diff --git a/.hgignore b/.hgignore
index b081e1b..9b4c464 100644
--- a/.hgignore
+++ b/.hgignore
@@ -9,5 +9,3 @@ test_adapter
 lib
 local.conf
 build/
-# Default ignored files
-.idea/
diff --git a/Adapter.cc b/Adapter.cc
index ce6d7f7..cd213f9 100644
--- a/Adapter.cc
+++ b/Adapter.cc
@@ -6,15 +6,12 @@
 #include <iomanip>
 #include <assert.h>
 #include "status_to_string.hh"
-#include "utils.hh"
-
 
 using namespace std;
 
 namespace pEp {
     void throw_status(PEP_STATUS status)
     {
-        //pEpLog("called");
         if (status == PEP_STATUS_OK)
             return;
         if (status >= 0x400 && status <= 0x4ff)
@@ -31,7 +28,7 @@ namespace pEp {
     RuntimeError::RuntimeError(const std::string& _text, PEP_STATUS _status)
         : std::runtime_error(_text.c_str()), text(_text),  status(_status)
     {
-        pEpLog("called");
+
     }
 
     namespace Adapter {
@@ -39,25 +36,21 @@ namespace pEp {
         notifyHandshake_t _notifyHandshake = nullptr;
         std::thread *_sync_thread = nullptr;
 
-        ::utility::locked_queue< SYNC_EVENT, ::free_Sync_event > sync_q;
-        std::mutex mutex_global;
+        ::utility::locked_queue< SYNC_EVENT, ::free_Sync_event > q;
+        std::mutex m;
 
         int _inject_sync_event(SYNC_EVENT ev, void *management)
         {
-            pEpLog("called");
             try {
                 if (ev == nullptr) {
-                    pEpLog("SYNC_EVENT: NULL");
-                    sync_q.clear();
-                    sync_q.push_back(ev);
+                    q.clear();
+                    q.push_back(ev);
                 }
                 else {
-                    pEpLog("SYNC_EVENT:" << ev);
-                    sync_q.push_front(ev);
+                    q.push_front(ev);
                 }
             }
             catch (exception&) {
-                pEpErr("Exception");
                 return 1;
             }
             if (ev == nullptr) {
@@ -68,7 +61,7 @@ namespace pEp {
                         delete _sync_thread;
                         _sync_thread = nullptr;
                         pEpLog("...thread joined");
-                        sync_q.clear();
+                        q.clear();
                     } else  {
                         //FATAL
                         pEpLog("FATAL: sync thread not joinable/detached");
@@ -81,22 +74,17 @@ namespace pEp {
         // threshold: max waiting time in seconds
         SYNC_EVENT _retrieve_next_sync_event(void *management, unsigned threshold)
         {
-            pEpLog("called");
             SYNC_EVENT syncEvent = nullptr;
-            const bool success = sync_q.try_pop_front(syncEvent, std::chrono::seconds(threshold));
+            const bool success = q.try_pop_front(syncEvent, std::chrono::seconds(threshold));
 
-            if (!success) {
-                pEpLog("timeout after [sec]: " << threshold);
+            if (!success)
                 return new_sync_timeout_event();
-            }
 
-            pEpLog("returning SYNC_EVENT: "  << syncEvent);
             return syncEvent;
         }
 
         bool on_sync_thread()
         {
-            //pEpLog("called");
             if (_sync_thread && _sync_thread->get_id() == this_thread::get_id())
                 return true;
             else
@@ -105,8 +93,7 @@ namespace pEp {
 
         PEP_SESSION session(session_action action)
         {
-            pEpLog("called");
-            std::lock_guard<mutex> lock(mutex_global);
+            std::lock_guard<mutex> lock(m);
             bool in_sync = on_sync_thread();
 
             thread_local static PEP_SESSION _session = nullptr;
@@ -115,19 +102,14 @@ namespace pEp {
             switch (action) {
                 case release:
                     if (_session) {
-                        pEpLog("action = release: releasing session: " << _session);
                         ::release(_session);
                         _session = nullptr;
-                    } else {
-                        pEpLog("action = release: No session to release");
                     }
                     break;
 
                 case init:
-                    if (!_session) {
-                        pEpLog("action = init: creating new session");
+                    if (!_session)
                         status = ::init(&_session, _messageToSend, _inject_sync_event);
-                    }
                     break;
 
                 default:
@@ -135,7 +117,6 @@ namespace pEp {
             }
 
             throw_status(status);
-            pEpLog("returning session: " << _session);
             return _session;
         }
 
@@ -150,7 +131,6 @@ namespace pEp {
 
         bool is_sync_running()
         {
-            pEpLog("called");
             return _sync_thread != nullptr;
         }
     }
diff --git a/Adapter.hh b/Adapter.hh
index 55bc101..d22b5cb 100644
--- a/Adapter.hh
+++ b/Adapter.hh
@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@
 #include <pEp/sync_api.h>
 #include <stdexcept>
 
+// TODO: put into not yet existing libpEpAdapter_utils.h, to be across whole libpEpAdapter
+#ifdef NDEBUG
+    #define pEpLog(msg)  do{}while(0)
+#else
+    #include <iostream>
+    #define pEpLog(msg) do{std::cerr << __FILE__ << "::" << __FUNCTION__ << " - " << msg << '\n';} while(0)
+#endif
+
 namespace pEp {
 
     // throws std::bad_alloc if status==PEP_OUT_OF_MEMORY,
diff --git a/Adapter.hxx b/Adapter.hxx
index 9b19605..73947dc 100644
--- a/Adapter.hxx
+++ b/Adapter.hxx
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 #include <thread>
 #include "locked_queue.hh"
 #include <cassert>
-#include "utils.hh"
 
 namespace pEp {
     namespace Adapter {
@@ -17,7 +16,7 @@ namespace pEp {
         extern std::thread *_sync_thread;
 
         extern ::utility::locked_queue< SYNC_EVENT, ::free_Sync_event > q;
-        extern std::mutex mutex_global;
+        extern std::mutex m;
 
         SYNC_EVENT _retrieve_next_sync_event(void *management, unsigned threshold);
 
@@ -26,7 +25,6 @@ namespace pEp {
 
         template< class T > void sync_thread(T *obj, function< void(T *) > _startup, function< void(T *) > _shutdown)
         {
-            pEpLog("called");
             _ex = nullptr;
             assert(_messageToSend);
             assert(_notifyHandshake);
@@ -69,8 +67,6 @@ namespace pEp {
         )
             throw (RuntimeError)
         {
-            pEpLog("called");
-
             if (messageToSend)
                 _messageToSend = messageToSend;
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 98d82c4..b8c723c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ ifdef BUILD_CONFIG
     $(info ================================================)
 endif
 
-.PHONY: all lib test install uninstall clean
+.PHONY: all, lib, test, install, uninstall, clean
 
 SOURCE=$(wildcard *.cc)
 HEADERS=$(wildcard *.hh *.hxx)
diff --git a/Makefile.conf b/Makefile.conf
index 74f33b0..bb95499 100644
--- a/Makefile.conf
+++ b/Makefile.conf
@@ -32,11 +32,11 @@ else
     CXXFLAGS+=-DNDEBUG=1
 endif
 
-# Defaults
+######### Engine #########
 ENGINE_LIB_PATH=$(HOME)/lib
 ENGINE_INC_PATH=$(HOME)/include
 
-# Config File
+######### Overrides #########
 -include $(HERE)/local.conf
 
 # Add -L Prefixes to LIB/INC paths,
diff --git a/test/Makefile b/test/Makefile
index 0d64421..7f8f4d2 100644
--- a/test/Makefile
+++ b/test/Makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ CXXFLAGS+=-I../
 
 .PHONY=all, test_adapter, test_adapter_cxx, test_library
 
-all: test_adapter test_adapter_cxx test_library test_peplog
+all: test_adapter test_adapter_cxx test_library
 
 test_adapter: test_adapter.cc ../libpEpAdapter.a
 
@@ -14,9 +14,6 @@ test_adapter_cxx: test_adapter_cxx.cc ../libpEpAdapter.a
 
 test_library: test_library.cc ../libpEpAdapter.a
 
-test_peplog: test_peplog.cc
-
-
 clean:	
 	rm -vf test_adapter
 	rm -rvf test_adapter.dSYM
diff --git a/test/test_adapter.cc b/test/test_adapter.cc
index 226b72e..75e78c0 100644
--- a/test/test_adapter.cc
+++ b/test/test_adapter.cc
@@ -1,25 +1,24 @@
 // This file is under GNU General Public License 3.0
 // see LICENSE.txt
 
+#include "Adapter.hh"
 #include <iostream>
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <pEp/keymanagement.h>
-#include "Adapter.hh"
-#include "../utils.hh"
 
 using namespace std;
 using namespace pEp::Adapter;
 
 PEP_STATUS messageToSend(struct _message *msg)
 {
-    pEpLog("called");
+    pEpLog("called()");
     return PEP_STATUS_OK;
 }
 
 PEP_STATUS notifyHandshake(pEp_identity *me, pEp_identity *partner, sync_handshake_signal signal)
 {
-    pEpLog("called");
+    pEpLog("called()");
     return PEP_STATUS_OK;
 }
 
@@ -34,16 +33,17 @@ int main()
     pEp::throw_status(status);
 
     // start and stop sync repeatedly
-    useconds_t sleepuSec = 1000 * 1000;
-    unsigned long long int nrIters = 3;//1000 * 1000 * 1000;
+    useconds_t sleepuSec = 1000 * 100;
+    unsigned long long int nrIters = 1000 * 1000 * 1000;
     for (int i = 0; i < nrIters; i++) {
-        pEpLog("RUN NR: " << i);
+        pEpLog("RUN NR: ");
+        pEpLog(i);
         pEpLog("SYNC START");
+        pEpLog("starting the adapter including sync");
         startup(messageToSend, notifyHandshake);
         pEpLog("SYNC STOP");
         usleep(sleepuSec);
         shutdown();
-        usleep(sleepuSec);
     }
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/test/test_adapter_cxx.cc b/test/test_adapter_cxx.cc
index 885224a..e44a2ed 100644
--- a/test/test_adapter_cxx.cc
+++ b/test/test_adapter_cxx.cc
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 // This file is under GNU General Public License 3.0
 // see LICENSE.txt
 
+#include "Adapter.hh"
 #include <iostream>
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <pEp/keymanagement.h>
-#include "Adapter.hh"
-#include "../utils.hh"
 
 using namespace pEp::Adapter;
 
diff --git a/test/test_peplog.cc b/test/test_peplog.cc
deleted file mode 100644
index 2210238..0000000
--- a/test/test_peplog.cc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-// This file is under GNU General Public License 3.0
-// see LICENSE.txt
-
-#include "utils.hh"
-// Single threaded test of pEpLog() function.
-// check for uniformity of time
-
-int main()
-{
-    pEpLog("Test Starting... observe uniformity of timestamp.");
-    int nr_log_lines = 1000000;
-    for (int i; i < nr_log_lines; i++) {
-        pEpLog("log line nr: " << i);
-    }
-    return 0;
-}
diff --git a/utils.hh b/utils.hh
deleted file mode 100644
index cc253ed..0000000
--- a/utils.hh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,42 +0,0 @@
-#pragma once
-#include <iostream>
-#include <thread>
-#include <sstream>
-#include <iomanip>
-
-// Returns a timestamp string featuring microseconds precision
-// Uses system clock, so time might not pass uniformly
-
-inline std::string timestamp_usec() {
-    std::ostringstream buffer;
-    std::chrono::system_clock::duration d = std::chrono::system_clock::now().time_since_epoch();
-
-    std::chrono::microseconds us = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::microseconds>(d);
-    std::chrono::seconds       s = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::seconds>     (d);
-
-    std::time_t t = s.count();
-    std::tm tm = *std::localtime(&t);
-
-    std::size_t fractional_seconds = us.count() % 1000000;
-    buffer << std::put_time(&tm, "%H%:%M:%S") << "." << fractional_seconds;
-
-    return buffer.str();
-}
-
-// pEpLog(msg) - logs to STDOUT
-// pEpErr(msg) - logs to STDERR
-//
-// Log format is:
-// TIMESTAMP.usecs THREAD-ID SRC_FILE_NAME::FUNCTION_NAME - msg
-//
-// example:
-// 21:06:04.214884 Thread:0x10f2ce5c0 test_peplog.cc::main - test run nr: 436744
-//
-// if -DNDEBUG=1 (for release builds), all pEpLog() calls will be optimized away.
-
-#ifdef NDEBUG
-#define pEpLog(msg) do{}while(0)
-#else
-#define pEpLog(msg) do{ std::cout << std::unitbuf; std::cout << timestamp_usec() << " Thread:" << std::this_thread::get_id() << ' ' <<__FILE__ << "::" << __FUNCTION__ << " - " << msg << std::endl;} while(0)
-#endif
-#define pEpErr(msg) do{ std::cerr << std::unitbuf; std::cerr << timestamp_usec() << " Thread:" << std::this_thread::get_id() << ' ' <<__FILE__ << "::" << __FUNCTION__ << " - " << msg << std::endl;} while(0)