diff --git a/errors.go b/errors.go
index 7c26004..b52ee74 100644
--- a/errors.go
+++ b/errors.go
@@ -68,12 +68,7 @@ func Wrap(err error, op, msg string) error {
 	if err == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	// Preserve Code from wrapped *Err
-	var logErr *Err
-	if As(err, &logErr) && logErr.Code != "" {
-		return &Err{Op: op, Msg: msg, Err: err, Code: logErr.Code}
-	}
-	return &Err{Op: op, Msg: msg, Err: err}
+	return &Err{Op: op, Msg: msg, Err: err, Code: ErrCode(err)}
 }
 
 // WrapCode wraps an error with operation context and error code.
@@ -84,6 +79,9 @@ func Wrap(err error, op, msg string) error {
 //
 //	return log.WrapCode(err, "VALIDATION_ERROR", "user.Validate", "invalid email")
 func WrapCode(err error, code, op, msg string) error {
+	if code == "" {
+		code = ErrCode(err)
+	}
 	if err == nil && code == "" {
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/errors_test.go b/errors_test.go
index 574865e..73a6202 100644
--- a/errors_test.go
+++ b/errors_test.go
@@ -95,6 +95,14 @@ func TestWrap_PreservesCode_Good(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, outer.Error(), "[VALIDATION_ERROR]")
 }
 
+func TestWrap_PreservesCode_FromNestedChain_Good(t *testing.T) {
+	root := WrapCode(errors.New("base"), "CHAIN_ERROR", "inner", "inner failed")
+	wrapped := Wrap(fmt.Errorf("mid layer: %w", root), "outer", "outer context")
+
+	assert.Equal(t, "CHAIN_ERROR", ErrCode(wrapped))
+	assert.Contains(t, wrapped.Error(), "[CHAIN_ERROR]")
+}
+
 func TestWrap_NilError_Good(t *testing.T) {
 	err := Wrap(nil, "op", "msg")
 	assert.Nil(t, err)
diff --git a/log.go b/log.go
index 06a0c30..20546f0 100644
--- a/log.go
+++ b/log.go
@@ -39,6 +39,13 @@ const (
 	defaultRotationMaxBackups = 5
 )
 
+func normaliseLevel(level Level) Level {
+	if level < LevelQuiet || level > LevelDebug {
+		return LevelInfo
+	}
+	return level
+}
+
 // String returns the level name.
 func (l Level) String() string {
 	switch l {
@@ -116,10 +123,7 @@ var RotationWriterFactory func(RotationOptions) goio.WriteCloser
 
 // New creates a new Logger with the given options.
 func New(opts Options) *Logger {
-	level := opts.Level
-	if level < LevelQuiet || level > LevelDebug {
-		level = LevelInfo
-	}
+	level := normaliseLevel(opts.Level)
 
 	output := opts.Output
 	if opts.Rotation != nil && opts.Rotation.Filename != "" && RotationWriterFactory != nil {
@@ -167,7 +171,7 @@ func safeStyle(style func(string) string) func(string) string {
 // SetLevel changes the log level.
 func (l *Logger) SetLevel(level Level) {
 	l.mu.Lock()
-	l.level = level
+	l.level = normaliseLevel(level)
 	l.mu.Unlock()
 }
 
@@ -274,7 +278,7 @@ func (l *Logger) log(level Level, prefix, msg string, keyvals ...any) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(output, "%s %s %s%s\n", timestamp, prefix, msg, kvStr)
+	_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(output, "%s %s %s%s\n", timestamp, prefix, normaliseLogText(msg), kvStr)
 }
 
 // Debug logs a debug message with optional key-value pairs.
@@ -339,7 +343,20 @@ func Username() string {
 	if u := os.Getenv("USER"); u != "" {
 		return u
 	}
-	return os.Getenv("USERNAME")
+	if u := os.Getenv("USERNAME"); u != "" {
+		return u
+	}
+	return "unknown"
+}
+
+var logTextCleaner = strings.NewReplacer(
+	"\r", "\\r",
+	"\n", "\\n",
+	"\t", "\\t",
+)
+
+func normaliseLogText(text string) string {
+	return logTextCleaner.Replace(text)
 }
 
 // --- Default logger ---
diff --git a/log_test.go b/log_test.go
index eec88f4..780b197 100644
--- a/log_test.go
+++ b/log_test.go
@@ -137,6 +137,23 @@ func TestLogger_InjectionPrevention(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestLogger_MessageSanitization_Good(t *testing.T) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	l := New(Options{Level: LevelInfo, Output: &buf})
+
+	l.Info("message\nwith\tcontrol\rchars")
+	output := buf.String()
+
+	if !strings.Contains(output, "message\\nwith\\tcontrol\\rchars") {
+		t.Errorf("expected control characters to be escaped, got %q", output)
+	}
+
+	lines := strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(output), "\n")
+	if len(lines) != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 1 line, got %d", len(lines))
+	}
+}
+
 func TestLogger_SetLevel(t *testing.T) {
 	l := New(Options{Level: LevelInfo})
 
@@ -148,6 +165,11 @@ func TestLogger_SetLevel(t *testing.T) {
 	if l.Level() != LevelDebug {
 		t.Error("expected level to be Debug after SetLevel")
 	}
+
+	l.SetLevel(99)
+	if l.Level() != LevelInfo {
+		t.Errorf("expected invalid level to default back to info, got %v", l.Level())
+	}
 }
 
 func TestLevel_String(t *testing.T) {