diff --git a/api.c b/api.c
index 8513ea98..8c65e60a 100644
--- a/api.c
+++ b/api.c
@@ -2755,9 +2755,10 @@ static void debugstate(struct io_data *io_data, __maybe_unused SOCKETTYPE c, cha
       opt_quiet = false;
     break;
   case 'd':
-    opt_debug ^= true;
-    opt_verbose = opt_debug;
-    if (opt_debug)
+    opt_debug = true;
+    opt_debug_console ^= true;
+    opt_verbose = opt_debug_console;
+    if (opt_debug_console)
       opt_quiet = false;
     break;
   case 'r':
@@ -2771,7 +2772,7 @@ static void debugstate(struct io_data *io_data, __maybe_unused SOCKETTYPE c, cha
     break;
   case 'n':
     opt_verbose = false;
-    opt_debug = false;
+    opt_debug_console = false;
     opt_quiet = false;
     opt_protocol = false;
     want_per_device_stats = false;
@@ -2799,7 +2800,7 @@ static void debugstate(struct io_data *io_data, __maybe_unused SOCKETTYPE c, cha
   root = api_add_bool(root, "Silent", &opt_realquiet, false);
   root = api_add_bool(root, "Quiet", &opt_quiet, false);
   root = api_add_bool(root, "Verbose", &opt_verbose, false);
-  root = api_add_bool(root, "Debug", &opt_debug, false);
+  root = api_add_bool(root, "Debug", &opt_debug_console, false);
   root = api_add_bool(root, "RPCProto", &opt_protocol, false);
   root = api_add_bool(root, "PerDevice", &want_per_device_stats, false);
   root = api_add_bool(root, "WorkTime", &opt_worktime, false);
@@ -3362,8 +3363,7 @@ static void *quit_thread(__maybe_unused void *userdata)
   mutex_lock(&quit_restart_lock);
   mutex_unlock(&quit_restart_lock);
 
-  if (opt_debug)
-    applog(LOG_DEBUG, "API: killing sgminer");
+  applog(LOG_DEBUG, "API: killing sgminer");
 
   kill_work();
 
@@ -3376,8 +3376,7 @@ static void *restart_thread(__maybe_unused void *userdata)
   mutex_lock(&quit_restart_lock);
   mutex_unlock(&quit_restart_lock);
 
-  if (opt_debug)
-    applog(LOG_DEBUG, "API: restarting sgminer");
+  applog(LOG_DEBUG, "API: restarting sgminer");
 
   app_restart();
 
@@ -3734,12 +3733,10 @@ void api(int api_thr_id)
       else
         buf[n] = '\0';
 
-      if (opt_debug) {
-        if (SOCKETFAIL(n))
-          applog(LOG_DEBUG, "API: recv failed: %s", SOCKERRMSG);
-        else
-          applog(LOG_DEBUG, "API: recv command: (%d) '%s'", n, buf);
-      }
+      if (SOCKETFAIL(n))
+        applog(LOG_DEBUG, "API: recv failed: %s", SOCKERRMSG);
+      else
+        applog(LOG_DEBUG, "API: recv command: (%d) '%s'", n, buf);
 
       if (!SOCKETFAIL(n)) {
         // the time of the request in now
@@ -3892,9 +3889,8 @@ die:
 
   free(apisock);
 
-  if (opt_debug)
-    applog(LOG_DEBUG, "API: terminating due to: %s",
-        do_a_quit ? "QUIT" : (do_a_restart ? "RESTART" : (bye ? "BYE" : "UNKNOWN!")));
+  applog(LOG_DEBUG, "API: terminating due to: %s",
+      do_a_quit ? "QUIT" : (do_a_restart ? "RESTART" : (bye ? "BYE" : "UNKNOWN!")));
 
   mutex_lock(&quit_restart_lock);
 
diff --git a/logging.c b/logging.c
index f7bc3ddf..5d189506 100644
--- a/logging.c
+++ b/logging.c
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include "miner.h"
 
 bool opt_debug = false;
+bool opt_debug_console = false;
 bool opt_verbose = false;
 int last_date_output_day = 0;
 int opt_log_show_date = false;
@@ -69,12 +70,10 @@ void applogsiz(int prio, int size, const char* fmt, ...)
 void vapplogsiz(int prio, int size, const char* fmt, va_list args)
 {
   if (opt_debug || prio != LOG_DEBUG) {
-    if (use_syslog || opt_verbose || prio <= opt_log_level) {
-      char *tmp42 = (char *)calloc(size + 1, 1);
-      vsnprintf(tmp42, size, fmt, args);
-      _applog(prio, tmp42, false);
-      free(tmp42);
-    }
+    char *tmp42 = (char *)calloc(size + 1, 1);
+    vsnprintf(tmp42, size, fmt, args);
+    _applog(prio, tmp42, false);
+    free(tmp42);
   }
 }
 
@@ -91,6 +90,11 @@ void _applog(int prio, const char *str, bool force)
   if (0) {}
 #endif
   else {
+    bool write_console = opt_debug_console || (opt_verbose && prio != LOG_DEBUG) || prio <= opt_log_level;
+    bool write_stderr = !isatty(fileno((FILE *)stderr));
+    if (!(write_console || write_stderr))
+      return;
+
     char datetime[64];
     struct timeval tv = {0, 0};
     struct tm *tm;
@@ -128,11 +132,13 @@ void _applog(int prio, const char *str, bool force)
     }
 
     /* Only output to stderr if it's not going to the screen as well */
-    if (!isatty(fileno((FILE *)stderr))) {
+    if (write_stderr) {
       fprintf(stderr, "%s%s\n", datetime, str); /* atomic write to stderr */
       fflush(stderr);
     }
 
-    my_log_curses(prio, datetime, str, force);
+    if (write_console) {
+      my_log_curses(prio, datetime, str, force);
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/logging.h b/logging.h
index e314dcd9..58474a6e 100644
--- a/logging.h
+++ b/logging.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ enum {
 
 /* debug flags */
 extern bool opt_debug;
+extern bool opt_debug_console;
 extern bool opt_verbose;
 extern bool opt_realquiet;
 extern bool want_per_device_stats;
@@ -40,11 +41,9 @@ extern void _applog(int prio, const char *str, bool force);
 
 #define forcelog(prio, fmt, ...) do { \
   if (opt_debug || prio != LOG_DEBUG) { \
-    if (use_syslog || opt_verbose || prio <= opt_log_level) { \
-      char tmp42[LOGBUFSIZ]; \
-      snprintf(tmp42, sizeof(tmp42), fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__); \
-      _applog(prio, tmp42, true); \
-    } \
+    char tmp42[LOGBUFSIZ]; \
+    snprintf(tmp42, sizeof(tmp42), fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__); \
+    _applog(prio, tmp42, true); \
   } \
 } while (0)
 
diff --git a/sgminer.c b/sgminer.c
index b44678dd..7635167e 100644
--- a/sgminer.c
+++ b/sgminer.c
@@ -1100,6 +1100,7 @@ static char *set_pool_description(char *arg)
 static char *enable_debug(bool *flag)
 {
   *flag = true;
+  opt_debug_console = true;
   /* Turn on verbose output, too. */
   opt_verbose = true;
   return NULL;
@@ -1304,6 +1305,9 @@ struct opt_table opt_config_table[] = {
   OPT_WITHOUT_ARG("--debug|-D",
       enable_debug, &opt_debug,
       "Enable debug output"),
+  OPT_WITHOUT_ARG("--debug-log",
+      opt_set_bool, &opt_debug,
+      "Enable debug logging when stderr is redirected to file"),
   OPT_WITH_ARG("--default-profile",
       set_default_profile, NULL, NULL,
       "Set Default Profile"),
@@ -4631,7 +4635,7 @@ retry:
   wlogprint("[D]ebug: %s\n[P]er-device: %s\n[Q]uiet: %s\n[V]erbose: %s\n"
       "[R]PC debug: %s\n[W]orkTime details: %s\n[I]ncognito: %s\n"
       "co[M]pact: %s\n[L]og interval: %d\n[Z]ero statistics\n",
-    opt_debug ? "on" : "off",
+    opt_debug_console ? "on" : "off",
           want_per_device_stats? "on" : "off",
     opt_quiet ? "on" : "off",
     opt_verbose ? "on" : "off",
@@ -4655,7 +4659,7 @@ retry:
     goto retry;
   } else if (!strncasecmp(&input, "n", 1)) {
     opt_verbose = false;
-    opt_debug = false;
+    opt_debug_console = false;
     opt_quiet = false;
     opt_protocol = false;
     opt_compact = false;
@@ -4664,11 +4668,12 @@ retry:
     switch_logsize(false);
     goto retry;
   } else if (!strncasecmp(&input, "d", 1)) {
-    opt_debug ^= true;
-    opt_verbose = opt_debug;
-    if (opt_debug)
+    opt_debug = true;
+    opt_debug_console ^= true;
+    opt_verbose = opt_debug_console;
+    if (opt_debug_console)
       opt_quiet = false;
-    wlogprint("Debug mode %s\n", opt_debug ? "enabled" : "disabled");
+    wlogprint("Debug mode %s\n", opt_debug_console ? "enabled" : "disabled");
     goto retry;
   } else if (!strncasecmp(&input, "i", 1)) {
     opt_incognito ^= true;