diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6c54e98..3d4b369 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -13,14 +13,14 @@ Single-header structured logger in C99
 
 	SLOG_INFO(&logger, "hello from minimal.c");
 	// The default text logger's output file is stdout:
-	// time=2025-09-29T17:46:49.409721457-06:00 level=INFO msg=hello from minimal.c
+	// time=2025-09-30T16:54:25.254250393-06:00 level=INFO msg=hello from minimal.c
 
 	struct SlogAttr attrs[] = {
 		SlogAttrB("ok", true),
 	};
 
 	SLOG_INFO_ATTRS(&logger, "hello", attrs);
-	// time=2025-09-29T17:46:49.409721457-06:00 level=INFO msg=hello ok=true
+	// time=2025-09-30T16:54:25.254327934-06:00 level=INFO msg=hello ok=true
   ...
 ```
 
@@ -64,12 +64,17 @@ int main(void)
 
 	SLOG_INFO_ATTRS(&l1, "hello", attrs);
 	// stdout:
-	// time=2025-09-30T09:38:32.607139416-06:00 level=INFO msg=hello source=tests/slog.c:36 func=main ok=true
+	// time=2025-09-30T16:54:25.251770492-06:00 level=INFO source=tests/slog.c:36 func=main msg=hello ok=true
 
 	SLOG_ERROR(&l2, "hello");
 	// stderr:
-	// time=2025-09-30T09:38:32.607139416-06:00 level=INFO msg=hello
+	// time=2025-09-30T16:54:25.251826602-06:00 level=ERROR msg=hello
+
+	l1.Handler(&l1, SlogLevelWarn + 1, "my message", NULL, 0, NULL);
+	// stdout:
+	// time=2025-09-30T16:54:25.251831572-06:00 level=WARN+1 msg=my message
 
 	return 0;
 }
+
 ```
diff --git a/slog/slog.h b/slog/slog.h
index 7dd661b..d789fe8 100644
--- a/slog/slog.h
+++ b/slog/slog.h
@@ -351,8 +351,8 @@ static inline void SlogTextHandler(struct SlogLogger *self, SlogLevel level,
 	char line[2048];
 	size_t i = 0;
 
-	buf_appendf(line, sizeof line, &i, "%s=%s %s=%s %s=%s", SlogTimeKey,
-		    tbuf, SlogLevelKey, nbuf, SlogMessageKey, msg ? msg : "");
+	buf_appendf(line, sizeof line, &i, "%s=%s %s=%s", SlogTimeKey, tbuf,
+		    SlogLevelKey, nbuf);
 
 	if (add_source && src && src->File) {
 		buf_appendf(line, sizeof line, &i, " ");
@@ -371,6 +371,10 @@ static inline void SlogTextHandler(struct SlogLogger *self, SlogLevel level,
 		}
 	}
 
+	// message always last
+	buf_appendf(line, sizeof line, &i, " %s=%s", SlogMessageKey,
+		    msg ? msg : "");
+
 	for (int a = 0; a < attrCount; ++a) {
 		const SlogAttr *at = &attrs[a];
 		const char *k = at->key ? at->key : "attr";
diff --git a/tests/minimal.c b/tests/minimal.c
index 1359aa0..834500d 100644
--- a/tests/minimal.c
+++ b/tests/minimal.c
@@ -10,14 +10,14 @@ int main(void)
 
 	SLOG_INFO(&logger, "hello from minimal.c");
 	// The default text logger's output file is stdout:
-	// time=2025-09-29T17:46:49.409721457-06:00 level=INFO msg=hello from minimal.c
+	// time=2025-09-30T16:54:25.254250393-06:00 level=INFO msg=hello from minimal.c
 
 	struct SlogAttr attrs[] = {
 		SlogAttrB("ok", true),
 	};
 
 	SLOG_INFO_ATTRS(&logger, "hello", attrs);
-	// time=2025-09-29T17:46:49.409721457-06:00 level=INFO msg=hello ok=true
+	// time=2025-09-30T16:54:25.254327934-06:00 level=INFO msg=hello ok=true
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/tests/slog.c b/tests/slog.c
index 368fb17..d641e77 100644
--- a/tests/slog.c
+++ b/tests/slog.c
@@ -35,11 +35,15 @@ int main(void)
 
 	SLOG_INFO_ATTRS(&l1, "hello", attrs);
 	// stdout:
-	// time=2025-09-30T09:38:32.607139416-06:00 level=INFO msg=hello source=tests/slog.c:36 func=main ok=true
+	// time=2025-09-30T16:54:25.251770492-06:00 level=INFO source=tests/slog.c:36 func=main msg=hello ok=true
 
 	SLOG_ERROR(&l2, "hello");
 	// stderr:
-	// time=2025-09-30T09:38:32.607139416-06:00 level=INFO msg=hello
+	// time=2025-09-30T16:54:25.251826602-06:00 level=ERROR msg=hello
+
+	l1.Handler(&l1, SlogLevelWarn + 1, "my message", NULL, 0, NULL);
+	// stdout:
+	// time=2025-09-30T16:54:25.251831572-06:00 level=WARN+1 msg=my message
 
 	return 0;
 }