diff --git a/node/server.js b/node/server.js
index 56f58d945..9020f54b0 100644
--- a/node/server.js
+++ b/node/server.js
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ var serverName = "Etherpad-Lite " + version + " (http://j.mp/ep-lite)";
 //cache 6 hours
 exports.maxAge = 1000*60*60*6;
 
+//set loglevel
+log4js.setGlobalLogLevel(settings.loglevel);
+
 async.waterfall([
   //initalize the database
   function (callback)
diff --git a/node/utils/Settings.js b/node/utils/Settings.js
index b6af57657..692074abe 100644
--- a/node/utils/Settings.js
+++ b/node/utils/Settings.js
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ exports.minify = true;
  */
 exports.abiword = null;
 
+/**
+ * The log level of log4js
+ */
+exports.loglevel = "INFO";
+
 //read the settings sync
 var settingsStr = fs.readFileSync("../settings.json").toString();
 
diff --git a/settings.json.template b/settings.json.template
index 47663c8f3..a7afaecc9 100644
--- a/settings.json.template
+++ b/settings.json.template
@@ -34,5 +34,8 @@
   
   /* This is the path to the Abiword executable. Setting it to null, disables abiword.
      Abiword is needed to enable the import/export of pads*/  
-  "abiword" : null
+  "abiword" : null,
+  
+  /* The log level we are using, can be: DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR */
+  "loglevel": "INFO"
 }