diff --git a/picard/log.py b/picard/log.py
index 739706f0e..8833ea9ae 100644
--- a/picard/log.py
+++ b/picard/log.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ from PyQt5 import QtCore
 
 _MAX_TAIL_LEN = 10**6
 
-VERBOSITY_DEFAULT = logging.INFO
+VERBOSITY_DEFAULT = logging.WARNING
 
 
 def debug_mode(enabled):
diff --git a/picard/tagger.py b/picard/tagger.py
index e9c992596..78e8d1717 100644
--- a/picard/tagger.py
+++ b/picard/tagger.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ sip.setapi("QVariant", 2)
 from PyQt5 import QtGui, QtCore, QtWidgets
 
 import argparse
+import logging
 import os.path
 import platform
 import re
@@ -99,6 +100,8 @@ class Tagger(QtWidgets.QApplication):
 
     __instance = None
 
+    _debug = False
+
     def __init__(self, picard_args, unparsed_args, localedir, autoupdate):
 
         # Use the new fusion style from PyQt5 for a modern and consistent look
@@ -117,7 +120,12 @@ class Tagger(QtWidgets.QApplication):
 
         self._cmdline_files = picard_args.FILE
         self._autoupdate = autoupdate
-        self._debug = False
+
+        self.debug(
+            picard_args.debug
+            or "PICARD_DEBUG" in os.environ
+            or config.setting['log_verbosity'] == logging.DEBUG
+        )
 
         # FIXME: Figure out what's wrong with QThreadPool.globalInstance().
         # It's a valid reference, but its start() method doesn't work.
@@ -152,7 +160,6 @@ class Tagger(QtWidgets.QApplication):
             signal.signal(signal.SIGTERM, self.signal)
 
         # Setup logging
-        self.debug(picard_args.debug or "PICARD_DEBUG" in os.environ)
         log.debug("Starting Picard from %r", os.path.abspath(__file__))
         log.debug("Platform: %s %s %s", platform.platform(),
                   platform.python_implementation(), platform.python_version())
diff --git a/picard/ui/logview.py b/picard/ui/logview.py
index 093bd762d..8de6550b0 100644
--- a/picard/ui/logview.py
+++ b/picard/ui/logview.py
@@ -144,13 +144,13 @@ class LogView(LogViewCommon):
         config.Option("persist", "logview_position", QtCore.QPoint()),
         config.Option("persist", "logview_size", QtCore.QSize(
             LogViewCommon.WIDTH, LogViewCommon.HEIGHT)),
-        config.Option("persist", "logview_verbosity", log.VERBOSITY_DEFAULT),
+        config.IntOption("setting", "log_verbosity", log.VERBOSITY_DEFAULT),
     ]
 
     def __init__(self, parent=None):
         super().__init__(log.main_tail, _("Log"), w=self.WIDTH,
                          h=self.HEIGHT, parent=parent)
-        self.verbosity = config.persist['logview_verbosity']
+        self.verbosity = config.setting['log_verbosity']
         self.restoreWindowState("logview_position", "logview_size")
 
         self._setup_formats()
@@ -296,12 +296,12 @@ class LogView(LogViewCommon):
         self.verbosity_menu.set_verbosity(self.verbosity)
 
     def closeEvent(self, event):
-        config.persist['logview_verbosity'] = self.verbosity
         self.saveWindowState("logview_position", "logview_size")
         super().closeEvent(event)
 
     def _verbosity_changed(self, level):
         if level != self.verbosity:
+            config.setting['log_verbosity'] = level
             QtCore.QObject.tagger.debug(level == logging.DEBUG)
             self.verbosity = level
             self.display(clear=True)