diff --git a/cmd/server.go b/cmd/server.go
index 5d5035ba7..20de85a3f 100644
--- a/cmd/server.go
+++ b/cmd/server.go
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ on the configured port.`,
 	flags.StringSliceVarP(&Server.Config.Cluster.Nodes, "cluster.hosts", "", []string{}, "Comma separated list of hosts in cluster.")
 	flags.DurationVarP((*time.Duration)(&Server.Config.Cluster.PollingInterval), "cluster.poll-interval", "", time.Minute, "Polling interval for cluster.") // TODO what actually is this?
 	flags.StringVarP(&Server.Config.Plugins.Path, "plugins.path", "", "", "Path to plugin directory.")
+	flags.StringVar(&Server.Config.LogPath, "log-path", "", "Log path")
 	flags.DurationVarP((*time.Duration)(&Server.Config.AntiEntropy.Interval), "anti-entropy.interval", "", time.Minute*10, "Interval at which to run anti-entropy routine.")
 	flags.StringVarP(&Server.CPUProfile, "profile.cpu", "", "", "Where to store CPU profile.")
 	flags.DurationVarP(&Server.CPUTime, "profile.cpu-time", "", 30*time.Second, "CPU profile duration.")
diff --git a/cmd/server_test.go b/cmd/server_test.go
index d677d67a8..927ce8b66 100644
--- a/cmd/server_test.go
+++ b/cmd/server_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package cmd_test
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -23,6 +24,8 @@ func TestServerConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	failErr(t, err, "making data dir")
 	profFile, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "")
 	failErr(t, err, "making temp file")
+	logFile, err := ioutil.TempFile("", "")
+	failErr(t, err, "making log file")
 	tests := []commandTest{
 		// TEST 0
 		{
@@ -73,7 +76,7 @@ data-dir = "` + actualDataDir + `"
 		},
 		// TEST 2
 		{
-			args: []string{"server"},
+			args: []string{"server", "--log-path", logFile.Name()},
 			env:  map[string]string{"PILOSA_PROFILE.CPU_TIME": "1m"},
 			cfgFileContent: `
 bind = "localhost:0"
@@ -96,7 +99,16 @@ data-dir = "` + actualDataDir + `"
 				v.Check(cmd.Server.Config.AntiEntropy.Interval, pilosa.Duration(time.Minute*11))
 				v.Check(cmd.Server.CPUProfile, profFile.Name())
 				v.Check(cmd.Server.CPUTime, time.Minute)
-				return v.Error()
+				v.Check(cmd.Server.Config.LogPath, logFile.Name())
+				if v.Error() != nil {
+					return v.Error()
+				}
+				// confirm log file was written
+				info, err := logFile.Stat()
+				if err != nil || info.Size() == 0 {
+					return errors.New("Log file was not written!")
+				}
+				return nil
 			},
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index e664c0771..8250c7f91 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	AntiEntropy struct {
 		Interval Duration `toml:"interval"`
 	} `toml:"anti-entropy"`
+
+	LogPath string `toml:"log-path"`
 }
 
 // NewConfig returns an instance of Config with default options.
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index cd9aa3cb0..469b5bc3b 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -68,7 +68,15 @@ func (m *Command) Run(args ...string) (err error) {
 	}
 
 	// Setup logging output.
-	m.Server.LogOutput = m.Stderr
+	if m.Config.LogPath == "" {
+		m.Server.LogOutput = m.Stderr
+	} else {
+		logFile, err := os.OpenFile(m.Config.LogPath, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_APPEND, 0600)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		m.Server.LogOutput = logFile
+	}
 
 	// Configure index.
 	fmt.Fprintf(m.Stderr, "Using data from: %s\n", m.Config.DataDir)
@@ -108,7 +116,17 @@ func normalizeHost(host string) (string, error) {
 
 // Close shuts down the server.
 func (m *Command) Close() error {
-	err := m.Server.Close()
+	var logErr error
+	serveErr := m.Server.Close()
+	logOutput := m.Server.LogOutput
+	if closer, ok := logOutput.(io.Closer); ok {
+		logErr = closer.Close()
+	}
 	close(m.Done)
-	return err
+	if serveErr != nil && logErr != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("closing server: '%v', closing logs: '%v'", serveErr, logErr)
+	} else if logErr != nil {
+		return logErr
+	}
+	return serveErr
 }