diff --git a/lightify/__init__.py b/lightify/__init__.py
index e0cdca6..1ba3864 100644
--- a/lightify/__init__.py
+++ b/lightify/__init__.py
@@ -891,7 +891,7 @@ def __str__(self):
 class Lightify:
     """ main osram lightify class
     """
-    def __init__(self, host, new_device_types=None):
+    def __init__(self, host, new_device_types=None, log_level=logging.INFO, loghandler=None):
         """
         :param host: lightify gateway host
         :param new_device_types: dict of additional device types to merge with
@@ -918,13 +918,19 @@ def __init__(self, host, new_device_types=None):
              }
             }
         }}
+        :param log_level: logging.loglevel Enum
+        :param loghandler: logging.Handler object
         """
         self.__device_types = DEVICE_TYPES.copy()
         self.__device_types.update(new_device_types or {})
 
         self.__logger = logging.getLogger(MODULE)
-        self.__logger.addHandler(logging.NullHandler())
-        self.__logger.info('Logging %s', MODULE)
+        self.__logger.setLevel(log_level)
+        if loghandler:
+            self.__logger.addHandler(loghandler)
+        else:
+            self.__logger.addHandler(logging.NullHandler())
+        self.__logger.info('Initializing %s, version=%s', MODULE, __version__)
 
         # a sequence number used to number commands sent to the gateway
         self.__seq = 0
@@ -968,6 +974,14 @@ def _next_seq(self):
             self.__seq = (self.__seq + 1) % 256
             return self.__seq
 
+    def set_loglevel(self, log_level):
+        """ set the log level
+
+        :param log_level: logging.loglevel Enum
+        """
+        self.__logger.setLevel(log_level)
+        self.__logger.info("set log level to '%s'", logging.getLevelName(log_level))
+
     def set_lights_updated(self):
         """ update lights updated timestamp