diff --git a/src/conf.c b/src/conf.c
index 6160cfe2..1bdd71ae 100644
--- a/src/conf.c
+++ b/src/conf.c
@@ -43,23 +43,27 @@ static int parse_conf(char *file);
 
 void conf_parse_cmdline(void)
 {
+	int dbg = 0, qit = 0;
 	FILE *fp;
-	char line[LINE_SIZE];
 
 	fp = fopen("/proc/cmdline", "r");
 	if (fp) {
+		char line[LINE_SIZE];
+
 		fgets(line, sizeof(line), fp);
 		chomp(line);
 		_d("%s", line);
 
 		if (strstr(line, "finit_debug") || strstr(line, "--debug"))
-			debug = 1;
+			dbg = 1;
 
-		if (!debug && strstr(line, "quiet"))
-			quiet = 1;
+		if (strstr(line, "quiet"))
+			qit = 1;
 
 		fclose(fp);
 	}
+
+	log_init(qit, dbg);
 }
 
 /* Convert optional "[!123456789S]" string into a bitmask */
diff --git a/src/log.c b/src/log.c
index 93b16978..900d9be2 100644
--- a/src/log.c
+++ b/src/log.c
@@ -32,6 +32,14 @@
 
 static int loglevel = LOG_NOTICE;
 
+void log_init(int qit, int dbg)
+{
+	if (dbg)
+		debug = 1;
+	if (!dbg && qit)
+		quiet = 1;
+}
+
 /* If we enabled terse mode at boot, restore to previous setting at shutdown */
 void log_exit(void)
 {
diff --git a/src/log.h b/src/log.h
index 87117e40..860cdb2e 100644
--- a/src/log.h
+++ b/src/log.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 #define  _e(fmt, args...) logit(LOG_ERR,     "%s():" fmt "\n", __func__, ##args)
 #define _pe(fmt, args...) logit(LOG_ERR,     "%s():" fmt ": %m\n", __func__, ##args)
 
+void    log_init        (int qit, int dbg);
 void    log_exit        (void);
 
 void    log_debug       (void);