diff --git a/src/client.ts b/src/client.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9d08829
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/client.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import { Client, GatewayIntentBits } from "discord.js";
+
+// Step 3 only needs the `Guilds` intent to log a list of connected guilds on READY.
+// Reaction handlers (step 5) will add `GuildMessageReactions` and the privileged
+// `GuildMembers` intent (which must be toggled in the Discord Developer Portal),
+// along with the `Message`/`Channel`/`Reaction` partials needed for old messages.
+export function createClient(): Client {
+  return new Client({
+    intents: [GatewayIntentBits.Guilds],
+  });
+}
diff --git a/src/env.ts b/src/env.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..910a7c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/env.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import { z } from "zod";
+
+const envSchema = z.object({
+  DISCORD_TOKEN: z.string().min(1, "DISCORD_TOKEN is required"),
+  LOG_LEVEL: z.enum(["trace", "debug", "info", "warn", "error", "fatal"]).default("info"),
+  CONFIG_PATH: z.string().default("config/verifications.yaml"),
+});
+
+export type Env = z.infer<typeof envSchema>;
+
+export function loadEnv(input: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env): Env {
+  return envSchema.parse(input);
+}
diff --git a/src/events/ready.ts b/src/events/ready.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4d30764
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/events/ready.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import { type Client, Events } from "discord.js";
+import type { Config } from "../config.js";
+import { logger } from "../logger.js";
+
+export function registerReady(client: Client, cfg: Config): void {
+  client.once(Events.ClientReady, (readyClient) => {
+    const guilds = readyClient.guilds.cache.map((g) => ({ id: g.id, name: g.name }));
+    logger.info(
+      {
+        bot: readyClient.user.tag,
+        guildCount: guilds.length,
+        guilds,
+        verificationsConfigured: cfg.verifications.length,
+      },
+      "ready",
+    );
+  });
+}
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index b3af1ef..1c73919 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,36 @@
+import { createClient } from "./client.js";
 import { loadConfig } from "./config.js";
+import { loadEnv } from "./env.js";
+import { registerReady } from "./events/ready.js";
+import { logger } from "./logger.js";
 
-function main(): void {
-  const path = process.env.CONFIG_PATH ?? "config/verifications.yaml";
-  const cfg = loadConfig(path);
-  console.log(`Loaded config from ${path}`);
-  console.log(`  ${cfg.verifications.length} verification(s):`);
-  for (const v of cfg.verifications) {
-    console.log(
-      `    - ${v.name}: guild=${v.guild_id} message=${v.message_id} emoji=${v.emoji} role=${v.role_id} on_remove=${v.on_remove}`,
-    );
-  }
-  console.log(`  sweep: on_startup=${cfg.sweep.on_startup} cron='${cfg.sweep.cron}'`);
+async function main(): Promise<void> {
+  const env = loadEnv();
+  const cfg = loadConfig(env.CONFIG_PATH);
+  logger.info(
+    { configPath: env.CONFIG_PATH, verifications: cfg.verifications.length },
+    "config loaded",
+  );
+
+  const client = createClient();
+  registerReady(client, cfg);
+
+  client.on("error", (err) => {
+    logger.error({ err }, "client error");
+  });
+
+  const shutdown = async (signal: string): Promise<void> => {
+    logger.info({ signal }, "shutting down");
+    await client.destroy();
+    process.exit(0);
+  };
+  process.once("SIGINT", () => void shutdown("SIGINT"));
+  process.once("SIGTERM", () => void shutdown("SIGTERM"));
+
+  await client.login(env.DISCORD_TOKEN);
 }
 
-main();
+main().catch((err: unknown) => {
+  logger.fatal({ err }, "fatal error during startup");
+  process.exit(1);
+});
diff --git a/src/logger.ts b/src/logger.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b24149c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/logger.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import { pino } from "pino";
+
+export const logger = pino({
+  level: process.env.LOG_LEVEL ?? "info",
+  formatters: {
+    level: (label) => ({ level: label }),
+  },
+  timestamp: pino.stdTimeFunctions.isoTime,
+});
+
+export type Logger = typeof logger;
diff --git a/test/env.test.ts b/test/env.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3967180
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/env.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { loadEnv } from "../src/env.js";
+
+describe("loadEnv", () => {
+  it("parses a valid env", () => {
+    const env = loadEnv({ DISCORD_TOKEN: "tok", LOG_LEVEL: "debug", CONFIG_PATH: "x.yaml" });
+    expect(env.DISCORD_TOKEN).toBe("tok");
+    expect(env.LOG_LEVEL).toBe("debug");
+    expect(env.CONFIG_PATH).toBe("x.yaml");
+  });
+
+  it("defaults LOG_LEVEL and CONFIG_PATH", () => {
+    const env = loadEnv({ DISCORD_TOKEN: "tok" });
+    expect(env.LOG_LEVEL).toBe("info");
+    expect(env.CONFIG_PATH).toBe("config/verifications.yaml");
+  });
+
+  it("rejects a missing DISCORD_TOKEN", () => {
+    expect(() => loadEnv({})).toThrow(/DISCORD_TOKEN/);
+  });
+
+  it("rejects an invalid LOG_LEVEL", () => {
+    expect(() => loadEnv({ DISCORD_TOKEN: "tok", LOG_LEVEL: "verbose" })).toThrow();
+  });
+});