diff --git a/logger/Logger.cxx b/logger/Logger.cxx
index 5d0efc2..c14a4db 100644
--- a/logger/Logger.cxx
+++ b/logger/Logger.cxx
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ void Logger::SetConsoleSeverity(const Severity severity)
 {
 #ifdef FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY
     if (severity < Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY && severity != Severity::nolog) {
-        cout << "Requested severity is higher than the enabled compile-time FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY (" << fSeverityNames.at(static_cast<int>(Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY)) << "), ignoring" << endl;
+        cout << "Requested severity is higher than the enabled compile-time FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY (" << Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY << "), ignoring" << endl;
         return;
     }
 #endif
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ void Logger::SetFileSeverity(const Severity severity)
 {
 #ifdef FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY
     if (severity < Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY && severity != Severity::nolog) {
-        cout << "Requested severity is higher than the enabled compile-time FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY (" << fSeverityNames.at(static_cast<int>(Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY)) << "), ignoring" << endl;
+        cout << "Requested severity is higher than the enabled compile-time FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY (" << Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY << "), ignoring" << endl;
         return;
     }
 #endif
@@ -353,11 +353,11 @@ void Logger::SetCustomSeverity(const string& key, const Severity severity)
     try {
 #ifdef FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY
         if (severity < Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY && severity != Severity::nolog) {
-            cout << "Requested severity is higher than the enabled compile-time FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY (" << fSeverityNames.at(static_cast<int>(Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY)) << "), ignoring" << endl;
+            cout << "Requested severity is higher than the enabled compile-time FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY (" << Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY << "), ignoring" << endl;
             return;
         }
 #endif
-        fCustomSinks.at(key).first = severity; // TODO: range checks
+        fCustomSinks.at(key).first = severity;
         UpdateMinSeverity();
     } catch (const out_of_range& oor) {
         LOG(error) << "No custom sink with id '" << key << "' found";
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ string Logger::InitFileSink(const Severity severity, const string& filename, boo
     if (fFileStream.is_open()) {
 #ifdef FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY
         if (severity < Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY && severity != Severity::nolog) {
-            cout << "Requested file sink severity is higher than the enabled compile-time FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY (" << fSeverityNames.at(static_cast<int>(Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY)) << "), setting to " << fSeverityNames.at(static_cast<int>(Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY)) << endl;
+            cout << "Requested file sink severity is higher than the enabled compile-time FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY (" << Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY << "), setting to " << Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY << endl;
             fFileSeverity = Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY;
         } else {
             fFileSeverity = severity;
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ void Logger::AddCustomSink(const string& key, Severity severity, function<void(c
     if (fCustomSinks.count(key) == 0) {
 #ifdef FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY
         if (severity < Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY && severity != Severity::nolog) {
-            cout << "Requested custom sink severity is higher than the enabled compile-time FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY (" << fSeverityNames.at(static_cast<int>(Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY)) << "), setting to " << fSeverityNames.at(static_cast<int>(Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY)) << endl;
+            cout << "Requested custom sink severity is higher than the enabled compile-time FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY (" << Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY << "), setting to " << Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY << endl;
             fCustomSinks.insert(make_pair(key, make_pair(Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY, func)));
         } else {
             fCustomSinks.insert(make_pair(key, make_pair(severity, func)));
diff --git a/logger/Logger.h b/logger/Logger.h
index 8856c90..32b9aa9 100644
--- a/logger/Logger.h
+++ b/logger/Logger.h
@@ -363,6 +363,9 @@ class Logger
     static std::map<Verbosity, VerbositySpec> fVerbosities;
 };
 
+inline std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const Severity& s) { return os << Logger::SeverityName(s); }
+inline std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const Verbosity& v) { return os << Logger::VerbosityName(v); }
+
 } // namespace fair
 
 #define IMP_CONVERTTOSTRING(s) # s
diff --git a/test/Common.h b/test/Common.h
index 629c7d6..7f836aa 100644
--- a/test/Common.h
+++ b/test/Common.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
  *              GNU Lesser General Public Licence (LGPL) version 3,             *
  *                  copied verbatim in the file "LICENSE"                       *
  ********************************************************************************/
+
 #ifndef FAIR_LOGGER_TEST_COMMON_H
 #define FAIR_LOGGER_TEST_COMMON_H
 
diff --git a/test/logger.cxx b/test/logger.cxx
index f2ede5c..475c4d5 100644
--- a/test/logger.cxx
+++ b/test/logger.cxx
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ void printAllVerbositiesWithSeverity(Severity sev)
     Logger::SetConsoleSeverity(sev);
 
     for (uint32_t i = 0; i < Logger::fVerbosityNames.size(); ++i) {
-        cout << "##### testing severity '" << Logger::fSeverityNames.at(static_cast<int>(sev)) << "' with verbosity '" << Logger::fVerbosityNames.at(i) << "'" << endl;
+        cout << "##### testing severity '" << sev << "' with verbosity '" << Logger::fVerbosityNames.at(i) << "'" << endl;
         Logger::SetVerbosity(static_cast<Verbosity>(i));
         printEverySeverity();
     }
diff --git a/test/severity.cxx b/test/severity.cxx
index ae03545..03bb85c 100644
--- a/test/severity.cxx
+++ b/test/severity.cxx
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
  ********************************************************************************/
 
 #include "Common.h"
-
 #include <Logger.h>
 
 #include <cstdint>
@@ -48,21 +47,21 @@ void CheckSeverity(Severity severity)
         if (sev == Severity::nolog) {
             if (i == 11) {
                 if (!Logger::Logging(static_cast<Severity>(i))) {
-                    throw runtime_error(ToStr("expecting to be logging ", Logger::fSeverityNames.at(i), " during ", Logger::fSeverityNames.at(static_cast<int>(sev)), ", but it is not."));
+                    throw runtime_error(ToStr("expecting to be logging ", Logger::fSeverityNames.at(i), " during ", sev, ", but it is not."));
                 }
             } else {
                 if (Logger::Logging(static_cast<Severity>(i))) {
-                    throw runtime_error(ToStr("expecting to NOT be logging ", Logger::fSeverityNames.at(i), " during ", Logger::fSeverityNames.at(static_cast<int>(sev)), ", but it is."));
+                    throw runtime_error(ToStr("expecting to NOT be logging ", Logger::fSeverityNames.at(i), " during ", sev, ", but it is."));
                 }
             }
         } else {
             if (i >= static_cast<unsigned int>(sev)) {
                 if (!Logger::Logging(static_cast<Severity>(i))) {
-                    throw runtime_error(ToStr("expecting to be logging ", Logger::fSeverityNames.at(i), " during ", Logger::fSeverityNames.at(static_cast<int>(sev)), ", but it is not."));
+                    throw runtime_error(ToStr("expecting to be logging ", Logger::fSeverityNames.at(i), " during ", sev, ", but it is not."));
                 }
             } else {
                 if (Logger::Logging(static_cast<Severity>(i))) {
-                    throw runtime_error(ToStr("expecting to NOT be logging ", Logger::fSeverityNames.at(i), " during ", Logger::fSeverityNames.at(static_cast<int>(sev)), ", but it is."));
+                    throw runtime_error(ToStr("expecting to NOT be logging ", Logger::fSeverityNames.at(i), " during ", sev, ", but it is."));
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -83,9 +82,9 @@ void CheckSeverity(Severity severity)
 
 int main()
 {
-    Logger::SetConsoleColor(true);
-
     try {
+        Logger::SetConsoleColor(true);
+
         cout << "##### testing " << Logger::fSeverityNames.size() << " severities..." << endl;
         for (uint32_t i = 0; i < Logger::fSeverityNames.size(); ++i) {
             CheckSeverity(static_cast<Severity>(i));
diff --git a/test/sinks.cxx b/test/sinks.cxx
index 2c76a5c..2a83e3d 100644
--- a/test/sinks.cxx
+++ b/test/sinks.cxx
@@ -20,18 +20,18 @@ using namespace fair::logger::test;
 
 int main()
 {
-    Logger::SetConsoleColor(false);
-    Logger::SetVerbosity(Verbosity::low);
-
-    Logger::SetConsoleSeverity(Severity::nolog);
+#ifdef FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY
+    if (static_cast<int>(Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY) > static_cast<int>(Severity::warn)) {
+        cout << "test requires at least FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY == warn to run, skipping" << endl;
+        return 0;
+    }
+#endif
 
     try {
-#ifdef FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY
-        if (static_cast<int>(Severity::FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY) > static_cast<int>(Severity::warn)) {
-            cout << "test requires at least FAIR_MIN_SEVERITY == warn to run, skipping" << endl;
-            return 0;
-        }
-#endif
+        Logger::SetConsoleColor(false);
+        Logger::SetConsoleSeverity(Severity::nolog);
+        Logger::SetVerbosity(Verbosity::low);
+
         if (Logger::Logging(Severity::warn)) { cout << "Logger expected to NOT log warn, but it reports to do so" << endl; return 1; }
         if (Logger::Logging(Severity::error)) { cout << "Logger expected to NOT log error, but it reports to do so" << endl; return 1; }
         if (!Logger::Logging(Severity::fatal)) { cout << "Logger expected to log fatal, but it reports not to" << endl; return 1; }
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ int main()
         string name = Logger::InitFileSink(Severity::warn, string("test_log_" + to_string(distrib(gen))), true);
 
         if (Logger::GetFileSeverity() != Severity::warn) {
-            throw runtime_error(ToStr("File sink severity (", Logger::fSeverityNames.at(static_cast<int>(Logger::GetFileSeverity())), ") does not match the expected one (", Logger::fSeverityNames.at(static_cast<int>(Severity::warn)), ")"));
+            throw runtime_error(ToStr("File sink severity (", Logger::GetFileSeverity(), ") does not match the expected one (", Severity::warn, ")"));
         }
 
         CheckOutput("^\\[FATAL] fatal\n$", [](){
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ int main()
             cout << "CustomSink " << content << endl;
 
             if (metadata.severity != Severity::warn && metadata.severity != Severity::error && metadata.severity != Severity::fatal) {
-                throw runtime_error(ToStr("unexpected severity message arrived at custom sink that accepts only warn,error,fatal: ", Logger::fSeverityNames.at(static_cast<int>(metadata.severity))));
+                throw runtime_error(ToStr("unexpected severity message arrived at custom sink that accepts only warn,error,fatal: ", metadata.severity));
             }
 
             if (metadata.severity_name != "WARN" && metadata.severity_name != "ERROR" && metadata.severity_name != "FATAL") {
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ int main()
         });
 
         if (Logger::GetCustomSeverity("CustomSink") != Severity::warn) {
-            throw runtime_error(ToStr("File sink severity (", Logger::fSeverityNames.at(static_cast<int>(Logger::GetCustomSeverity("CustomSink"))), ") does not match the expected one (", Logger::fSeverityNames.at(static_cast<int>(Severity::warn)), ")"));
+            throw runtime_error(ToStr("File sink severity (", Logger::GetCustomSeverity("CustomSink"), ") does not match the expected one (", Severity::warn, ")"));
         }
 
         bool oorThrown = false;
diff --git a/test/verbosity.cxx b/test/verbosity.cxx
index adc462d..ebdb8bc 100644
--- a/test/verbosity.cxx
+++ b/test/verbosity.cxx
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
  ********************************************************************************/
 
 #include "Common.h"
-
 #include <Logger.h>
 
 #include <iostream>
@@ -19,10 +18,10 @@ using namespace fair::logger::test;
 
 int main()
 {
-    Logger::SetConsoleColor(false);
-    Logger::SetConsoleSeverity(Severity::fatal);
-
     try {
+        Logger::SetConsoleColor(false);
+        Logger::SetConsoleSeverity(Severity::fatal);
+
         auto spec1 = VerbositySpec::Make(VerbositySpec::Info::file_line_function, VerbositySpec::Info::process_name);
         auto spec2 = VerbositySpec::Make(VerbositySpec::Info::process_name, VerbositySpec::Info::file_line_function);