diff --git a/org.eclipse.m2e.logback/src/org/eclipse/m2e/logback/configuration/M2ELogbackConfigurator.java b/org.eclipse.m2e.logback/src/org/eclipse/m2e/logback/configuration/M2ELogbackConfigurator.java
index 3d372af7c0..75cec03389 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.m2e.logback/src/org/eclipse/m2e/logback/configuration/M2ELogbackConfigurator.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.m2e.logback/src/org/eclipse/m2e/logback/configuration/M2ELogbackConfigurator.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import java.nio.file.DirectoryStream;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
 import java.util.Properties;
@@ -56,6 +57,9 @@ public class M2ELogbackConfigurator extends BasicConfigurator implements Configu
   // This has to match the log directory in defaultLogbackConfiguration/logback.xml
   private static final String PROPERTY_LOG_DIRECTORY = "org.eclipse.m2e.log.dir"; //$NON-NLS-1$
 
+  // This has to match the log directory in defaultLogbackConfiguration/logback.xml
+  private static final String PROPERTY_LOG_CONSOLE_THRESHOLD = "org.eclipse.m2e.log.console.threshold"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+
   @Override
   public void configure(LoggerContext lc) {
     // Bug 337167: Configuring Logback requires the state-location. If not yet initialized it will be initialized to the default value,
@@ -89,6 +93,11 @@ private synchronized void configureLogback(LoggerContext lc) {
       if(System.getProperty(PROPERTY_LOG_DIRECTORY, "").length() <= 0) { //$NON-NLS-1$
         System.setProperty(PROPERTY_LOG_DIRECTORY, stateDir.toAbsolutePath().toString());
       }
+      if(System.getProperty(PROPERTY_LOG_CONSOLE_THRESHOLD, "").length() <= 0) { //$NON-NLS-1$
+        if(Arrays.stream(Platform.getCommandLineArgs()).filter(s -> s.equals("-consolelog")).findAny().isPresent()) {
+          System.setProperty(PROPERTY_LOG_CONSOLE_THRESHOLD, Level.DEBUG.levelStr);
+        }
+      }
       loadConfiguration(lc, configFile.toUri().toURL());
 
       //Delete old logs in legacy logback plug-in's state location. Can sum up to 1GB of disk-space.