diff --git a/cmd/gogitlabber/input.go b/cmd/gogitlabber/input.go
index 530ff40..21981f9 100644
--- a/cmd/gogitlabber/input.go
+++ b/cmd/gogitlabber/input.go
@@ -2,48 +2,100 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"flag"
-	"log"
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 )
 
+// set default values and override values from environment variables
+func setDefaultsFromEnv() {
+
+	// set default values
+	debug = false
+	concurrency = 15
+	gitlabHost = "gitlab.com"
+	gitlabToken = ""
+	includeArchived = "excluded"
+	repoDestinationPre = "$HOME/Documents"
+
+	// override with environment variables if present
+	if envDebug := os.Getenv("GOGITLABBER_DEBUG"); envDebug != "" {
+		if debugVal, err := strconv.ParseBool(envDebug); err == nil {
+			debug = debugVal
+		} else {
+			logPrint("Warning: Invalid debug value in environment, using default", nil)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if envToken := os.Getenv("GITLAB_API_TOKEN"); envToken != "" {
+		gitlabToken = envToken
+	}
+
+	if envHost := os.Getenv("GITLAB_URL"); envHost != "" {
+		gitlabHost = envHost
+	}
+
+	if envRepoDest := os.Getenv("GOGITLABBER_DESTINATION"); envRepoDest != "" {
+		repoDestinationPre = envRepoDest
+	}
+
+	if envConcurrency := os.Getenv("GOGITLABBER_CONCURRENCY"); envConcurrency != "" {
+		if concurrencyVal, err := strconv.Atoi(envConcurrency); err == nil {
+			concurrency = concurrencyVal
+		} else {
+			logPrint("Warning: Invalid concurrency value in environment, using default", nil)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if envArchived := os.Getenv("GOGITLABBER_ARCHIVED"); envArchived != "" {
+		switch envArchived {
+		case "any", "exclusive", "excluded":
+			includeArchived = envArchived
+		default:
+			logPrint("Warning: Invalid archived value in environment, using default", nil)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func manageArguments() {
 
-	// configuration vars
+	// set defaults from environment variables
+	setDefaultsFromEnv()
+
+	// define flags (which will override environment variables)
 	var archivedFlag = flag.String(
 		"archived",
-		"excluded",
+		includeArchived,
 		"To include archived repositories (any|excluded|exclusive)\n  example: -archived=any\nenv = GOGITLABBER_ARCHIVED\n")
 
 	var concurrencyFlag = flag.Int(
 		"concurrency",
-		15,
+		concurrency,
 		"Specify repository concurrency\n  example: -concurrency=15\nenv = GOGITLABBER_CONCURRENCY\n")
 
 	var destinationFlag = flag.String(
 		"destination",
-		"$HOME/Documents",
+		repoDestinationPre,
 		"Specify where to check the repositories out\n  example: -destination=$HOME/repos\nenv = GOGITLABBER_DESTINATION\n")
 
 	var hostFlag = flag.String(
 		"gitlab-url",
-		"gitlab.com",
+		gitlabHost,
 		"Specify GitLab host\n  example: -gitlab-url=gitlab.com\nenv = GITLAB_URL\n")
 
 	var tokenFlag = flag.String(
 		"gitlab-api-token",
-		"",
+		gitlabToken,
 		"Specify GitLab API token\n  example: -gitlab-api=glpat-xxxx\nenv = GITLAB_API_TOKEN\n")
 
 	var debugFlag = flag.Bool(
 		"debug",
-		false,
+		debug,
 		"Toggle debug mode\n example: -debug=true\nenv = GOGITLABBER_DEBUG\n")
 
 	flag.Parse()
 
-	// assign the parsed values to your variables
+	// Override with flag values (higher precedence)
 	concurrency = *concurrencyFlag
 	gitlabHost = *hostFlag
 	gitlabToken = *tokenFlag
@@ -51,91 +103,31 @@ func manageArguments() {
 	repoDestinationPre = *destinationFlag
 	debug = *debugFlag
 
-	// manage verosity option
-	switch envDebug := os.Getenv("GOGITLABBER_DEBUG"); {
-	case envDebug != "":
-		var err error
-		debug, err = strconv.ParseBool(envDebug)
-		logPrint("Configuration: debug option found", nil)
-		if err != nil {
-			logFatal("FATAL: config; not a valid bool", nil)
-		}
-	default:
-		debug = false
-	}
-
-	// manage gitlab api option
-	switch envToken := os.Getenv("GITLAB_API_TOKEN"); {
-	case envToken != "":
-		gitlabToken = envToken
-		logPrint("Configuration: Gitlab API Token found", nil)
-	default:
-		flag.Usage()
-		logFatal("Configuration: Giltab API Token not found", nil)
-	}
-
-	// manage gitlab url option
-	switch envHost := os.Getenv("GITLAB_URL"); {
-	case envHost != "":
-		gitlabHost = envHost
-		logPrint("Configuration: Gitlab host found", nil)
-	default:
-		flag.Usage()
-		logFatal("Configuration: Gitlab host not found", nil)
-	}
-
-	// manage destination option
-	switch envRepoDest := os.Getenv("GOGITLABBER_DESTINATION"); {
-	case envRepoDest != "":
-		repoDestinationPre = envRepoDest
-		logPrint("Configuration: destination found", nil)
-	default:
-		flag.Usage()
-		logFatal("Configuration: destination not found", nil)
-	}
-
 	// add slash 🎩🎸 if not provided
-	switch {
-	case !strings.HasSuffix(repoDestinationPre, "/"):
+	if !strings.HasSuffix(repoDestinationPre, "/") {
 		repoDestinationPre += "/"
 	}
 
-	// manage concurrency option
-	switch envConcurrency := os.Getenv("GOGITLABBER_CONCURRENCY"); {
-	case envConcurrency == "":
-		concurrency = 15
-	case envConcurrency != "":
-		concurrencyValue, err := strconv.Atoi(envConcurrency)
-		if err != nil {
-			logFatal("invalid concurrency value found in environment: %v", err)
-		}
-		concurrency = concurrencyValue
-		logPrint("Configuration: concurrency option found", nil)
-	default:
+	// validate required parameters
+	if gitlabToken == "" {
 		flag.Usage()
-		log.Fatalln("FATAL: config; concurrency not found")
+		logFatal("Configuration: Gitlab API Token not found", nil)
 	}
 
-	// manage archived option
-	switch envArchived := os.Getenv("GOGITLABBER_ARCHIVED"); {
-	case envArchived == "":
-		includeArchived = "excluded"
-		logPrint("Configuration: archive option found", nil)
-
-	case envArchived == "any":
-		includeArchived = envArchived
-		logPrint("Configuration: archive option found", nil)
-
-	case envArchived == "exclusive":
-		includeArchived = envArchived
-		logPrint("Configuration: archive option found", nil)
-
-	case envArchived == "excluded":
-		includeArchived = envArchived
-		logPrint("Configuration: archive option found", nil)
-
+	// validate archived option
+	switch includeArchived {
+	case "any", "exclusive", "excluded":
 	default:
 		flag.Usage()
-		logFatal("FATAL: Configuration: no or wrong archive option found", nil)
+		logFatal("Configuration: Invalid archive option: "+includeArchived, nil)
+	}
+
+	// Log configuration
+	logPrint("Configuration: Using GitLab host: "+gitlabHost, nil)
+	logPrint("Configuration: Using destination: "+repoDestinationPre, nil)
+	logPrint("Configuration: Using concurrency: "+strconv.Itoa(concurrency), nil)
+	logPrint("Configuration: Using archived option: "+includeArchived, nil)
+	if debug {
+		logPrint("Configuration: Debug mode enabled", nil)
 	}
 }