diff --git a/HISTORY b/HISTORY
index 36bc8d71..970bb65a 100644
--- a/HISTORY
+++ b/HISTORY
@@ -109,3 +109,4 @@ Video Disk Recorder Revision History
 - There can now be more than one video directory (in case you have several
   disks).
 - Fixed learning key codes for PC keyboard.
+- New command line option '-l' to set the log level.
diff --git a/dvbapi.c b/dvbapi.c
index 2f726ed5..ca439da7 100644
--- a/dvbapi.c
+++ b/dvbapi.c
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * See the main source file 'vdr.c' for copyright information and
  * how to reach the author.
  *
- * $Id: dvbapi.c 1.16 2000/07/29 14:49:46 kls Exp $
+ * $Id: dvbapi.c 1.17 2000/07/29 19:00:19 kls Exp $
  */
 
 #include "dvbapi.h"
@@ -1158,10 +1158,12 @@ bool cDvbApi::Init(void)
          }
       }
   PrimaryDvbApi = dvbApi[0];
-  if (NumDvbApis > 0)
+  if (NumDvbApis > 0) {
      isyslog(LOG_INFO, "found %d video device%s", NumDvbApis, NumDvbApis > 1 ? "s" : "");
-  else
+     } // need braces because of isyslog-macro
+  else {
      esyslog(LOG_ERR, "ERROR: no video device found, giving up!");
+     }
   return NumDvbApis > 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools.c b/tools.c
index 83cb51ef..0dca69ee 100644
--- a/tools.c
+++ b/tools.c
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * See the main source file 'vdr.c' for copyright information and
  * how to reach the author.
  *
- * $Id: tools.c 1.12 2000/07/29 14:02:41 kls Exp $
+ * $Id: tools.c 1.13 2000/07/29 18:41:45 kls Exp $
  */
 
 #define _GNU_SOURCE
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ bool RemoveFileOrDir(const char *FileName, bool FollowSymlinks)
                              LOG_ERROR_STR(l);
                           }
                        else
-                          esyslog(LOG_ERR, "symlink name length (%d) exceeded anticipated buffer size (%d)", n, size);
+                          esyslog(LOG_ERR, "ERROR: symlink name length (%d) exceeded anticipated buffer size (%d)", n, size);
                        delete l;
                        }
                     dsyslog(LOG_INFO, "removing %s", buffer);
diff --git a/vdr.c b/vdr.c
index 0d418dc8..69eceedb 100644
--- a/vdr.c
+++ b/vdr.c
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
  *
  * The project's page is at http://www.cadsoft.de/people/kls/vdr
  *
- * $Id: vdr.c 1.26 2000/07/29 18:19:12 kls Exp $
+ * $Id: vdr.c 1.27 2000/07/29 19:01:57 kls Exp $
  */
 
 #include <getopt.h>
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   static struct option long_options[] = {
       { "daemon", no_argument,       NULL, 'd' },
       { "help",   no_argument,       NULL, 'h' },
+      { "log",    required_argument, NULL, 'l' },
       { "port",   required_argument, NULL, 'p' },
       { "video",  required_argument, NULL, 'v' },
       { 0 }
@@ -72,14 +73,18 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   
   int c;
   int option_index = 0;
-  while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "dhp:v:", long_options, &option_index)) != -1) {
+  while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "dhl:p:v:", long_options, &option_index)) != -1) {
         switch (c) {
           case 'd': DaemonMode = true; break;
           case 'h': printf("Usage: vdr [OPTION]\n\n"
-                           "  -h,      --help        display this help and exit\n"
-                           "  -d,      --daemon      run in daemon mode\n"
-                           "  -p PORT, --port=PORT   use PORT for SVDRP (default: %d, '0' turns off SVDRP)\n"
-                           "  -v DIR,  --video=DIR   use DIR as video directory (default is %s)\n"
+                           "  -h,       --help        display this help and exit\n"
+                           "  -d,       --daemon      run in daemon mode\n"
+                           "  -l LEVEL, --log=LEVEL   set log level (default: 3)\n"
+                           "                          0 = no logging, 1 = errors only,\n"
+                           "                          2 = errors and info, 3 = errors, info and debug\n"
+                           "  -p PORT,  --port=PORT   use PORT for SVDRP (default: %d)\n"
+                           "                          0 turns off SVDRP\n"
+                           "  -v DIR,   --video=DIR   use DIR as video directory (default is %s)\n"
                            "\n"
                            "Report bugs to <vdr-bugs@cadsoft.de>\n",
                            DEFAULTSVDRPPORT,
@@ -87,8 +92,18 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
                            );
                     return 0;
                     break;
+          case 'l': if (isnumber(optarg)) {
+                       int l = atoi(optarg);
+                       if (0 <= l && l <= 3) {
+                          SysLogLevel = l;
+                          break;
+                          }
+                       }
+                    fprintf(stderr, "vdr: invalid log level: %s\n", optarg);
+                    abort();
+                    break;
           case 'p': if (isnumber(optarg))
-                       SVDRPport = strtol(optarg, NULL, 10);
+                       SVDRPport = atoi(optarg);
                     else {
                        fprintf(stderr, "vdr: invalid port number: %s\n", optarg);
                        abort();
@@ -102,7 +117,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
   // Log file:
   
-  openlog("vdr", LOG_PID | LOG_CONS, LOG_USER);
+  if (SysLogLevel > 0)
+     openlog("vdr", LOG_PID | LOG_CONS, LOG_USER);
 
   // Check the video directory:
 
@@ -118,7 +134,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
      pid_t pid = fork();
      if (pid < 0) {
         fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", strerror(errno));
-        esyslog(LOG_ERR, strerror(errno));
+        esyslog(LOG_ERR, "ERROR: %s", strerror(errno));
         abort();
         }
      if (pid != 0)
@@ -255,6 +271,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   delete SVDRP;
   cDvbApi::Cleanup();
   isyslog(LOG_INFO, "exiting");
-  closelog();
+  if (SysLogLevel > 0)
+     closelog();
   return 0;
 }