diff --git a/smartassist/src/startservices.py b/smartassist/src/startservices.py
index 37b6719..8bf5d68 100644
--- a/smartassist/src/startservices.py
+++ b/smartassist/src/startservices.py
@@ -7,10 +7,11 @@ import socket
 import urllib.parse
 import logging
 import utils
-from utils import set_local_logger
+from utils import configure_logging
 from backend import run_flask
 
-logger = logging.getLogger(__name__) # Logger for this module
+configure_logging()  # Configure root logger. The level will be adjusted later based on config file
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__) # Logger for this module, inherit properties of the root logger
 
 def configure():
     """
@@ -45,13 +46,32 @@ def configure():
     # Extract global logging level
     ####################################
     if isinstance(updated_config.get('logging'), dict): # Look for 'logging' key in config file
+        # logging.info("found key 'logging' in config file")
         logging_config = updated_config['logging'] 
         if isinstance(logging_config.get('level'), str): # Set to value of the yaml file if specified
+            # logging.info("found key 'level' in config file")
             utils.log_level = logging_config['level'] 
-            logger.info("Logging level set to: {}".format(utils.log_level))
-     
-    set_local_logger(logger) # Set log level for logger based on log_level
-    logger.debug("Logging level of startservices' logger has been configured")
+            numeric_log_level = getattr(logging, utils.log_level, None)
+
+    rlogger = logging.getLogger() # Get the root logger
+    rlogger.setLevel(numeric_log_level) 
+    # set_local_logger(logger) # Set log level for logger based on log_level
+    logger.info("Global variable utils.log_level set to: {}".format(utils.log_level))
+
+    ####################################
+    # Extract and export API endpoint as 
+    # envrionment variable
+    ####################################
+    backend_api_ep = 'http://localhost:5005/api/chat'  # Default API endpoint
+    if isinstance(updated_config.get('backend'), dict): # Look for 'backend' key in config file
+        if isinstance(updated_config['backend'].get('url'), str): # Look for 'url' key in config file
+            url = updated_config['backend'].get('url')
+            if isinstance(updated_config['backend'].get('api'), str): # Look for 'api' key in config file
+                api = updated_config['backend'].get('api')
+                backend_api_ep = url+api # Extract API endpoint if defined
+    logger.debug("BE_API_ENDPOINT is set to '{}'".format(backend_api_ep))
+    os.environ['BE_API_ENDPOINT'] = backend_api_ep 
+
     return updated_config