diff --git a/artiq/frontend/artiq_coretool.py b/artiq/frontend/artiq_coretool.py
index bd788084d..5a097961f 100755
--- a/artiq/frontend/artiq_coretool.py
+++ b/artiq/frontend/artiq_coretool.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import argparse
 import struct
 
+from artiq.tools import verbosity_args, init_logger
 from artiq.master.databases import DeviceDB
 from artiq.master.worker_db import DeviceManager
 from artiq.coredevice.analyzer import decode_dump, messages_to_vcd
@@ -11,6 +12,8 @@ from artiq.coredevice.analyzer import decode_dump, messages_to_vcd
 def get_argparser():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="ARTIQ core device "
                                                  "remote access tool")
+
+    verbosity_args(parser)
     parser.add_argument("--device-db", default="device_db.pyon",
                        help="device database file (default: '%(default)s')")
 
@@ -58,6 +61,7 @@ def get_argparser():
 
 def main():
     args = get_argparser().parse_args()
+    init_logger(args)
     device_mgr = DeviceManager(DeviceDB(args.device_db))
     try:
         comm = device_mgr.get("comm")