diff --git a/beaver/utils.py b/beaver/utils.py
index 604cc058..80e59bbe 100644
--- a/beaver/utils.py
+++ b/beaver/utils.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def parse_args():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Beaver logfile shipper', epilog=epilog_example, formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter)
     parser.add_argument('-c', '--configfile', help='ini config file path', dest='config', default='/dev/null')
     parser.add_argument('-C', '--confd-path', help='path to conf.d directory', dest='confd_path', default='/etc/beaver/conf.d')
-    parser.add_argument('-d', '--debug', help='enable debug mode', dest='debug', default=False, action='store_true')
+    parser.add_argument('-L', '--loglevel', help='set log level', dest='loglevel', default='info')
     parser.add_argument('-D', '--daemonize', help='daemonize in the background', dest='daemonize', default=False, action='store_true')
     parser.add_argument('-f', '--files', help='space-separated filelist to watch, can include globs (*.log). Overrides --path argument', dest='files', default=None, nargs='+')
     parser.add_argument('-F', '--format', help='format to use when sending to transport', default=None, dest='format', choices=['json', 'msgpack', 'raw', 'rawjson', 'string'])
@@ -53,45 +53,35 @@ def parse_args():
 
 
 def setup_custom_logger(name, args=None, output=None, formatter=None, debug=None):
-    logger = logging.getLogger(name)
-    logger.propagate = False
-    if logger.handlers:
-        logger.handlers = []
-
-    has_args = args is not None and type(args) == argparse.Namespace
-    if debug is None:
-        debug = has_args and args.debug is True
+    loglevel = logging.INFO
+    if args is not None and type(args) == argparse.Namespace:
+        loglevel = args.loglevel
+        if output is None:
+            output = args.output
 
-    if not logger.handlers:
-        if formatter is None:
-            formatter = logging.Formatter('[%(asctime)s] %(levelname)-7s %(message)s')
+    if type(loglevel) == str:
+        loglevel = loglevel.upper()
 
-        handler = logging.StreamHandler()
-        if output is None and has_args:
-            output = args.output
+    if formatter is None:
+        formatter = logging.Formatter('[%(asctime)s] %(levelname)-7s %(message)s')
 
-        if output:
-            output = os.path.realpath(output)
+    handlers = []
+    handlers.append(logging.StreamHandler())
+    if output:
+        handlers.append(logging.FileHandler(os.path.realpath(output)))
 
-        if output is not None:
-            file_handler = logging.FileHandler(output)
-            if formatter is not False:
-                file_handler.setFormatter(formatter)
-            logger.addHandler(file_handler)
+    logger = logging.getLogger(name)
+    logger.propagate = False
+    logger.handlers = []
+    logger.setLevel(loglevel)
 
+    for handler in handlers:
         if formatter is not False:
             handler.setFormatter(formatter)
-
         logger.addHandler(handler)
 
-    if debug:
-        logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
-        if hasattr(logging, 'captureWarnings'):
-            logging.captureWarnings(True)
-    else:
-        logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)
-        if hasattr(logging, 'captureWarnings'):
-            logging.captureWarnings(False)
+    if hasattr(logging, 'captureWarnings'):
+        logging.captureWarnings(logging.getLevelName(logger.level)=='DEBUG')
 
     logger.debug('Logger level is {0}'.format(logging.getLevelName(logger.level)))