12 @@ type Config struct {
 
 func defaultConfig(configPath string) Config {
 	return Config{
-		Global:     newDefaultGlobalConfig(),
 		Chains:     []core.ChainProverConfig{},
 		Paths:      core.Paths{},
 		ConfigPath: configPath,
 	}
 }
 
-// GlobalConfig describes any global relayer settings
-type GlobalConfig struct {
-	Timeout        string       `yaml:"timeout" json:"timeout"`
-	LightCacheSize int          `yaml:"light-cache-size" json:"light-cache-size"`
-	LoggerConfig   LoggerConfig `yaml:"logger" json:"logger"`
-}
-
-type LoggerConfig struct {
-	Level  string `yaml:"level" json:"level"`
-	Format string `yaml:"format" json:"format"`
-	Output string `yaml:"output" json:"output"`
-}
-
-// newDefaultGlobalConfig returns a global config with defaults set
-func newDefaultGlobalConfig() GlobalConfig {
-	return GlobalConfig{
-		Timeout:        "10s",
-		LightCacheSize: 20,
-		LoggerConfig: LoggerConfig{
-			Level:  "DEBUG",
-			Format: "json",
-			Output: "stderr",
-		},
-	}
-}
-
 func (c *Config) InitCoreConfig() {
 	initCoreConfig(c)
 }
@@ -128,14 +100,9 @@ func (c *Config) ChainsFromPath(path string) (map[string]*core.ProvableChain, st
 }
 
 // Called to initialize the relayer.Chain types on Config
-func InitChains(ctx *Context, homePath string, debug bool) error {
-	to, err := time.ParseDuration(ctx.Config.Global.Timeout)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("did you remember to run 'rly config init' error:%w", err)
-	}
-
+func InitChains(ctx *Context, homePath string, debug bool, timeout time.Duration) error {
 	for _, chain := range ctx.Config.chains {
-		if err := chain.Init(homePath, to, ctx.Codec, debug); err != nil {
+		if err := chain.Init(homePath, timeout, ctx.Codec, debug); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("did you remember to run 'rly config init' error:%w", err)
 		}
 	}
@@ -143,7 +110,7 @@ func InitChains(ctx *Context, homePath string, debug bool) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (c *Config) InitConfig(ctx *Context, homePath, configPath string, debug bool) error {
+func (c *Config) InitConfig(ctx *Context, homePath, configPath string, debug bool, timeout time.Duration) error {
 	cfgPath := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", homePath, configPath)
 	c.ConfigPath = cfgPath
 	if _, err := os.Stat(cfgPath); err == nil {
@@ -156,7 +123,7 @@ func (c *Config) InitConfig(ctx *Context, homePath, configPath string, debug boo
 			return err
 		}
 		// ensure config has []*relayer.Chain used for all chain operations
-		if err = InitChains(ctx, homePath, debug); err != nil {
+		if err = InitChains(ctx, homePath, debug, timeout); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	} else {