diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 146b2f7cb..d6723e046 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -575,6 +575,13 @@ CXXFLAGS += -DNETSURF_HOMEPAGE=\"$(NETSURF_HOMEPAGE)\"
 CFLAGS += -DNETSURF_LOG_LEVEL=$(NETSURF_LOG_LEVEL)
 CXXFLAGS += -DNETSURF_LOG_LEVEL=$(NETSURF_LOG_LEVEL)
 
+# and the logging filter
+CFLAGS += -DNETSURF_BUILTIN_LOG_FILTER=\"$(NETSURF_BUILTIN_LOG_FILTER)\"
+CXXFLAGS += -DNETSURF_BUILTIN_LOG_FILTER=\"$(NETSURF_BUILTIN_LOG_FILTER)\"
+# and the verbose logging filter
+CFLAGS += -DNETSURF_BUILTIN_VERBOSE_FILTER=\"$(NETSURF_BUILTIN_VERBOSE_FILTER)\"
+CXXFLAGS += -DNETSURF_BUILTIN_VERBOSE_FILTER=\"$(NETSURF_BUILTIN_VERBOSE_FILTER)\"
+
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # General make rules
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/Makefile.defaults b/Makefile.defaults
index d6637da9e..1f9ce5fdf 100644
--- a/Makefile.defaults
+++ b/Makefile.defaults
@@ -79,6 +79,11 @@ NETSURF_USE_NSLOG := AUTO
 # The minimum logging level *compiled* into netsurf
 # Valid options are: DEEPDEBUG, DEBUG, VERBOSE, INFO, WARNING, ERROR, CRITICAL
 NETSURF_LOG_LEVEL := INFO
+# The log filter set during log initialisation before options are available
+NETSURF_BUILTIN_LOG_FILTER := level:WARNING
+# The log filter set during log initialisation before options are available
+# if the logging level is set to verbose
+NETSURF_BUILTIN_VERBOSE_FILTER := level:VERBOSE
 
 # Enable stripping the NetSurf binary
 # Valid options: YES, NO
diff --git a/desktop/options.h b/desktop/options.h
index d91898c6e..9b7064efa 100644
--- a/desktop/options.h
+++ b/desktop/options.h
@@ -289,3 +289,8 @@ NSOPTION_COLOUR(sys_colour_ThreeDShadow, 0x00d5d5d5)
 NSOPTION_COLOUR(sys_colour_Window, 0x00f1f1f1)
 NSOPTION_COLOUR(sys_colour_WindowFrame, 0x004e4e4e)
 NSOPTION_COLOUR(sys_colour_WindowText, 0x00000000)
+
+/** Filter for non-verbose logging */
+NSOPTION_STRING(log_filter, "level:WARNING")
+/** Filter for verbose logging */
+NSOPTION_STRING(verbose_filter, "level:VERBOSE")
diff --git a/utils/log.c b/utils/log.c
index 5ebe51f99..68a470aa9 100644
--- a/utils/log.c
+++ b/utils/log.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 #include "utils/config.h"
+#include "utils/nsoption.h"
 #include "utils/sys_time.h"
 #include "utils/utsname.h"
 #include "desktop/version.h"
@@ -105,21 +106,43 @@ netsurf_render_log(void *_ctx,
 		   const char *fmt,
 		   va_list args)
 {
-	if (verbose_log) {
-		fprintf(logfile,
-			"%s %.*s:%i %.*s: ",
-			nslog_gettime(),
-			ctx->filenamelen,
-			ctx->filename,
-			ctx->lineno,
-			ctx->funcnamelen,
-			ctx->funcname);
+	fprintf(logfile,
+		"%s %.*s:%i %.*s: ",
+		nslog_gettime(),
+		ctx->filenamelen,
+		ctx->filename,
+		ctx->lineno,
+		ctx->funcnamelen,
+		ctx->funcname);
 
-		vfprintf(logfile, fmt, args);
+	vfprintf(logfile, fmt, args);
 
-		/* Log entries aren't newline terminated add one for clarity */
-		fputc('\n', logfile);
+	/* Log entries aren't newline terminated add one for clarity */
+	fputc('\n', logfile);
+}
+
+/* exported interface documented in utils/log.h */
+nserror
+nslog_set_filter(const char *filter)
+{
+	nslog_error err;
+	nslog_filter_t *filt = NULL;
+
+	err = nslog_filter_from_text(filter, &filt);
+	if (err != NSLOG_NO_ERROR) {
+		if (err == NSLOG_NO_MEMORY)
+			return NSERROR_NOMEM;
+		else
+			return NSERROR_INVALID;
 	}
+
+	err = nslog_filter_set_active(filt, NULL);
+	if (err != NSLOG_NO_ERROR) {
+		nslog_filter_unref(filt);
+		return NSERROR_NOSPACE;
+	}
+
+	return NSERROR_OK;
 }
 
 #else
@@ -147,6 +170,15 @@ nslog_log(const char *file, const char *func, int ln, const char *format, ...)
 	}
 }
 
+/* exported interface documented in utils/log.h */
+nserror
+nslog_set_filter(const char *filter)
+{
+	(void)(filter);
+	return NSERROR_OK;
+}
+
+
 #endif
 
 nserror nslog_init(nslog_ensure_t *ensure, int *pargc, char **argv)
@@ -195,7 +227,7 @@ nserror nslog_init(nslog_ensure_t *ensure, int *pargc, char **argv)
 			/* ensure we actually show logging */
 			verbose_log = true;
 		}
-	} else if (verbose_log == true) {
+	} else {
 		/* default is logging to stderr */
 		logfile = stderr;
 	}
@@ -211,10 +243,14 @@ nserror nslog_init(nslog_ensure_t *ensure, int *pargc, char **argv)
 
 #ifdef WITH_NSLOG
 
-	if (nslog_set_render_callback(netsurf_render_log, NULL) != NSLOG_NO_ERROR) {
+	if (nslog_set_filter(verbose_log ?
+			     NETSURF_BUILTIN_VERBOSE_FILTER :
+			     NETSURF_BUILTIN_LOG_FILTER) != NSERROR_OK) {
+		ret = NSERROR_INIT_FAILED;
+		verbose_log = false;
+	} else if (nslog_set_render_callback(netsurf_render_log, NULL) != NSLOG_NO_ERROR) {
 		ret = NSERROR_INIT_FAILED;
 		verbose_log = false;
-
 	} else if (nslog_uncork() != NSLOG_NO_ERROR) {
 		ret = NSERROR_INIT_FAILED;
 		verbose_log = false;
@@ -241,3 +277,13 @@ nserror nslog_init(nslog_ensure_t *ensure, int *pargc, char **argv)
 
 	return ret;
 }
+
+/* exported interface documented in utils/log.h */
+nserror
+nslog_set_filter_by_options()
+{
+	if (verbose_log)
+		return nslog_set_filter(nsoption_charp(verbose_filter));
+	else
+		return nslog_set_filter(nsoption_charp(log_filter));
+}
diff --git a/utils/log.h b/utils/log.h
index 7b5bcc3e8..e73c8c3ee 100644
--- a/utils/log.h
+++ b/utils/log.h
@@ -47,6 +47,18 @@ typedef bool(nslog_ensure_t)(FILE *fptr);
  */
 extern nserror nslog_init(nslog_ensure_t *ensure, int *pargc, char **argv);
 
+/**
+ * Set the logging filter.
+ *
+ * Compiles and enables the given logging filter.
+ */
+extern nserror nslog_set_filter(const char *filter);
+
+/**
+ * Set the logging filter according to the options.
+ */
+extern nserror nslog_set_filter_by_options(void);
+
 /* ensure a logging level is defined */
 #ifndef NETSURF_LOG_LEVEL
 #define NETSURF_LOG_LEVEL INFO
diff --git a/utils/nsoption.c b/utils/nsoption.c
index 15f89ca5d..09529a0d0 100644
--- a/utils/nsoption.c
+++ b/utils/nsoption.c
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ static void nsoption_validate(struct nsoption_s *opts, struct nsoption_s *defs)
 			break;
 		}
 	}
-	if (black == true) {
+	if (black == true && defs != NULL) {
 		for (cloop = NSOPTION_SYS_COLOUR_START;
 		     cloop <= NSOPTION_SYS_COLOUR_END;
 		     cloop++) {
@@ -209,6 +209,9 @@ static void nsoption_validate(struct nsoption_s *opts, struct nsoption_s *defs)
 		 opts[NSOPTION_max_retried_fetches].value.u) > 60) &&
 		(opts[NSOPTION_max_retried_fetches].value.u > 1))
 		opts[NSOPTION_max_retried_fetches].value.u--;
+
+	/* We ignore the result because we can't fail to validate. Yay */
+	(void)nslog_set_filter_by_options();
 }
 
 /**
@@ -820,6 +823,8 @@ nsoption_commandline(int *pargc, char **argv, struct nsoption_s *opts)
 	}
 	*pargc -= (idx - 1);
 
+	nsoption_validate(opts, nsoptions_default);
+
 	return NSERROR_OK;
 }