diff --git a/cmd/appstate.go b/cmd/appstate.go
index ff415e5..158d02a 100644
--- a/cmd/appstate.go
+++ b/cmd/appstate.go
@@ -14,12 +14,15 @@ type AppState struct {
 
 	ConfigPath string
 
+	// Depreciated in favor of LogLevel
 	Debug bool
 
+	LogLevel string
+
 	Logger log.Logger
 }
 
-func NewappState() *AppState {
+func NewAppState() *AppState {
 	return &AppState{}
 }
 
@@ -34,10 +37,22 @@ func (a *AppState) InitAppState() {
 }
 
 func (a *AppState) InitLogger() {
+	// info level is default
+	level := zerolog.InfoLevel
+	switch a.LogLevel {
+	case "debug":
+		level = zerolog.DebugLevel
+	case "warn":
+		level = zerolog.WarnLevel
+	case "error":
+		level = zerolog.ErrorLevel
+	}
+
+	// a.Debug is Depreciatred!
 	if a.Debug {
-		a.Logger = log.NewLogger(os.Stdout)
+		a.Logger = log.NewLogger(os.Stdout, log.LevelOption(zerolog.DebugLevel))
 	} else {
-		a.Logger = log.NewLogger(os.Stdout, log.LevelOption(zerolog.InfoLevel))
+		a.Logger = log.NewLogger(os.Stdout, log.LevelOption(level))
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/config.go b/cmd/config.go
index 27df7b0..3f878ee 100644
--- a/cmd/config.go
+++ b/cmd/config.go
@@ -19,9 +19,8 @@ func configShowCmd(a *AppState) *cobra.Command {
 		Use:     "show-config",
 		Aliases: []string{"sc"},
 		Short:   "Prints current configuration. By default it prints in yaml",
-		PersistentPreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
+		PersistentPreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) {
 			a.InitAppState()
-			return nil
 		},
 		Example: strings.TrimSpace(fmt.Sprintf(`
 $ %s show-config --config %s
diff --git a/cmd/flags.go b/cmd/flags.go
index 10b88a8..866e45e 100644
--- a/cmd/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/flags.go
@@ -6,13 +6,17 @@ import (
 
 const (
 	flagConfigPath = "config"
-	flagVerbose    = "verbose"
-	flagJSON       = "json"
+	// depreciated
+	flagVerbose  = "verbose"
+	flagLogLevel = "log-level"
+	flagJSON     = "json"
 )
 
 func addAppPersistantFlags(cmd *cobra.Command, a *AppState) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&a.ConfigPath, flagConfigPath, defaultConfigPath, "file path of config file")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&a.Debug, flagVerbose, "v", false, "use this flag to set log level to `debug`")
+	cmd.PersistentFlags().MarkDeprecated(flagVerbose, "depericated")
+	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&a.LogLevel, flagLogLevel, "info", "log level (debug, info, warn, error)")
 	return cmd
 
 }
diff --git a/cmd/process.go b/cmd/process.go
index 8a92a68..045177a 100644
--- a/cmd/process.go
+++ b/cmd/process.go
@@ -32,9 +32,8 @@ func Start(a *AppState) *cobra.Command {
 		Use:   "start",
 		Short: "Start relaying CCTP transactions",
 
-		PersistentPreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
+		PersistentPreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) {
 			a.InitAppState()
-			return nil
 		},
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 
@@ -97,16 +96,14 @@ func StartProcessor(
 		dequeuedTx := <-processingQueue
 
 		// if this is the first time seeing this message, add it to the State
-		State.Mu.Lock()
-		tx, ok := State.Load(LookupKey(dequeuedTx.TxHash))
+		tx, ok := State.Load(dequeuedTx.TxHash)
 		if !ok {
-			State.Store(LookupKey(dequeuedTx.TxHash), dequeuedTx)
-			tx, _ = State.Load(LookupKey(dequeuedTx.TxHash))
+			State.Store(dequeuedTx.TxHash, dequeuedTx)
+			tx, _ = State.Load(dequeuedTx.TxHash)
 			for _, msg := range tx.Msgs {
 				msg.Status = types.Created
 			}
 		}
-		State.Mu.Unlock()
 
 		var broadcastMsgs = make(map[types.Domain][]*types.MessageState)
 		var requeue bool
@@ -269,11 +266,6 @@ func filterLowTransfers(cfg *types.Config, logger log.Logger, msg *types.Message
 	return false
 }
 
-func LookupKey(sourceTxHash string) string {
-	// return fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", sourceTxHash, messageType)
-	return sourceTxHash
-}
-
 func startApi(a *AppState) {
 	logger := a.Logger
 	cfg := a.Config
diff --git a/cmd/process_test.go b/cmd/process_test.go
index 0edaa3b..36f54c3 100644
--- a/cmd/process_test.go
+++ b/cmd/process_test.go
@@ -44,8 +44,6 @@ func TestProcessNewLog(t *testing.T) {
 
 	time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
 
-	cmd.State.Mu.Lock()
-	defer cmd.State.Mu.Unlock()
 	actualState, ok := cmd.State.Load(expectedState.TxHash)
 	require.True(t, ok)
 	require.Equal(t, types.Created, actualState.Msgs[0].Status)
@@ -79,8 +77,6 @@ func TestProcessDisabledCctpRoute(t *testing.T) {
 
 	time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
 
-	// cmd.State.Mu.Lock()
-	// defer cmd.State.Mu.Unlock()
 	actualState, ok := cmd.State.Load(expectedState.TxHash)
 	require.True(t, ok)
 	require.Equal(t, types.Filtered, actualState.Msgs[0].Status)
@@ -116,8 +112,6 @@ func TestProcessInvalidDestinationCaller(t *testing.T) {
 
 	time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
 
-	cmd.State.Mu.Lock()
-	defer cmd.State.Mu.Unlock()
 	actualState, ok := cmd.State.Load(expectedState.TxHash)
 	require.True(t, ok)
 	require.Equal(t, types.Filtered, actualState.Msgs[0].Status)
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 359e690..4fde89c 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ var defaultConfigPath = "./config"
 func NewRootCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	// Use a local app state instance scoped to the new root command,
 	// so that tests don't concurrently access the state.
-	a := NewappState()
+	a := NewAppState()
 
 	var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   appName,
diff --git a/integration/eth_burn_to_noble_mint_test.go b/integration/eth_burn_to_noble_mint_test.go
index 0ec1b18..025e59f 100644
--- a/integration/eth_burn_to_noble_mint_test.go
+++ b/integration/eth_burn_to_noble_mint_test.go
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ import (
 // This test uses the Noble wallet in the config as the destination caller to ensure that
 // to ensure that this instance of the relayer picks up the transaction
 func TestEthBurnToNobleMint(t *testing.T) {
-	a := cmd.NewappState()
-	a.Debug = true
+	a := cmd.NewAppState()
+	a.LogLevel = "debug"
 	a.InitLogger()
 
 	ctx := context.Background()
diff --git a/integration/noble_burn_to_eth_mint_test.go b/integration/noble_burn_to_eth_mint_test.go
index d5d927b..d52d05a 100644
--- a/integration/noble_burn_to_eth_mint_test.go
+++ b/integration/noble_burn_to_eth_mint_test.go
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ import (
 // This test uses the Sepolia wallet in the config as the destination caller to ensure that
 // to ensure that this instance of the relayer picks up the transaction
 func TestNobleBurnToEthMint(t *testing.T) {
-	a := cmd.NewappState()
-	a.Debug = true
+	a := cmd.NewAppState()
+	a.LogLevel = "debug"
 	a.InitLogger()
 
 	ctx := context.Background()
diff --git a/test_util/setup.go b/test_util/setup.go
index d84de44..0e5d5c8 100644
--- a/test_util/setup.go
+++ b/test_util/setup.go
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ func ConfigSetup(t *testing.T) (a *cmd.AppState, registeredDomains map[types.Dom
 		},
 	}
 
-	a = cmd.NewappState()
-	a.Debug = true
+	a = cmd.NewAppState()
+	a.LogLevel = "debug"
 	a.InitLogger()
 	a.Config = &testConfig
 
diff --git a/types/chain.go b/types/chain.go
index e2ac45e..388ed58 100644
--- a/types/chain.go
+++ b/types/chain.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ type Chain interface {
 	Domain() Domain
 
 	// IsDestinationCaller returns true if the specified destination caller is the minter for the specified domain OR
-	// if destination caller is left empty
+	// if destination caller is a zero byte array(left empty in deposit for burn message)
 	IsDestinationCaller(destinationCaller []byte) bool
 
 	// InitializeBroadcaster initializes the minter account info for the chain.
diff --git a/types/state.go b/types/state.go
index ccf0413..d0f82e6 100644
--- a/types/state.go
+++ b/types/state.go
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ func NewStateMap() *StateMap {
 
 // load loads the message states tied to a specific transaction hash
 func (sm *StateMap) Load(key string) (value *TxState, ok bool) {
+	sm.Mu.Lock()
+	defer sm.Mu.Unlock()
+
 	internalResult, ok := sm.internal.Load(key)
 	if !ok {
 		return nil, ok
@@ -28,10 +31,16 @@ func (sm *StateMap) Load(key string) (value *TxState, ok bool) {
 }
 
 func (sm *StateMap) Delete(key string) {
+	sm.Mu.Lock()
+	defer sm.Mu.Unlock()
+
 	sm.internal.Delete(key)
 }
 
 // store stores the message states tied to a specific transaction hash
 func (sm *StateMap) Store(key string, value *TxState) {
+	sm.Mu.Lock()
+	defer sm.Mu.Unlock()
+
 	sm.internal.Store(key, value)
 }