diff --git a/src/InputManager.cpp b/src/InputManager.cpp
index e3490e207..168787a9f 100644
--- a/src/InputManager.cpp
+++ b/src/InputManager.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ bool InputDevice::operator==(const InputDevice & b) const
 
 InputManager::InputManager(Window* window) : mWindow(window), 
 	mJoysticks(NULL), mInputConfigs(NULL), mKeyboardInputConfig(NULL), mPrevAxisValues(NULL),
-	mNumJoysticks(0), mNumPlayers(0), devicePollingTimer(nullptr)
+	mNumJoysticks(0), mNumPlayers(0), devicePollingTimer(NULL)
 {
 }
 
@@ -164,14 +164,31 @@ void InputManager::init()
 	SDL_JoystickEventState(SDL_ENABLE);
 
 	//start timer for input device polling
-	devicePollingTimer = SDL_AddTimer(POLLING_INTERVAL, devicePollingCallback, (void *)this);
+	startPolling();
 
 	loadConfig();
 }
 
+void InputManager::startPolling()
+{
+	if(devicePollingTimer != NULL)
+		return;
+
+	devicePollingTimer = SDL_AddTimer(POLLING_INTERVAL, devicePollingCallback, (void *)this);
+}
+
+void InputManager::stopPolling()
+{
+	if(devicePollingTimer == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	SDL_RemoveTimer(devicePollingTimer);
+	devicePollingTimer = NULL;
+}
+
 void InputManager::deinit()
 {
-	SDL_RemoveTimer(devicePollingTimer);
+	stopPolling();
 
 	SDL_JoystickEventState(SDL_DISABLE);
 
@@ -380,6 +397,8 @@ void InputManager::loadConfig()
 		LOG(LogInfo) << "No input configs loaded. Loading default keyboard config.";
 		loadDefaultConfig();
 	}
+
+	LOG(LogInfo) << "Loaded InputConfig data for " << getNumPlayers() << " devices.";
 }
 
 //used in an "emergency" where no configs could be loaded from the inputmanager config file
diff --git a/src/InputManager.h b/src/InputManager.h
index 921a29fa5..e0cef8b61 100644
--- a/src/InputManager.h
+++ b/src/InputManager.h
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ public:
 	bool parseEvent(const SDL_Event& ev);
 
 	InputConfig* getInputConfigByPlayer(int player);
+
+	void startPolling();
+	void stopPolling();
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/Log.cpp b/src/Log.cpp
index fe3c50c6c..0e8522601 100644
--- a/src/Log.cpp
+++ b/src/Log.cpp
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ Log::~Log()
 	fprintf(getOutput(), "%s", os.str().c_str());
 
 	//if it's an error, also print to console
-	if(messageLevel == LogError)
+	//print all messages if using --debug
+	if(messageLevel == LogError || reportingLevel >= LogDebug)
 		fprintf(stderr, "%s", os.str().c_str());
 }