diff --git a/zebrad/src/application.rs b/zebrad/src/application.rs
index 2a2c0936..de46dc73 100644
--- a/zebrad/src/application.rs
+++ b/zebrad/src/application.rs
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ impl Application for ZebradApp {
         &mut self.state
     }
 
+    /// Returns the framework components used by this application.
     fn framework_components(
         &mut self,
         command: &Self::Cmd,
@@ -135,10 +136,29 @@ impl Application for ZebradApp {
 
 impl ZebradApp {
     fn level(&self, command: &EntryPoint<ZebradCmd>) -> String {
-        if let Ok(level) = std::env::var("ZEBRAD_LOG") {
-            level
-        } else if command.verbose {
+        // `None` outputs zebrad usage information to stdout
+        let command_uses_stdout = match &command.command {
+            None => true,
+            Some(c) => c.uses_stdout(),
+        };
+
+        // Allow users to:
+        //  - override all other configs and defaults using the command line
+        //  - see command outputs without spurious log messages, by default
+        //  - override the config file using an environmental variable
+        if command.verbose {
             "debug".to_string()
+        } else if command_uses_stdout {
+            // Tracing sends output to stdout, so we disable info-level logs for
+            // some commands.
+            //
+            // TODO: send tracing output to stderr. This change requires an abscissa
+            //       update, because `abscissa_core::component::Tracing` uses
+            //       `tracing_subscriber::fmt::Formatter`, which has `Stdout` as a
+            //       type parameter. We need `MakeWriter` or a similar type.
+            "warn".to_string()
+        } else if let Ok(level) = std::env::var("ZEBRAD_LOG") {
+            level
         } else if let Some(ZebradConfig {
             tracing:
                 crate::config::TracingSection {
diff --git a/zebrad/src/commands.rs b/zebrad/src/commands.rs
index 6310478e..dbe4e0a8 100644
--- a/zebrad/src/commands.rs
+++ b/zebrad/src/commands.rs
@@ -52,6 +52,24 @@ pub enum ZebradCmd {
     Version(VersionCmd),
 }
 
+impl ZebradCmd {
+    /// Returns true if this command sends output to stdout.
+    ///
+    /// For example, `Generate` sends a default config file to stdout.
+    ///
+    /// Usage note: `abscissa_core::EntryPoint` stores an `Option<ZerbradCmd>`.
+    /// If the command is `None`, then abscissa writes zebrad usage information
+    /// to stdout.
+    pub(crate) fn uses_stdout(&self) -> bool {
+        use ZebradCmd::*;
+        match self {
+            // List all the commands, so new commands have to make a choice here
+            Generate(_) | Help(_) | Revhex(_) | Version(_) => true,
+            Connect(_) | Seed(_) | Start(_) => false,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// This trait allows you to define how application configuration is loaded.
 impl Configurable<ZebradConfig> for ZebradCmd {
     /// Location of the configuration file
diff --git a/zebrad/src/commands/revhex.rs b/zebrad/src/commands/revhex.rs
index 1e925865..419e0829 100644
--- a/zebrad/src/commands/revhex.rs
+++ b/zebrad/src/commands/revhex.rs
@@ -3,31 +3,44 @@
 #![allow(clippy::never_loop)]
 
 use abscissa_core::{Command, Options, Runnable};
+use std::io::stdin;
 
 /// `revhex` subcommand
 #[derive(Command, Debug, Default, Options)]
 pub struct RevhexCmd {
     /// The hex string whose endianness will be reversed.
+    ///
+    /// When input is "-" or empty, reads lines from standard input, and
+    /// reverses each line.
     #[options(free)]
     input: String,
 }
 
+/// Returns the hexadecimal-encoded string `s` in byte-reversed order.
+fn byte_reverse_hex(s: &str) -> String {
+    String::from_utf8(
+        s.as_bytes()
+            .chunks(2)
+            .rev()
+            .map(|c| c.iter())
+            .flatten()
+            .cloned()
+            .collect::<Vec<u8>>(),
+    )
+    .expect("input should be ascii")
+}
+
 impl Runnable for RevhexCmd {
     /// Print endian-reversed hex string.
     fn run(&self) {
-        println!(
-            "{}",
-            String::from_utf8(
-                self.input
-                    .as_bytes()
-                    .chunks(2)
-                    .rev()
-                    .map(|c| c.iter())
-                    .flatten()
-                    .cloned()
-                    .collect::<Vec<u8>>(),
-            )
-            .expect("input should be ascii")
-        );
+        if self.input.is_empty() || self.input == "-" {
+            // "-" is a typical command-line argument for "read standard input"
+            let mut input = String::new();
+            while stdin().read_line(&mut input).is_ok() {
+                println!("{}", byte_reverse_hex(&input.trim()));
+            }
+        } else {
+            println!("{}", byte_reverse_hex(&self.input));
+        }
     }
 }