diff --git a/hshetl/cli.py b/hshetl/cli.py
index 3732f6446f003af466de56ce2cd71320b11a82e3..863969bb8379e82a00137166c583746d16723773 100644
--- a/hshetl/cli.py
+++ b/hshetl/cli.py
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ def _argparse(config_file = None, working_directory = None):
         parser.add_argument('--init', action = 'store_true', help = 'Make your current directory a new working directory with sample content.')
         parser.add_argument('-e', '--explain', action = 'store_true', help = 'Just shows you all jobs in execution order, with name and description')
         parser.add_argument('-i', '--interactive', action = 'store_true', help = 'Ask before each job execution.')
+        parser.add_argument('-l', '--logformat', dest = 'logformat', help = 'The format of the logging output.', default = '%(levelname)s: %(message)s')
         parser.add_argument('-p', '--profile', action = 'store_true')
         return parser
 
@@ -136,7 +137,7 @@ class Controller(object):
         self.interactive = args.interactive
         self.profile = args.profile
 
-        logging.basicConfig(stream = sys.stdout, level = logging.DEBUG if args.verbose else logging.INFO, format = '%(levelname)s: %(message)s')
+        logging.basicConfig(stream = sys.stdout, level = logging.DEBUG if args.verbose else logging.INFO, format = args.logformat)
         logging.debug('I am chatty now! Lets shovel data :)')
 
         if args.init: