diff --git a/picard/log.py b/picard/log.py
index 815c3cf34..764368d8c 100644
--- a/picard/log.py
+++ b/picard/log.py
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ from PyQt4 import QtCore
 from picard.util import thread
 
 
+LOG_INFO = 1
+LOG_WARNING = 2
+LOG_ERROR = 4
+LOG_DEBUG = 8
+
 _entries = deque(maxlen=50000)
 _receivers = []
 _log_debug_messages = False
@@ -37,22 +42,19 @@ def unregister_receiver(receiver):
     _receivers.remove(receiver)
 
 
-def _message(prefix, message, args, kwargs):
+def _message(level, message, args, kwargs):
     if not (isinstance(message, str) or isinstance(message, unicode)):
         message = repr(message)
     if args:
         message = message % args
-    prefix = "%s" % (prefix,)
     time = str(QtCore.QTime.currentTime().toString())
     message = "%s" % (message,)
-    if isinstance(prefix, unicode):
-        prefix = prefix.encode("utf-8", "replace")
     if isinstance(message, unicode):
         message = message.encode("utf-8", "replace")
-    _entries.append((prefix, time, message))
+    _entries.append((level, time, message))
     for func in _receivers:
         try:
-            func(prefix, time, message)
+            func(level, time, message)
         except Exception, e:
             import traceback
             traceback.print_exc()
@@ -60,23 +62,33 @@ def _message(prefix, message, args, kwargs):
 
 def debug(message, *args, **kwargs):
     if _log_debug_messages:
-        thread.proxy_to_main(_message, "D:", message, args, kwargs)
+        thread.proxy_to_main(_message, LOG_DEBUG, message, args, kwargs)
 
 
 def info(message, *args, **kwargs):
-    thread.proxy_to_main(_message, "I:", message, args, kwargs)
+    thread.proxy_to_main(_message, LOG_INFO, message, args, kwargs)
 
 
 def warning(message, *args, **kwargs):
-    thread.proxy_to_main(_message, "W:", message, args, kwargs)
+    thread.proxy_to_main(_message, LOG_WARNING, message, args, kwargs)
 
 
 def error(message, *args, **kwargs):
-    thread.proxy_to_main(_message, "E:", message, args, kwargs)
+    thread.proxy_to_main(_message, LOG_ERROR, message, args, kwargs)
 
 
-def _stderr_receiver(prefix, time, msg):
-    sys.stderr.write("%s %s %s %s%s" % (prefix, str(QtCore.QThread.currentThreadId()), time, msg, os.linesep))
+_log_prefixes = {
+    LOG_INFO: 'I:',
+    LOG_WARNING: 'W:',
+    LOG_ERROR: 'E:',
+    LOG_DEBUG: 'D:',
+}
+
+
+def _stderr_receiver(level, time, msg):
+    sys.stderr.write("%s %s %s %s%s" % (_log_prefixes[level],
+                                        str(QtCore.QThread.currentThreadId()),
+                                        time, msg, os.linesep))
 
 
 register_receiver(_stderr_receiver)
diff --git a/picard/ui/logview.py b/picard/ui/logview.py
index b9ce7236c..8ab98d578 100644
--- a/picard/ui/logview.py
+++ b/picard/ui/logview.py
@@ -26,25 +26,42 @@ class LogView(QtGui.QDialog):
 
     def __init__(self, parent=None):
         QtGui.QDialog.__init__(self, parent)
-        self.resize(540, 340)
+        self.resize(740, 340)
         self.setWindowTitle(_("Log"))
         self.doc = QtGui.QTextDocument(self)
         self.textCursor = QtGui.QTextCursor(self.doc)
         font = QtGui.QFont()
         font.setFamily("Monospace")
-        self.textFormat = QtGui.QTextCharFormat()
-        self.textFormat.setFont(font)
+        self.textFormatInfo = QtGui.QTextCharFormat()
+        self.textFormatInfo.setFont(font)
+        self.textFormatInfo.setForeground(QtGui.QColor('black'))
+        self.textFormatDebug = QtGui.QTextCharFormat()
+        self.textFormatDebug.setFont(font)
+        self.textFormatDebug.setForeground(QtGui.QColor('purple'))
+        self.textFormatWarning = QtGui.QTextCharFormat()
+        self.textFormatWarning.setFont(font)
+        self.textFormatWarning.setForeground(QtGui.QColor('darkorange'))
+        self.textFormatError = QtGui.QTextCharFormat()
+        self.textFormatError.setFont(font)
+        self.textFormatError.setForeground(QtGui.QColor('red'))
+        self.formats = {
+            log.LOG_INFO: self.textFormatInfo,
+            log.LOG_WARNING: self.textFormatWarning,
+            log.LOG_ERROR: self.textFormatError,
+            log.LOG_DEBUG: self.textFormatDebug,
+        }
+
         self.browser = QtGui.QTextBrowser(self)
         self.browser.setDocument(self.doc)
         vbox = QtGui.QHBoxLayout(self)
         vbox.addWidget(self.browser)
         for level, time, msg in log._entries:
-            self.add_entry(prefix, time, msg)
+            self.add_entry(level, time, msg)
         log.register_receiver(self.add_entry)
 
-    def add_entry(self, prefix, time, msg):
+    def add_entry(self, level, time, msg):
         self.textCursor.movePosition(QtGui.QTextCursor.End)
-        self.textCursor.insertText(prefix + ' ' + str(QtCore.QThread.currentThreadId()) + ' ' + time + ' ' + msg, self.textFormat)
+        self.textCursor.insertText(time + ' ' + msg, self.formats[level])
         self.textCursor.insertBlock()
         sb = self.browser.verticalScrollBar()
         sb.setValue(sb.maximum())