diff --git a/example_test.go b/example_test.go
index deb8900..172e6d5 100644
--- a/example_test.go
+++ b/example_test.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func Example() {
 	log.Error("error")
 
 	// Output:
-	// debug arg
-	// error
+	// 1970-01-01 00:00:00 debug arg
+	// 1970-01-01 00:00:00 error
 	// 00:00:00.000 Example E error
 }
diff --git a/format.go b/format.go
index 99b1ddb..69475f7 100644
--- a/format.go
+++ b/format.go
@@ -114,8 +114,8 @@ func getFormatter() Formatter {
 }
 
 var (
-	// DefaultFormatter is the default formatter used and is only the message.
-	DefaultFormatter Formatter = MustStringFormatter("%{message}")
+	// DefaultFormatter is the default formatter used and is the date, time and the message.
+	DefaultFormatter Formatter = MustStringFormatter("%{time:2006-01-02 15:04:05.999} %{message}")
 
 	// Glog format
 	GlogFormatter Formatter = MustStringFormatter("%{level:.1s}%{time:0102 15:04:05.999999} %{pid} %{shortfile}] %{message}")
diff --git a/format_test.go b/format_test.go
index c008e9e..092e46e 100644
--- a/format_test.go
+++ b/format_test.go
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ func TestBackendFormatter(t *testing.T) {
 
 	log := MustGetLogger("module")
 	log.Info("foo")
-	if "foo" != getLastLine(b1) {
+	if "1970-01-01 00:00:00 foo" != getLastLine(b1) {
 		t.Errorf("Unexpected line: %s", getLastLine(b1))
 	}
 	if "INFO foo" != getLastLine(b2) {
diff --git a/logger.go b/logger.go
index b3a57a8..73f72c8 100644
--- a/logger.go
+++ b/logger.go
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ package logging
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
-	"log"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"sync/atomic"
@@ -111,7 +110,7 @@ func Reset() {
 	// if there's no backends at all configured, we could use some tricks to
 	// automatically setup backends based if we have a TTY or not.
 	sequenceNo = 0
-	b := SetBackend(NewLogBackend(os.Stderr, "", log.LstdFlags))
+	b := SetBackend(NewLogBackend(os.Stderr, "", 0))
 	b.SetLevel(DEBUG, "")
 	SetFormatter(DefaultFormatter)
 	timeNow = time.Now
diff --git a/logger_test.go b/logger_test.go
index acf2498..a43e928 100644
--- a/logger_test.go
+++ b/logger_test.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func TestRedact(t *testing.T) {
 	password := Password("123456")
 	log := MustGetLogger("test")
 	log.Debug("foo %s", password)
-	if "foo ******" != MemoryRecordN(backend, 0).Formatted(0) {
+	if "1970-01-01 00:00:00 foo ******" != MemoryRecordN(backend, 0).Formatted(0) {
 		t.Errorf("redacted line: %v", MemoryRecordN(backend, 0))
 	}
 }
diff --git a/memory_test.go b/memory_test.go
index fe5a82e..301f1e9 100644
--- a/memory_test.go
+++ b/memory_test.go
@@ -58,17 +58,17 @@ func TestMemoryBackend(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("record length: %d", backend.size)
 	}
 	record := MemoryRecordN(backend, 0)
-	if "5" != record.Formatted(0) {
+	if "1970-01-01 00:00:00 5" != record.Formatted(0) {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected start: %s", record.Formatted(0))
 	}
 	for i := 0; i < 8; i++ {
 		record = MemoryRecordN(backend, i)
-		if strconv.Itoa(i+5) != record.Formatted(0) {
+		if "1970-01-01 00:00:00 " + strconv.Itoa(i+5) != record.Formatted(0) {
 			t.Errorf("unexpected record: %v", record.Formatted(0))
 		}
 	}
 	record = MemoryRecordN(backend, 7)
-	if "12" != record.Formatted(0) {
+	if "1970-01-01 00:00:00 12" != record.Formatted(0) {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected end: %s", record.Formatted(0))
 	}
 	record = MemoryRecordN(backend, 8)
@@ -97,17 +97,17 @@ func TestChannelMemoryBackend(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("record length: %d", backend.size)
 	}
 	record := ChannelMemoryRecordN(backend, 0)
-	if "5" != record.Formatted(0) {
+	if "1970-01-01 00:00:00 5" != record.Formatted(0) {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected start: %s", record.Formatted(0))
 	}
 	for i := 0; i < 8; i++ {
 		record = ChannelMemoryRecordN(backend, i)
-		if strconv.Itoa(i+5) != record.Formatted(0) {
+		if "1970-01-01 00:00:00 " + strconv.Itoa(i+5) != record.Formatted(0) {
 			t.Errorf("unexpected record: %v", record.Formatted(0))
 		}
 	}
 	record = ChannelMemoryRecordN(backend, 7)
-	if "12" != record.Formatted(0) {
+	if "1970-01-01 00:00:00 12" != record.Formatted(0) {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected end: %s", record.Formatted(0))
 	}
 	record = ChannelMemoryRecordN(backend, 8)
diff --git a/multi_test.go b/multi_test.go
index b6ecf5b..54602c5 100644
--- a/multi_test.go
+++ b/multi_test.go
@@ -14,10 +14,10 @@ func TestMultiLogger(t *testing.T) {
 	log := MustGetLogger("test")
 	log.Debug("log")
 
-	if "log" != MemoryRecordN(log1, 0).Formatted(0) {
+	if "1970-01-01 00:00:00 log" != MemoryRecordN(log1, 0).Formatted(0) {
 		t.Errorf("log1: %v", MemoryRecordN(log1, 0).Formatted(0))
 	}
-	if "log" != MemoryRecordN(log2, 0).Formatted(0) {
+	if "1970-01-01 00:00:00 log" != MemoryRecordN(log2, 0).Formatted(0) {
 		t.Errorf("log2: %v", MemoryRecordN(log2, 0).Formatted(0))
 	}
 }
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func TestMultiLoggerLevel(t *testing.T) {
 
 	leveled1.SetLevel(DEBUG, "test")
 	log.Notice("log")
-	if "log" != MemoryRecordN(log1, 0).Formatted(0) {
+	if "1970-01-01 00:00:00 log" != MemoryRecordN(log1, 0).Formatted(0) {
 		t.Errorf("log1 not receieved")
 	}
 	if nil != MemoryRecordN(log2, 0) {