diff --git a/src/lager.erl b/src/lager.erl
index 01cb5bc..2264e70 100644
--- a/src/lager.erl
+++ b/src/lager.erl
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ trace_file(File, Filter, Level) ->
                 false ->
                     %% install the handler
                     supervisor:start_child(lager_handler_watcher_sup,
-                        [lager_event, {lager_file_backend, File}, {File, none}]);
+                        [lager_event, {lager_file_backend, File}, {File, Level}]);
                 _ ->
                     {ok, exists}
             end,
diff --git a/src/lager_console_backend.erl b/src/lager_console_backend.erl
index f0765eb..9591fcb 100644
--- a/src/lager_console_backend.erl
+++ b/src/lager_console_backend.erl
@@ -43,24 +43,26 @@ init([Level, true]) -> % for backwards compatibility
 init([Level,false]) -> % for backwards compatibility
     init([Level,{lager_default_formatter,?TERSE_FORMAT}]);
 init([Level,{Formatter,FormatterConfig}])  when is_atom(Level), is_atom(Formatter)->
-    case lists:member(Level, ?LEVELS) of
-        true ->
-            {ok, #state{level=lager_util:level_to_num(Level), 
+   try lager_util:config_to_level(Level) of
+        Levels ->
+            {ok, #state{level=Levels,
                     formatter=Formatter, 
-                    format_config=FormatterConfig}};
-        _ ->
+                    format_config=FormatterConfig}}
+    catch
+        _:_ ->
             {error, bad_log_level}
     end.
 
 
 %% @private
-handle_call(get_loglevel, #state{level=Level} = State) ->
-    {ok, Level, State};
+handle_call(get_loglevel, #state{level=[Level|_]} = State) ->
+    {ok, lager_util:level_to_num(Level), State};
 handle_call({set_loglevel, Level}, State) ->
-    case lists:member(Level, ?LEVELS) of
-        true ->
-            {ok, ok, State#state{level=lager_util:level_to_num(Level)}};
-        _ ->
+   try lager_util:config_to_level(Level) of
+        Levels ->
+            {ok, ok, State#state{level=Levels}}
+    catch
+        _:_ ->
             {ok, {error, bad_log_level}, State}
     end;
 handle_call(_Request, State) ->
@@ -233,8 +235,67 @@ console_log_test_() ->
                                 ?assert(true)
                         end
                 end
+            },
+            {"blacklisting a loglevel works",
+                fun() ->
+                        Pid = spawn(F(self())),
+                        unregister(user),
+                        register(user, Pid),
+                        gen_event:add_handler(lager_event, lager_console_backend, info),
+                        lager_mochiglobal:put(loglevel, {?INFO, []}),
+                        lager:set_loglevel(lager_console_backend, '!=info'),
+                        erlang:group_leader(Pid, whereis(lager_event)),
+                        lager:debug("Test message"),
+                        receive
+                            {io_request, From1, ReplyAs1, {put_chars, unicode, Msg1}} ->
+                                From1 ! {io_reply, ReplyAs1, ok},
+                                ?assertMatch([_, "[debug]", "Test message\r\n"], re:split(Msg1, " ", [{return, list}, {parts, 3}]))
+                        after
+                            1000 ->
+                                ?assert(false)
+                        end,
+                        %% info is blacklisted
+                        lager:info("Test message"),
+                        receive
+                            {io_request, From2, ReplyAs2, {put_chars, unicode, _Msg2}} ->
+                                From2 ! {io_reply, ReplyAs2, ok},
+                                ?assert(false)
+                        after
+                            500 ->
+                                ?assert(true)
+                        end
+                end
+            },
+            {"whitelisting a loglevel works",
+                fun() ->
+                        Pid = spawn(F(self())),
+                        unregister(user),
+                        register(user, Pid),
+                        gen_event:add_handler(lager_event, lager_console_backend, info),
+                        lager_mochiglobal:put(loglevel, {?INFO, []}),
+                        lager:set_loglevel(lager_console_backend, '=debug'),
+                        erlang:group_leader(Pid, whereis(lager_event)),
+                        lager:debug("Test message"),
+                        receive
+                            {io_request, From1, ReplyAs1, {put_chars, unicode, Msg1}} ->
+                                From1 ! {io_reply, ReplyAs1, ok},
+                                ?assertMatch([_, "[debug]", "Test message\r\n"], re:split(Msg1, " ", [{return, list}, {parts, 3}]))
+                        after
+                            1000 ->
+                                ?assert(false)
+                        end,
+                        %% info is blacklisted
+                        lager:error("Test message"),
+                        receive
+                            {io_request, From2, ReplyAs2, {put_chars, unicode, _Msg2}} ->
+                                From2 ! {io_reply, ReplyAs2, ok},
+                                ?assert(false)
+                        after
+                            500 ->
+                                ?assert(true)
+                        end
+                end
             }
-
         ]
     }.
 
@@ -256,7 +317,12 @@ set_loglevel_test_() ->
                 fun() ->
                         ?assertEqual(info, lager:get_loglevel(lager_console_backend)),
                         lager:set_loglevel(lager_console_backend, debug),
-                        ?assertEqual(debug, lager:get_loglevel(lager_console_backend))
+                        ?assertEqual(debug, lager:get_loglevel(lager_console_backend)),
+                        lager:set_loglevel(lager_console_backend, '!=debug'),
+                        ?assertEqual(info, lager:get_loglevel(lager_console_backend)),
+                        lager:set_loglevel(lager_console_backend, '!=info'),
+                        ?assertEqual(debug, lager:get_loglevel(lager_console_backend)),
+                        ok
                 end
             },
             {"Get/set invalid loglevel test",
diff --git a/src/lager_file_backend.erl b/src/lager_file_backend.erl
index 6a5048f..227f048 100644
--- a/src/lager_file_backend.erl
+++ b/src/lager_file_backend.erl
@@ -64,12 +64,12 @@ init([LogFile,{Formatter,FormatterConfig}]) ->
             schedule_rotation(Name, Date),
             State = case lager_util:open_logfile(Name, true) of
                 {ok, {FD, Inode, _}} ->
-                    #state{name=Name, level=lager_util:level_to_num(Level),
+                    #state{name=Name, level=Level,
                         fd=FD, inode=Inode, size=Size, date=Date, count=Count, formatter=Formatter, formatter_config=FormatterConfig};
                 {error, Reason} ->
                     ?INT_LOG(error, "Failed to open log file ~s with error ~s",
                         [Name, file:format_error(Reason)]),
-                    #state{name=Name, level=lager_util:level_to_num(Level),
+                    #state{name=Name, level=Level,
                         flap=true, size=Size, date=Date, count=Count, formatter=Formatter, formatter_config=FormatterConfig}
             end,
 
@@ -83,10 +83,15 @@ init(LogFile) ->
 
 %% @private
 handle_call({set_loglevel, Level}, #state{name=Ident} = State) ->
-    ?INT_LOG(notice, "Changed loglevel of ~s to ~p", [Ident, Level]),
-    {ok, ok, State#state{level=lager_util:level_to_num(Level)}};
-handle_call(get_loglevel, #state{level=Level} = State) ->
-    {ok, Level, State};
+    case validate_loglevel(Level) of
+        false ->
+            {ok, {error, bad_loglevel}, State};
+        Levels ->
+            ?INT_LOG(notice, "Changed loglevel of ~s to ~p", [Ident, Level]),
+            {ok, ok, State#state{level=Levels}}
+    end;
+handle_call(get_loglevel, #state{level=[Level|_]} = State) ->
+    {ok, lager_util:level_to_num(Level), State};
 handle_call(_Request, State) ->
     {ok, ok, State}.
 
@@ -159,16 +164,16 @@ write(#state{name=Name, fd=FD, inode=Inode, flap=Flap, size=RotSize,
     end.
 
 validate_logfile({Name, Level}) ->
-    case lists:member(Level, ?LEVELS) of
-        true ->
-            {Name, Level, 0, undefined, 0};
-        _ ->
+    case validate_loglevel(Level) of
+        false ->
             ?INT_LOG(error, "Invalid log level of ~p for ~s.",
                 [Level, Name]),
-            false
+            false;
+        Levels ->
+            {Name, Levels, 0, undefined, 0}
     end;
 validate_logfile({Name, Level, Size, Date, Count}) ->
-    ValidLevel = (lists:member(Level, ?LEVELS)),
+    ValidLevel = validate_loglevel(Level),
     ValidSize = (is_integer(Size) andalso Size >= 0),
     ValidCount = (is_integer(Count) andalso Count >= 0),
     case {ValidLevel, ValidSize, ValidCount} of
@@ -184,13 +189,13 @@ validate_logfile({Name, Level, Size, Date, Count}) ->
             ?INT_LOG(error, "Invalid rotation count of ~p for ~s.",
                 [Count, Name]),
             false;
-        {true, true, true} ->
+        {Levels, true, true} ->
             case lager_util:parse_rotation_date_spec(Date) of
                 {ok, Spec} ->
-                    {Name, Level, Size, Spec, Count};
+                    {Name, Levels, Size, Spec, Count};
                 {error, _} when Date == "" ->
                     %% blank ones are fine.
-                    {Name, Level, Size, undefined, Count};
+                    {Name, Levels, Size, undefined, Count};
                 {error, _} ->
                     ?INT_LOG(error, "Invalid rotation date of ~p for ~s.",
                         [Date, Name]),
@@ -201,6 +206,16 @@ validate_logfile(H) ->
     ?INT_LOG(error, "Invalid log file config ~p.", [H]),
     false.
 
+validate_loglevel(Level) ->
+    try lager_util:config_to_level(Level) of
+        Levels ->
+            Levels
+    catch
+        _:_ ->
+            false
+    end.
+
+
 schedule_rotation(_, undefined) ->
     ok;
 schedule_rotation(Name, Date) ->
@@ -211,10 +226,10 @@ schedule_rotation(Name, Date) ->
 
 get_loglevel_test() ->
     {ok, Level, _} = handle_call(get_loglevel,
-        #state{name="bar", level=lager_util:level_to_num(info), fd=0, inode=0}),
+        #state{name="bar", level=lager_util:config_to_level(info), fd=0, inode=0}),
     ?assertEqual(Level, lager_util:level_to_num(info)),
     {ok, Level2, _} = handle_call(get_loglevel,
-        #state{name="foo", level=lager_util:level_to_num(warning), fd=0, inode=0}),
+        #state{name="foo", level=lager_util:config_to_level(warning), fd=0, inode=0}),
     ?assertEqual(Level2, lager_util:level_to_num(warning)).
 
 rotation_test() ->
diff --git a/src/lager_util.erl b/src/lager_util.erl
index 2b51fe1..c800ccc 100644
--- a/src/lager_util.erl
+++ b/src/lager_util.erl
@@ -377,7 +377,11 @@ check_trace_iter(Attrs, [{Key, Match}|T]) ->
             false
     end.
 
--spec is_loggable(lager_msg:lager_msg(),integer(),term()) -> boolean().
+-spec is_loggable(lager_msg:lager_msg(),integer()|list(),term()) -> boolean().
+is_loggable(Msg, SeverityList, MyName) when is_list(SeverityList) ->
+    %% using syslog style comparison flags
+    lists:member(lager_msg:severity(Msg), SeverityList) orelse
+    lists:member(MyName, lager_msg:destinations(Msg));
 is_loggable(Msg ,SeverityThreshold,MyName) ->
     lager_msg:severity_as_int(Msg) =< SeverityThreshold orelse
     lists:member(MyName, lager_msg:destinations(Msg)).