diff --git a/src/AbstractCommand.php b/src/AbstractCommand.php
index 6180a7b..8cf05bc 100644
--- a/src/AbstractCommand.php
+++ b/src/AbstractCommand.php
@@ -53,6 +53,13 @@ abstract class AbstractCommand extends ConsoleCommand
      */
     protected $options = [];
 
+    /**
+     * @var Logger The monolog logger
+     *
+     * @access private
+     */
+    private $logger;
+
     /**
      * Get command name
      *
@@ -192,14 +199,16 @@ protected function init(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output)
      */
     protected function buildLogger()
     {
-        if (!isset($this->options['log_file'])) {
-            throw new \Exception('To build the lib\'s logger, we need a log file to log to.');
-        }
+        if (!$this->logger) {
+            if (!isset($this->options['log_file'])) {
+                throw new \Exception('To build the lib\'s logger, we need a log file to log to.');
+            }
 
-        $logger = new Logger('shideon_tasker_main');
-        $logger->pushHandler(new StreamHandler($this->options['log_file'], $this->options['log_level'] ?: Logger::INFO));;
+            $this->logger = new Logger('shideon_tasker_main');
+            $this->logger->pushHandler(new StreamHandler($this->options['log_file'], $this->options['log_level'] ?: Logger::INFO));;
+        }
 
-        return $logger;
+        return $this->logger;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -245,7 +254,7 @@ protected function validateOptions(array $requiredOptions = [])
     {
         foreach ($requiredOptions as $key) {
             if (!array_key_exists($key, $this->options) || empty($this->options[$key])) {
-                throw new Exception\RequiredCommandOptionException("Must set the --$key option.");
+                throw new Exception\RequiredCommandOptionException("Must set the --$key option.", $key);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/Command/RunTaskCommand.php b/src/Command/RunTaskCommand.php
index ee3d674..5137c07 100644
--- a/src/Command/RunTaskCommand.php
+++ b/src/Command/RunTaskCommand.php
@@ -96,7 +96,12 @@ protected function getConfigOptions()
      */
     protected function getRequiredOptions()
     {
-        return array_merge(parent::getRequiredOptions(), ['task_class', 'task_name']);
+        $options = array_merge(parent::getRequiredOptions(), ['task_class', 'task_name']);
+
+        $logger = $this->buildLogger();
+        $logger->log(Logger::DEBUG, 'RunTaskCommand required command options: '.print_r($options, true));
+
+        return $options;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -115,13 +120,21 @@ protected function execute(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output)
                 ->setCommand($this->options['task_command'])
                 ->setCommandArgs((array)json_decode($this->options['task_command_arguments'], true))
                 ->run();
-        } catch (RequiredCommandOptionException $e) {
-            // we cannot log these exceptions since we've
-            // failed at option validation and we need options
-            // for a logger to be created.
-            throw $e;
         } catch (\Exception $e) {
-            $logger->log(Logger::CRITICAL, "Running task '".$this->options['task_name']."' encountered exception in ".get_class($this), [$e, 'trace' => $e->getTraceAsString()]);
+            // if we don't have a logger (due to exception being thrown before
+            // it's instantiatied) then attempt to build one. ignore its
+            // exceptions.
+            if (!isset($logger) || !($logger instanceof Logger)) {
+                try {
+                    $logger = $this->buildLogger();
+                } catch (\Exception $e) {
+                    // ignore
+                }
+            }
+
+            if (isset($logger) && $logger instanceof Logger) {
+                $logger->log(Logger::CRITICAL, "Running task '".$this->options['task_name']."' encountered exception in ".get_class($this), [$e, 'trace' => $e->getTraceAsString()]);
+            }
 
             throw $e;
         }
diff --git a/src/Exception/RequiredCommandOptionException.php b/src/Exception/RequiredCommandOptionException.php
index 419fd98..db732ef 100644
--- a/src/Exception/RequiredCommandOptionException.php
+++ b/src/Exception/RequiredCommandOptionException.php
@@ -14,4 +14,55 @@
  *
  * @author John Pancoast <shideon@gmail.com>
  */
-class RequiredCommandOptionException extends \Exception {}
+class RequiredCommandOptionException extends \Exception
+{
+    /**
+     * @var string The key that failed
+     *
+     * @access private
+     */
+    private $key;
+
+    /**
+     * Override parent constructor.
+     *
+     * Note that we allow a string for our second param for the key that failed
+     * but we call the parent without the second param which is
+     * (long)code in exception)
+     *
+     * @access public
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     * @param string $message The exception message
+     * @param string $key The key that failed.
+     */
+    public function __construct($message, $key)
+    {
+        $this->setKey($key);
+        parent::__construct($message);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Set the key that failed
+     *
+     * @access public
+     * @param string $key The key that failed.
+     * @return self
+     */
+    public function setKey($key)
+    {
+        $this->key = $key;
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the key that failed
+     *
+     * @access public
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function getKey()
+    {
+        return $this->key;
+    }
+}