diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 7599ae1..9c2b1ef 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -250,12 +250,17 @@ func ReadConfiguration(path string) (*Configuration, error) {
 }
 
 var _config *Configuration
+var _debugViaFlag bool
 
 // Set the global configuration instance.
 func Set(c *Configuration) {
 	_config = c
 }
 
+func SetDebugViaFlag(d bool) {
+	_debugViaFlag = d
+}
+
 // Get the global configuration instance.
 func Get() *Configuration {
 	return _config
@@ -383,7 +388,14 @@ func (c *Configuration) WriteToDisk() error {
 	}
 	defer f.Close()
 
-	b, err := yaml.Marshal(&c)
+	ccopy := *c
+	// If debugging is set with the flag, don't save that to the configuration file, otherwise
+	// you'll always end up in debug mode.
+	if _debugViaFlag {
+		ccopy.Debug = false
+	}
+
+	b, err := yaml.Marshal(&ccopy)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/wings.go b/wings.go
index 44b8357..706f512 100644
--- a/wings.go
+++ b/wings.go
@@ -15,11 +15,14 @@ import (
 	"os"
 )
 
+var configPath = "config.yml"
+var debug = false
+
 // Entrypoint for the Wings application. Configures the logger and checks any
 // flags that were passed through in the boot arguments.
 func main() {
-	var configPath = *flag.String("config", "config.yml", "set the location for the configuration file")
-	var debug = *flag.Bool("debug", false, "pass in order to run wings in debug mode")
+	flag.StringVar(&configPath, "config", "config.yml", "set the location for the configuration file")
+	flag.BoolVar(&debug, "debug", false, "pass in order to run wings in debug mode")
 
 	flag.Parse()
 
@@ -49,6 +52,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	config.Set(c)
+	config.SetDebugViaFlag(debug)
 
 	zap.S().Infof("checking for pterodactyl system user \"%s\"", c.System.User)
 	if su, err := c.EnsurePterodactylUser(); err != nil {