Index: Lib/logging/__init__.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/logging/__init__.py	(revision 74916)
+++ Lib/logging/__init__.py	(working copy)
@@ -1583,3 +1583,29 @@
         if _warnings_showwarning is not None:
             warnings.showwarning = _warnings_showwarning
             _warnings_showwarning = None
+
+def _parse_python_options(options):
+    """
+    This function will be called if the -l <options>
+    command line argument is given to Python.
+
+    The syntax is
+      python -l <options> ...
+    where <options> is a colon-separated list of <key>=<value> pairs.
+
+    Examples:
+      python -l level=DEBUG ...
+      python -l 'level=DEBUG;format=%(asctime)-15s: %(message)s' ...
+      python -l level=DEBUG;filename=mylogfile.log ...
+    """
+    import logging
+    kwds = {}
+    try:
+        for opt in options.split(";"):
+            opt = opt.strip()
+            o, a = opt.strip().split("=")
+            a = getattr(logging, a, a)
+            kwds[o] = a
+        logging.basicConfig(**kwds)
+    except Exception, details:
+        print "Error in logging options:", details
Index: Modules/main.c
===================================================================
--- Modules/main.c	(revision 74916)
+++ Modules/main.c	(working copy)
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 static int  orig_argc;
 
 /* command line options */
-#define BASE_OPTS "3bBc:dEhiJm:OQ:sStuUvVW:xX?"
+#define BASE_OPTS "3bBc:dEhiJm:OQ:sStuUvVW:xX?l:"
 
 #ifndef RISCOS
 #define PROGRAM_OPTS BASE_OPTS
@@ -259,6 +259,7 @@
 	char *command = NULL;
 	char *filename = NULL;
 	char *module = NULL;
+	char *logopts = NULL;
 	FILE *fp = stdin;
 	char *p;
 	int unbuffered = 0;
@@ -321,6 +322,17 @@
 				Py_DivisionWarningFlag = 1;
 			break;
 
+		case 'l':
+			if (logopts != NULL)
+				Py_FatalError(
+				   "-l option may only be specified once");
+			logopts = (char *)malloc(strlen(_PyOS_optarg) + 1);
+			if (logopts == NULL)
+				Py_FatalError(
+				   "not enough memory to copy -l argument");
+			strcpy(logopts, _PyOS_optarg);
+			break;
+
 		case 'Q':
 			if (strcmp(_PyOS_optarg, "old") == 0) {
 				Py_DivisionWarningFlag = 0;
@@ -548,6 +560,22 @@
 			Py_DECREF(v);
 	}
 
+	if (logopts != NULL) {
+		PyObject *v;
+		v = PyImport_ImportModule("logging");
+		if (v == NULL)
+			PyErr_Print();
+		else {
+			PyObject *result;
+			result = PyObject_CallMethod(v, "_parse_python_options", "s", logopts);
+			if (result)
+				Py_DECREF(result);
+			else
+				PyErr_Print();
+			Py_DECREF(v);
+		}
+	}
+
 	if (command) {
 		sts = PyRun_SimpleStringFlags(command, &cf) != 0;
 		free(command);