diff --git a/bitbake/bin/bitbake b/bitbake/bin/bitbake
index 1a45ec4f79..0f4ff88171 100755
--- a/bitbake/bin/bitbake
+++ b/bitbake/bin/bitbake
@@ -152,6 +152,9 @@ Default BBFILES are the .bb files in the current directory.""" )
     # server is daemonized this logfile will be truncated.
     cooker_logfile = os.path.join (os.getcwd(), "cooker.log")
 
+    bb.utils.init_logger(bb.msg, configuration.verbose, configuration.debug,
+                         configuration.debug_domains)
+
     cooker = bb.cooker.BBCooker(configuration, server)
 
     # Clear away any spurious environment variables. But don't wipe the
diff --git a/bitbake/lib/bb/cooker.py b/bitbake/lib/bb/cooker.py
index 3881df484a..2406dfe95b 100644
--- a/bitbake/lib/bb/cooker.py
+++ b/bitbake/lib/bb/cooker.py
@@ -72,17 +72,6 @@ class BBCooker:
 
         self.configuration = configuration
 
-        if self.configuration.verbose:
-            bb.msg.set_verbose(True)
-
-        if self.configuration.debug:
-            bb.msg.set_debug_level(self.configuration.debug)
-        else:
-            bb.msg.set_debug_level(0)
-
-        if self.configuration.debug_domains:
-            bb.msg.set_debug_domains(self.configuration.debug_domains)
-
         self.configuration.data = bb.data.init()
 
         bb.data.inheritFromOS(self.configuration.data)
diff --git a/bitbake/lib/bb/utils.py b/bitbake/lib/bb/utils.py
index ad0aa68b27..40326f98d2 100644
--- a/bitbake/lib/bb/utils.py
+++ b/bitbake/lib/bb/utils.py
@@ -614,3 +614,19 @@ def which(path, item, direction = 0):
             return next
 
     return ""
+
+def init_logger(logger, verbose, debug, debug_domains):
+    """
+    Set verbosity and debug levels in the logger
+    """
+
+    if verbose:
+        logger.set_verbose(True)
+
+    if debug:
+        logger.set_debug_level(debug)
+    else:
+        logger.set_debug_level(0)
+
+    if debug_domains:
+        logger.set_debug_domains(debug_domains)