diff --git a/covimerage/cli.py b/covimerage/cli.py
index 65ab12b0..90584d7e 100644
--- a/covimerage/cli.py
+++ b/covimerage/cli.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import logging
 import os
 
 import click
@@ -9,12 +10,22 @@
 from .utils import build_vim_profile_args, join_argv
 
 
+def default_loglevel():
+    return logging.getLevelName(LOGGER.level).lower()
+
+
 @click.group(context_settings={'help_option_names': ['-h', '--help']})
 @click.version_option(__version__, '-V', '--version', prog_name='covimerage')
 @click.option('-v', '--verbose', count=True, help='Increase verbosity.')
 @click.option('-q', '--quiet', count=True, help='Decrease verbosity.')
-def main(verbose, quiet):
-    if verbose - quiet:
+@click.option('-l', '--loglevel', show_default=True,
+              help=('Set logging level explicitly (overrides -v/-q).  '
+                    '[default: %s]' % (default_loglevel(),)),
+              type=click.Choice(('error', 'warning', 'info', 'debug')))
+def main(verbose, quiet, loglevel):
+    if loglevel:
+        LOGGER.setLevel(loglevel.upper())
+    elif verbose - quiet:
         LOGGER.setLevel(max(10, LOGGER.level - (verbose - quiet) * 10))
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_logging.py b/tests/test_logging.py
index 06535638..4e6a0a05 100644
--- a/tests/test_logging.py
+++ b/tests/test_logging.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+from imp import reload
+import logging
+
 import pytest
 
 
@@ -17,3 +20,67 @@ def test_logging_error_causes_exception(capfd):
             "Message: 'Wrong:'",
             "Arguments: ('no %s',)"]
     assert 'TypeError: not all arguments converted during string formatting' in lines  # noqa: E501
+
+
+def test_loglevel(mocker, runner, devnull):
+    from covimerage import cli
+
+    logger = cli.LOGGER
+
+    m = mocker.patch.object(logger, 'setLevel')
+
+    for level in ['error', 'warning', 'info', 'debug']:
+        result = runner.invoke(cli.main, [
+            '--loglevel', level,
+            'report', '--nonexistingoption'])
+        assert result.output.splitlines() == [
+            'Error: no such option: --nonexistingoption']
+        assert result.exit_code == 2
+
+        level_name = level.upper()
+        assert m.call_args_list[-1] == mocker.call(level_name)
+
+    # -v should not override -l.
+    m.reset_mock()
+    result = runner.invoke(cli.main, [
+            '-l', 'warning', '-vvv',
+            'report', '--nonexistingoption'])
+    assert result.output.splitlines() == [
+        'Error: no such option: --nonexistingoption']
+    assert result.exit_code == 2
+    assert m.call_args_list == [mocker.call('WARNING')]
+
+    # -q should not override -l.
+    m.reset_mock()
+    result = runner.invoke(cli.main, [
+            '-l', 'warning', '-qqq',
+            'report', '--nonexistingoption'])
+    assert result.output.splitlines() == [
+        'Error: no such option: --nonexistingoption']
+    assert result.exit_code == 2
+    assert m.call_args_list == [mocker.call('WARNING')]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('default', (None, 'INFO', 'WARNING'))
+def test_loglevel_default(default, mocker, runner):
+    from covimerage import cli
+    from covimerage.logger import LOGGER as logger
+
+    if default:
+        mocker.patch.object(logger, 'level', getattr(logging, default))
+    else:
+        default = 'INFO'
+    reload(cli)
+
+    result = runner.invoke(cli.main, ['-h'])
+
+    assert logging.getLevelName(logger.level) == default
+    lines = result.output.splitlines()
+    idx = lines.index('  -l, --loglevel [error|warning|info|debug]')
+    assert idx
+    indent = ' ' * 34
+    assert lines[idx+1:idx+3] == [
+        indent + 'Set logging level explicitly (overrides',
+        indent + '-v/-q).  [default: %s]' % (default.lower(),),
+    ]
+    assert result.exit_code == 0