diff --git a/xtrabackup/backup_tools.py b/xtrabackup/backup_tools.py
index 51d66a6..0916bc7 100644
--- a/xtrabackup/backup_tools.py
+++ b/xtrabackup/backup_tools.py
@@ -10,10 +10,18 @@
 
 class BackupTool:
 
-    def __init__(self, log_file, output_file, no_compression):
+    def __init__(self, log_file, output_file, no_compression, debug=False):
+        self.debug = debug
         self.log_manager = log_manager.LogManager()
         self.stop_watch = timer.Timer()
         self.setup_logging(log_file)
+        try:
+            with open(output_file, 'a+'):
+                pass
+        except Exception as error:
+            self.logger.error('Output file error: %s', str(error),
+                              exc_info=self.debug)
+            raise
         self.command_executor = CommandExecutor(output_file)
         self.compress = not no_compression
         self.http = HttpManager()
@@ -26,15 +34,17 @@ def check_prerequisites(self, repository):
         try:
             filesystem_utils.check_required_binaries(['innobackupex', 'tar'])
             filesystem_utils.check_path_existence(repository)
-        except exception.ProgramError:
-            self.logger.error('Prerequisites check failed.', exc_info=True)
+        except exception.ProgramError as error:
+            self.logger.error('Prerequisites check failed. %s', str(error),
+                              exc_info=self.debug)
             raise
 
     def prepare_workdir(self, path):
         try:
             filesystem_utils.mkdir_path(path, 0o755)
         except exception.ProgramError:
-            self.logger.error('Workdir preparation failed.', exc_info=True)
+            self.logger.error('Workdir preparation failed.',
+                              exc_info=self.debug)
             raise
         self.workdir = path + '/xtrabackup_tmp'
         self.logger.debug("Temporary workdir: " + self.workdir)
@@ -53,7 +63,8 @@ def prepare_repository(self, repository, incremental):
             self.backup_repository = filesystem_utils.create_sub_repository(
                 repository, sub_directory)
         except exception.ProgramError:
-            self.logger.error('Unable to create repository.', exc_info=True)
+            self.logger.error('Unable to create repository.',
+                              exc_info=self.debug)
             raise
 
     def prepare_archive_name(self, incremental, incremental_cycle):
@@ -79,7 +90,7 @@ def exec_incremental_backup(self, user, password, thread_count):
         except ProcessError:
             self.logger.error(
                 'An error occured during the incremental backup process.',
-                exc_info=True)
+                exc_info=self.debug)
             self.clean()
             raise
         self.logger.info("Incremental backup time: %s - Duration: %s",
@@ -96,7 +107,8 @@ def exec_full_backup(self, user, password, thread_count):
                 self.workdir)
         except ProcessError:
             self.logger.error(
-                'An error occured during the backup process.', exc_info=True)
+                'An error occured during the backup process.',
+                exc_info=self.debug)
             self.clean()
             raise
         self.logger.info("Backup time: %s - Duration: %s",
@@ -111,7 +123,7 @@ def prepare_backup(self, redo_logs):
         except ProcessError:
             self.logger.error(
                 'An error occured during the preparation process.',
-                exc_info=True)
+                exc_info=self.debug)
             self.clean()
             raise
         self.logger.info("Backup preparation time: %s - Duration: %s",
@@ -126,7 +138,7 @@ def archive_backup(self):
         except ProcessError:
             self.logger.error(
                 'An error occured during the archiving of the backup.',
-                exc_info=True)
+                exc_info=self.debug)
             self.clean()
             raise
         self.logger.info("Backup archiving time: %s - Duration: %s",
@@ -142,7 +154,7 @@ def transfer_backup(self, repository):
         except Exception:
             self.logger.error(
                 'An error occured during the backup transfer.',
-                exc_info=True)
+                exc_info=self.debug)
             self.clean()
             raise
         self.logger.info("Archive copy time: %s - Duration: %s",
@@ -178,7 +190,7 @@ def save_incremental_data(self, incremental):
         except:
             self.logger.error(
                 'Unable to save the incremental backup data.',
-                exc_info=True)
+                exc_info=self.debug)
             self.clean()
             raise
 
@@ -197,7 +209,7 @@ def load_incremental_data(self):
         except:
             self.logger.error(
                 'Unable to load the incremental backup data.',
-                exc_info=True)
+                exc_info=self.debug)
             self.clean()
             raise
 
diff --git a/xtrabackup/full_backup.py b/xtrabackup/full_backup.py
index a147589..b3958df 100755
--- a/xtrabackup/full_backup.py
+++ b/xtrabackup/full_backup.py
@@ -1,14 +1,7 @@
 """Xtrabackup script
 
 Usage:
-    pyxtrabackup <repository> --user=<user> \
-[--password=<pwd>] \
-[--tmp-dir=<tmp>] \
-[--log-file=<log>] \
-[--out-file=<log>] \
-[--backup-threads=<threads>] \
-[--no-compress] \
-[--webhook=<url>]
+    pyxtrabackup <repository> --user=<user> [options]
     pyxtrabackup (-h | --help)
     pyxtrabackup --version
 
@@ -16,6 +9,8 @@
 Options:
     -h --help                   \
     Show this screen.
+    -d --debug                  \
+    Enable verbose error
     --version                   \
     Show version.
     --user=<user>               \
@@ -44,9 +39,11 @@
 
 def main():
     arguments = docopt(__doc__, version='3.1.2')
-    backup_tool = BackupTool(arguments['--log-file'], arguments['--out-file'],
-                             arguments['--no-compress'])
     try:
+        backup_tool = BackupTool(
+            arguments['--log-file'], arguments['--out-file'],
+            arguments['--no-compress'], arguments['--debug'])
+
         backup_tool.start_full_backup(arguments['<repository>'],
                                       arguments['--tmp-dir'],
                                       arguments['--user'],
@@ -55,7 +52,7 @@ def main():
                                       arguments['--webhook'])
     except Exception:
         logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-        logger.error("pyxtrabackup failed.", exc_info=True)
+        logger.error("pyxtrabackup failed.", exc_info=arguments['--debug'])
         exit(1)
     exit(0)
 
diff --git a/xtrabackup/incremental_backup.py b/xtrabackup/incremental_backup.py
index dd32825..ea38784 100755
--- a/xtrabackup/incremental_backup.py
+++ b/xtrabackup/incremental_backup.py
@@ -1,14 +1,7 @@
 """Xtrabackup script
 
 Usage:
-    pyxtrabackup-inc <repository> --user=<user> \
-[--password=<pwd>] \
-[--incremental] \
-[--tmp-dir=<tmp>] \
-[--log-file=<log>] \
-[--out-file=<log>] \
-[--backup-threads=<threads>] \
-[--no-compress]
+    pyxtrabackup-inc <repository> --user=<user> [options]
     pyxtrabackup-inc (-h | --help)
     pyxtrabackup --version
 
@@ -16,6 +9,8 @@
 Options:
     -h --help                   \
     Show this screen.
+    -d --debug                  \
+    Enable verbose error
     --version                   \
     Show version.
     --user=<user>               \
@@ -44,18 +39,21 @@
 
 def main():
     arguments = docopt(__doc__, version='3.1.2')
-    backup_tool = BackupTool(arguments['--log-file'], arguments['--out-file'],
-                             arguments['--no-compress'])
     try:
-        backup_tool.start_incremental_backup(arguments['<repository>'],
-                                             arguments['--incremental'],
-                                             arguments['--tmp-dir'],
-                                             arguments['--user'],
-                                             arguments['--password'],
-                                             arguments['--backup-threads'])
+        backup_tool = BackupTool(
+            arguments['--log-file'], arguments['--out-file'],
+            arguments['--no-compress'], arguments['--debug'])
+
+        backup_tool.start_incremental_backup(
+            arguments['<repository>'],
+            arguments['--incremental'],
+            arguments['--tmp-dir'],
+            arguments['--user'],
+            arguments['--password'],
+            arguments['--backup-threads'])
     except Exception:
         logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-        logger.error("pyxtrabackup failed.", exc_info=True)
+        logger.error("pyxtrabackup failed.", exc_info=arguments['--debug'])
         exit(1)
     exit(0)
 
diff --git a/xtrabackup/log_manager.py b/xtrabackup/log_manager.py
index c7ab20a..c6e953a 100644
--- a/xtrabackup/log_manager.py
+++ b/xtrabackup/log_manager.py
@@ -7,7 +7,11 @@ def __init__(self):
         logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
 
     def attach_file_handler(self, logger, log_file):
-        handler = logging.FileHandler(log_file)
+        try:
+            handler = logging.FileHandler(log_file)
+        except Exception as error:
+            print(error)
+            raise error
         handler.setLevel(logging.INFO)
         formatter = logging.Formatter(
             '%(asctime)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s')