diff --git a/cmd/cmd.go b/cmd/cmd.go
index 782aedbfd..225e71cb9 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -274,12 +274,10 @@ func Run(Retry bool, showStats bool, cmd *cobra.Command, f func() error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("Failed to %s: %v", cmd.Name(), err)
 	}
-	if showStats && (!fs.Config.Quiet || fs.Stats.Errored() || *statsInterval > 0) {
+	if showStats && (fs.Stats.Errored() || *statsInterval > 0) {
 		fs.Infof(nil, "%s", fs.Stats)
 	}
-	if fs.Config.Verbose {
-		fs.Debugf(nil, "Go routines at exit %d\n", runtime.NumGoroutine())
-	}
+	fs.Debugf(nil, "Go routines at exit %d\n", runtime.NumGoroutine())
 	if fs.Stats.Errored() {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/mount/fs_test.go b/cmd/mount/fs_test.go
index 4c8b3bdea..a58d4d7b3 100644
--- a/cmd/mount/fs_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mount/fs_test.go
@@ -71,8 +71,9 @@ func newRun() *Run {
 	// "RCLONE_CONFIG_PASS=hunter2" (or your password)
 	*fs.AskPassword = false
 	fs.LoadConfig()
-	fs.Config.Verbose = *Verbose
-	fs.Config.Quiet = !*Verbose
+	if *Verbose {
+		fs.Config.LogLevel = fs.LogLevelDebug
+	}
 	fs.Config.DumpHeaders = *DumpHeaders
 	fs.Config.DumpBodies = *DumpBodies
 	fs.Config.LowLevelRetries = *LowLevelRetries
diff --git a/docs/content/docs.md b/docs/content/docs.md
index 57436eb74..92e650d7d 100644
--- a/docs/content/docs.md
+++ b/docs/content/docs.md
@@ -362,6 +362,22 @@ This can be useful for tracking down problems with syncs in
 combination with the `-v` flag.  See the Logging section for more
 info.
 
+### --log-level LEVEL ###
+
+This sets the log level for rclone.  The default log level is `INFO`.
+
+`DEBUG` is equivalent to `-vv`. It outputs lots of debug info - useful
+for bug reports and really finding out what rclone is doing.
+
+`INFO` is equivalent to `-v`. It outputs information about each transfer
+and prints stats once a minute by default.
+
+`NOTICE` is the default log level if no logging flags are supplied. It
+outputs very little when things are working normally. It outputs
+warnings and significant events.
+
+`ERROR` is equivalent to `-q`. It only output error messages.
+
 ### --low-level-retries NUMBER ###
 
 This controls the number of low level retries rclone does.
@@ -568,12 +584,14 @@ This can be useful when transferring to a remote which doesn't support
 mod times directly as it is more accurate than a `--size-only` check
 and faster than using `--checksum`.
 
-### -v, --verbose ###
+### -v, -vv, --verbose ###
 
-If you set this flag, rclone will become very verbose telling you
-about every file it considers and transfers.
+With `-v` rclone will tell you about each file that is transferred and
+a small number of significant events.
 
-Very useful for debugging.
+With `-vv` rclone will become very verbose telling you about every
+file it considers and transfers.  Please send bug reports with a log
+with this setting.
 
 ### -V, --version ###
 
@@ -762,22 +780,34 @@ See the [filtering section](/filtering/).
 Logging
 -------
 
-rclone has 3 levels of logging, `Error`, `Info` and `Debug`.
+rclone has 4 levels of logging, `Error`, `Notice`, `Info` and `Debug`.
 
-By default rclone logs `Error` and `Info` to standard error and `Debug`
-to standard output.  This means you can redirect standard output and
-standard error to different places.
+By default rclone logs to standard error.  This means you can redirect
+standard error and still see the normal output of rclone commands (eg
+`rclone ls`).
 
-By default rclone will produce `Error` and `Info` level messages.
+By default rclone will produce `Error` and `Notice` level messages.
 
 If you use the `-q` flag, rclone will only produce `Error` messages.
 
-If you use the `-v` flag, rclone will produce `Error`, `Info` and
-`Debug` messages.
+If you use the `-v` flag, rclone will produce `Error`, `Notice` and
+`Info` messages.
+
+If you use the `-vv` flag, rclone will produce `Error`, `Notice`,
+`Info` and `Debug` messages.
+
+You can also control the log levels with the `--log-level` flag.
 
 If you use the `--log-file=FILE` option, rclone will redirect `Error`,
 `Info` and `Debug` messages along with standard error to FILE.
 
+If you use the `--syslog` flag then rclone will log to syslog and the
+`--syslog-facility` control which facility it uses.
+
+Rclone prefixes all log messages with their level in capitals, eg INFO
+which makes it easy to grep the log file for different kinds of
+information.
+
 Exit Code
 ---------
 
diff --git a/fs/config.go b/fs/config.go
index ee12490d1..78695aa66 100644
--- a/fs/config.go
+++ b/fs/config.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/Unknwon/goconfig"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 	"golang.org/x/crypto/nacl/secretbox"
 	"golang.org/x/text/unicode/norm"
 )
@@ -56,8 +57,9 @@ var (
 	// Config is the global config
 	Config = &ConfigInfo{}
 	// Flags
-	verbose         = BoolP("verbose", "v", false, "Print lots more stuff")
+	verbose         = CountP("verbose", "v", "Print lots more stuff (repeat for more)")
 	quiet           = BoolP("quiet", "q", false, "Print as little stuff as possible")
+	logLevel        = StringP("log-level", "", "INFO", "Log level DEBUG|INFO|NOTICE|ERROR")
 	modifyWindow    = DurationP("modify-window", "", time.Nanosecond, "Max time diff to be considered the same")
 	checkers        = IntP("checkers", "", 8, "Number of checkers to run in parallel.")
 	transfers       = IntP("transfers", "", 4, "Number of file transfers to run in parallel.")
@@ -182,8 +184,7 @@ func MustReveal(x string) string {
 
 // ConfigInfo is filesystem config options
 type ConfigInfo struct {
-	Verbose            bool
-	Quiet              bool
+	LogLevel           LogLevel
 	DryRun             bool
 	CheckSum           bool
 	SizeOnly           bool
@@ -300,8 +301,39 @@ func LoadConfig() {
 	// Read some flags if set
 	//
 	// FIXME read these from the config file too
-	Config.Verbose = *verbose
-	Config.Quiet = *quiet
+	Config.LogLevel = LogLevelNotice
+	if *verbose >= 2 {
+		Config.LogLevel = LogLevelDebug
+	} else if *verbose >= 1 {
+		Config.LogLevel = LogLevelInfo
+	}
+	if *quiet {
+		if *verbose > 0 {
+			log.Fatalf("Can't set -v and -q")
+		}
+		Config.LogLevel = LogLevelError
+	}
+	logLevelFlag := pflag.Lookup("log-level")
+	if logLevelFlag != nil && logLevelFlag.Changed {
+		if *verbose > 0 {
+			log.Fatalf("Can't set -v and --log-level")
+		}
+		if *quiet {
+			log.Fatalf("Can't set -q and --log-level")
+		}
+		switch strings.ToUpper(*logLevel) {
+		case "ERROR":
+			Config.LogLevel = LogLevelError
+		case "NOTICE":
+			Config.LogLevel = LogLevelNotice
+		case "INFO":
+			Config.LogLevel = LogLevelInfo
+		case "DEBUG":
+			Config.LogLevel = LogLevelDebug
+		default:
+			log.Fatalf("Unknown --log-level %q", *logLevel)
+		}
+	}
 	Config.ModifyWindow = *modifyWindow
 	Config.Checkers = *checkers
 	Config.Transfers = *transfers
diff --git a/fs/flags.go b/fs/flags.go
index b530b0615..ab8635e05 100644
--- a/fs/flags.go
+++ b/fs/flags.go
@@ -313,3 +313,12 @@ func StringArrayP(name, shorthand string, value []string, usage string) (out *[]
 	setDefaultFromEnv(name)
 	return out
 }
+
+// CountP defines a flag which can be overridden by an environment variable
+//
+// It is a thin wrapper around pflag.CountP
+func CountP(name, shorthand string, usage string) (out *int) {
+	out = pflag.CountP(name, shorthand, usage)
+	setDefaultFromEnv(name)
+	return out
+}
diff --git a/fs/log.go b/fs/log.go
index ffd5286f5..539ba84da 100644
--- a/fs/log.go
+++ b/fs/log.go
@@ -11,9 +11,11 @@ import (
 // LogLevel describes rclone's logs.  These are a subset of the syslog log levels.
 type LogLevel byte
 
+//go:generate stringer -type=LogLevel
+
 // Log levels - a subset of the syslog logs
 const (
-	LogLevelEmergency = iota
+	LogLevelEmergency LogLevel = iota
 	LogLevelAlert
 	LogLevelCritical
 	LogLevelError // Error - can't be suppressed
@@ -38,30 +40,37 @@ func makeLog(o interface{}, text string, args ...interface{}) string {
 }
 
 // Errorf writes error log output for this Object or Fs.  It
-// unconditionally logs a message regardless of Config.Quiet or
-// Config.Verbose.
+// unconditionally logs a message regardless of Config.LogLevel
 func Errorf(o interface{}, text string, args ...interface{}) {
-	log.Print(makeLog(o, text, args...))
-}
-
-// Logf writes log output for this Object or Fs.  This should be
-// considered to be Info level logging.
-func Logf(o interface{}, text string, args ...interface{}) {
-	if !Config.Quiet {
+	if Config.LogLevel >= LogLevelError {
 		log.Print(makeLog(o, text, args...))
 	}
 }
 
-// Infof writes info on transfers for this Object or Fs
+// Logf writes log output for this Object or Fs.  This should be
+// considered to be Info level logging.  It is the default level.  By
+// default rclone should not log very much so only use this for
+// important things the user should see.  The user can filter these
+// out with the -q flag.
+func Logf(o interface{}, text string, args ...interface{}) {
+	if Config.LogLevel >= LogLevelNotice {
+		log.Print(makeLog(o, text, args...))
+	}
+}
+
+// Infof writes info on transfers for this Object or Fs.  Use this
+// level for logging transfers, deletions and things which should
+// appear with the -v flag.
 func Infof(o interface{}, text string, args ...interface{}) {
-	if Config.Verbose {
+	if Config.LogLevel >= LogLevelInfo {
 		DebugLogger.Print(makeLog(o, text, args...))
 	}
 }
 
-// Debugf writes debugging output for this Object or Fs
+// Debugf writes debugging output for this Object or Fs.  Use this for
+// debug only.  The user must have to specify -vv to see this.
 func Debugf(o interface{}, text string, args ...interface{}) {
-	if Config.Verbose {
+	if Config.LogLevel >= LogLevelDebug {
 		DebugLogger.Print(makeLog(o, text, args...))
 	}
 }
diff --git a/fs/loglevel_string.go b/fs/loglevel_string.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b6048146e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fs/loglevel_string.go
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+// Code generated by "stringer -type=LogLevel"; DO NOT EDIT
+
+package fs
+
+import "fmt"
+
+const _LogLevel_name = "LogLevelEmergencyLogLevelAlertLogLevelCriticalLogLevelErrorLogLevelWarningLogLevelNoticeLogLevelInfoLogLevelDebug"
+
+var _LogLevel_index = [...]uint8{0, 17, 30, 46, 59, 74, 88, 100, 113}
+
+func (i LogLevel) String() string {
+	if i >= LogLevel(len(_LogLevel_index)-1) {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("LogLevel(%d)", i)
+	}
+	return _LogLevel_name[_LogLevel_index[i]:_LogLevel_index[i+1]]
+}
diff --git a/fs/operations_test.go b/fs/operations_test.go
index e5842801f..df98843e7 100644
--- a/fs/operations_test.go
+++ b/fs/operations_test.go
@@ -105,8 +105,9 @@ func newRun() *Run {
 	// "RCLONE_CONFIG_PASS=hunter2" (or your password)
 	*fs.AskPassword = false
 	fs.LoadConfig()
-	fs.Config.Verbose = *Verbose
-	fs.Config.Quiet = !*Verbose
+	if *Verbose {
+		fs.Config.LogLevel = fs.LogLevelDebug
+	}
 	fs.Config.DumpHeaders = *DumpHeaders
 	fs.Config.DumpBodies = *DumpBodies
 	fs.Config.LowLevelRetries = *LowLevelRetries
diff --git a/fstest/fstests/fstests.go b/fstest/fstests/fstests.go
index 4c584df1e..c8a64a6ec 100644
--- a/fstest/fstests/fstests.go
+++ b/fstest/fstests/fstests.go
@@ -73,8 +73,9 @@ func TestInit(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, item := range ExtraConfig {
 		fs.ConfigFileSet(item.Name, item.Key, item.Value)
 	}
-	fs.Config.Verbose = *verbose
-	fs.Config.Quiet = !*verbose
+	if *verbose {
+		fs.Config.LogLevel = fs.LogLevelDebug
+	}
 	fs.Config.DumpHeaders = *dumpHeaders
 	fs.Config.DumpBodies = *dumpBodies
 	t.Logf("Using remote %q", RemoteName)