diff --git a/msrprelay b/msrprelay
index 69a9ca4..c8171e5 100644
--- a/msrprelay
+++ b/msrprelay
@@ -1,82 +1,83 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
 """MSRP Relay"""
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     import msrp
     import os
     import sys
     import signal
 
     from application import log
     from application.process import process, ProcessError
     from argparse import ArgumentParser
 
     name = "msrprelay"
     fullname = "MSRP Relay"
     description = "An open source MSRP Relay"
 
     default_pid = os.path.join(msrp.runtime_directory, "relay.pid")
     default_config = os.path.join(msrp.system_config_directory , msrp.configuration_filename)
 
     parser = ArgumentParser(usage='%(prog)s [options]')
     parser.add_argument('--version', action='version', version='%(prog)s {}'.format(msrp.__version__))
     parser.add_argument('--no-fork', action='store_false', dest='fork', help='run in the foreground and log to terminal')
     parser.add_argument('--pid', dest='pid_file', default=default_pid, help='pid file when forking ({})'.format(default_pid), metavar='FILE')
     parser.add_argument('--config-file', default=default_config, help='configuration file to read', metavar='FILE')
+    parser.add_argument('--debug', action='store_true', help='enable verbose logging')
     parser.add_argument('--debug-memory', action='store_true', help='enable memory debugging')
 
     options = parser.parse_args()
 
     log.Formatter.prefix_format = '{record.levelname:<8s} '
 
     pid_file = options.pid_file
     system_config_directory, msrp.configuration_filename = os.path.split(options.config_file)
     if system_config_directory != "":
         msrp.system_config_directory = system_config_directory
 
     process.system_config_directory = msrp.system_config_directory
     try:
         process.runtime_directory = msrp.runtime_directory
     except ProcessError, e:
         log.critical('Cannot start %s: %s' % (fullname, e))
         sys.exit(1)
 
     if options.fork:
         try:
             process.daemonize(pid_file)
         except ProcessError, e:
             log.critical('Cannot start %s: %s' % (fullname, e))
             sys.exit(1)
         log.use_syslog(name)
 
     log.info('Starting %s %s' % (fullname, msrp.__version__))
 
     from msrp.relay import Relay, RelayConfig
 
-    log.level.current = RelayConfig.log_level
+    log.level.current = log.level.DEBUG if options.debug else RelayConfig.log_level
 
     if options.debug_memory:
         from application.debug.memory import memory_dump
 
     try:
         relay = Relay()
     except Exception, e:
         log.critical('Failed to create %s: %s' % (fullname, e))
         if e.__class__ is not RuntimeError:
             log.exception()
         sys.exit(1)
 
     process.signals.add_handler(signal.SIGHUP, lambda signum, frame: relay.reload())
 
     try:
         relay.run()
     except Exception, e:
         log.critical('Failed to run %s: %s' % (fullname, e))
         if e.__class__ is not RuntimeError:
             log.exception()
         sys.exit(1)
 
     if options.debug_memory:
         memory_dump()