diff --git a/src/jabber.c b/src/jabber.c
index 1b10ad8c..42dd959b 100644
--- a/src/jabber.c
+++ b/src/jabber.c
@@ -44,19 +44,52 @@ static struct _jabber_conn_t {
     int tls_disabled;
 } jabber_conn;
 
+static log_level_t get_log_level(xmpp_log_level_t xmpp_level)
+{
+    if (xmpp_level == XMPP_LEVEL_DEBUG) {
+        return PROF_LEVEL_DEBUG;
+    } else if (xmpp_level == XMPP_LEVEL_INFO) {
+        return PROF_LEVEL_INFO;
+    } else if (xmpp_level == XMPP_LEVEL_WARN) {
+        return PROF_LEVEL_WARN;
+    } else {
+        return PROF_LEVEL_ERROR;
+    }
+}
+
+static xmpp_log_level_t get_xmpp_log_level()
+{
+    log_level_t prof_level = log_get_level();
+
+    if (prof_level == PROF_LEVEL_DEBUG) {
+        return XMPP_LEVEL_DEBUG;
+    } else if (prof_level == PROF_LEVEL_INFO) {
+        return XMPP_LEVEL_INFO;
+    } else if (prof_level == PROF_LEVEL_WARN) {
+        return XMPP_LEVEL_WARN;
+    } else {
+        return XMPP_LEVEL_ERROR;
+    }
+}
+
 void
 xmpp_file_logger(void * const userdata, const xmpp_log_level_t level,
     const char * const area, const char * const msg)
 {
-    log_msg(area, msg);
+    log_level_t prof_level = get_log_level(level);
+    log_msg(prof_level, area, msg);
 }
 
-static const xmpp_log_t file_log = { &xmpp_file_logger, XMPP_LEVEL_DEBUG };
-
 xmpp_log_t *
 xmpp_get_file_logger()
 {
-    return (xmpp_log_t*) &file_log;
+    xmpp_log_level_t level = get_xmpp_log_level();
+    xmpp_log_t *file_log = malloc(sizeof(xmpp_log_t));
+
+    file_log->handler = xmpp_file_logger;
+    file_log->userdata = &level;
+
+    return file_log;
 }
 
 // private XMPP handlers
@@ -338,7 +371,7 @@ _jabber_conn_handler(xmpp_conn_t * const conn,
             cons_bad_show("Login failed.");
         }
         win_page_off();
-        log_msg(CONN, "disconnected");
+        log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, CONN, "disconnected");
         xmpp_stop(ctx);
         jabber_conn.conn_status = JABBER_DISCONNECTED;
         jabber_conn.presence = PRESENCE_OFFLINE;
@@ -355,7 +388,7 @@ _roster_handler(xmpp_conn_t * const conn,
     type = xmpp_stanza_get_type(stanza);
     
     if (strcmp(type, "error") == 0)
-        log_msg(CONN, "ERROR: query failed");
+        log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_ERROR, CONN, "ERROR: query failed");
     else {
         query = xmpp_stanza_get_child_by_name(stanza, "query");
         cons_show("Roster:");
diff --git a/src/log.c b/src/log.c
index 2952fcaa..cbaf7eb7 100644
--- a/src/log.c
+++ b/src/log.c
@@ -32,19 +32,23 @@ static FILE *logp;
 
 static GTimeZone *tz;
 static GDateTime *dt;
+static log_level_t prof_log_level;
 
 void
-log_msg(const char * const area, const char * const msg)
+log_msg(log_level_t level, const char * const area, const char * const msg)
 {
-    dt = g_date_time_new_now(tz);                                      
-    gchar *date_fmt = g_date_time_format(dt, "%d/%m/%Y %H:%M:%S");               
-    fprintf(logp, "%s: %s DEBUG: %s\n", date_fmt, area, msg);
-    g_date_time_unref(dt);
+    if (level >= prof_log_level) {
+        dt = g_date_time_new_now(tz);                                      
+        gchar *date_fmt = g_date_time_format(dt, "%d/%m/%Y %H:%M:%S");               
+        fprintf(logp, "%s: %s: %s\n", date_fmt, area, msg);
+        g_date_time_unref(dt);
+    }
 }
 
 void
-log_init(void)
+log_init(log_level_t log_level)
 {
+    prof_log_level = log_level;
     tz = g_time_zone_new_local();
     GString *log_file = g_string_new(getenv("HOME"));
     g_string_append(log_file, "/.profanity/log");
@@ -52,7 +56,13 @@ log_init(void)
     g_string_append(log_file, "/profanity.log");
     logp = fopen(log_file->str, "a");
     g_string_free(log_file, TRUE);
-    log_msg(PROF, "Starting Profanity...");
+    log_msg(PROF_LEVEL_INFO, PROF, "Starting Profanity...");
+}
+
+log_level_t
+log_get_level(void)
+{
+    return prof_log_level;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/log.h b/src/log.h
index 6cf175df..00dbc45c 100644
--- a/src/log.h
+++ b/src/log.h
@@ -29,8 +29,17 @@
 #define PROF "prof"
 #define CONN "conn"
 
-void log_init(void);
-void log_msg(const char * const area, const char * const msg);
+// log levels
+typedef enum {
+    PROF_LEVEL_DEBUG,
+    PROF_LEVEL_INFO,
+    PROF_LEVEL_WARN,
+    PROF_LEVEL_ERROR
+} log_level_t;
+
+void log_init(log_level_t log_level);
+void log_msg(log_level_t level, const char * const area, const char * const msg);
+log_level_t log_get_level(void);
 void log_close(void);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/profanity.c b/src/profanity.c
index 6f13ba4f..3292951b 100644
--- a/src/profanity.c
+++ b/src/profanity.c
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ void
 profanity_init(const int disable_tls)
 {
     create_config_directory();
-    log_init();
+    log_init(PROF_LEVEL_DEBUG);
     chat_log_init();
     prefs_load();
     gui_init();