diff --git a/lib/vmfloaty.rb b/lib/vmfloaty.rb
index cd654f7..0e1bad5 100644
--- a/lib/vmfloaty.rb
+++ b/lib/vmfloaty.rb
@@ -40,8 +40,12 @@ class Vmfloaty
       c.option '--json', 'Prints retrieved vms in JSON format'
       c.option '--ondemand', 'Requested vms are provisioned upon receival of the request, tracked by a request ID'
       c.option '--continue STRING', String, 'resume polling ABS for job_id, for use when the cli was interrupted'
+      c.option '--loglevel STRING', String, 'the log level to use (debug, info, error)'
       c.action do |args, options|
         verbose = options.verbose || config['verbose']
+        if options.loglevel
+          FloatyLogger.setlevel = options.loglevel
+        end
         service = Service.new(options, config)
         use_token = !options.notoken
         force = options.force
@@ -93,8 +97,12 @@ class Vmfloaty
       c.option '--token STRING', String, 'Token for pooler service'
       c.option '--url STRING', String, 'URL of pooler service'
       c.option '--user STRING', String, 'User to authenticate with'
+      c.option '--loglevel STRING', String, 'the log level to use (debug, info, error)'
       c.action do |args, options|
         verbose = options.verbose || config['verbose']
+        if options.loglevel
+          FloatyLogger.setlevel = options.loglevel
+        end
 
         service = Service.new(options, config)
         filter = args[0]
@@ -230,8 +238,13 @@ class Vmfloaty
       c.option '--token STRING', String, 'Token for pooler service'
       c.option '--url STRING', String, 'URL of pooler service'
       c.option '--user STRING', String, 'User to authenticate with'
+      c.option '--loglevel STRING', String, 'the log level to use (debug, info, error)'
       c.action do |args, options|
         verbose = options.verbose || config['verbose']
+        if options.loglevel
+          FloatyLogger.setlevel = options.loglevel
+        end
+
         service = Service.new(options, config)
         hostnames = args[0]
         delete_all = options.all
@@ -375,8 +388,12 @@ class Vmfloaty
       c.option '--service STRING', String, 'Configured pooler service name'
       c.option '--url STRING', String, 'URL of pooler service'
       c.option '--json', 'Prints status in JSON format'
+      c.option '--loglevel STRING', String, 'the log level to use (debug, info, error)'
       c.action do |_, options|
         verbose = options.verbose || config['verbose']
+        if options.loglevel
+          FloatyLogger.setlevel = options.loglevel
+        end
         service = Service.new(options, config)
         if options.json
           pp service.status(verbose)
diff --git a/lib/vmfloaty/logger.rb b/lib/vmfloaty/logger.rb
index d669d78..88bf5f1 100644
--- a/lib/vmfloaty/logger.rb
+++ b/lib/vmfloaty/logger.rb
@@ -17,6 +17,19 @@ class FloatyLogger < ::Logger
     FloatyLogger.logger.error msg
   end
 
+  def self.setlevel=(level)
+    level = level.downcase
+    if level == "debug"
+      self.logger.level = ::Logger::DEBUG
+    elsif level == "info"
+      self.logger.level = ::Logger::INFO
+    elsif level == "error"
+      self.logger.level = ::Logger::ERROR
+    else
+      error("set loglevel to debug, info or error")
+    end
+  end
+
   def initialize
     super(STDERR)
     self.level = ::Logger::INFO