diff --git a/engine/common/host.c b/engine/common/host.c
index 70cb51c5..b30063ff 100644
--- a/engine/common/host.c
+++ b/engine/common/host.c
@@ -140,7 +140,8 @@ static void Sys_PrintUsage( const char *exename )
 
 "\nCommon options:\n"
 	O("-dev [level]       ", "set log verbosity 0-2")
-	O("-log               ", "write log to \"engine.log\"")
+	O("-log [file name]   ", "write log to \"engine.log\" or [file name] if specified")
+	O("-logtime           ", "enable writing timestamps to the log file")
 	O("-nowriteconfig     ", "disable config save")
 	O("-noch              ", "disable crashhandler")
 #if XASH_WIN32 // !!!!
diff --git a/engine/common/sys_con.c b/engine/common/sys_con.c
index 624120e6..091b27a3 100644
--- a/engine/common/sys_con.c
+++ b/engine/common/sys_con.c
@@ -31,15 +31,14 @@ GNU General Public License for more details.
 #define XASH_COLORIZE_CONSOLE 0
 #endif
 
-typedef struct {
-	char		title[64];
-	qboolean		log_active;
-	char		log_path[MAX_SYSPATH];
-	FILE		*logfile;
-	int 		logfileno;
-} LogData;
-
-static LogData s_ld;
+static struct logdata_s {
+	char     title[64];
+	qboolean log_active;
+	qboolean log_time;
+	char     log_path[MAX_SYSPATH];
+	FILE     *logfile;
+	int      logfileno;
+} s_ld;
 
 void Sys_DestroyConsole( void )
 {
@@ -78,14 +77,19 @@ static void Sys_FlushLogfile( void )
 
 void Sys_InitLog( void )
 {
-	const char	*mode;
+	const char *mode;
 
 	if( Sys_CheckParm( "-log" ))
 	{
+		if( !Sys_GetParmFromCmdLine( "-log", s_ld.log_path ))
+			Q_strncpy( s_ld.log_path, "engine.log", sizeof( s_ld.log_path ));
+
+		COM_DefaultExtension( s_ld.log_path, ".log", sizeof( s_ld.log_path ));
 		s_ld.log_active = true;
-		Q_strncpy( s_ld.log_path, "engine.log", sizeof( s_ld.log_path ));
 	}
 
+	s_ld.log_time = Sys_CheckParm( "-logtime" );
+
 	if( host.change_game && host.type != HOST_DEDICATED )
 		mode = "a";
 	else mode = "w";
@@ -101,7 +105,7 @@ void Sys_InitLog( void )
 
 		if ( !s_ld.logfile )
 		{
-			Con_Reportf( S_ERROR  "Sys_InitLog: can't create log file %s: %s\n", s_ld.log_path, strerror( errno ));
+			Con_Reportf( S_ERROR "%s: can't create log file %s: %s\n", __func__, s_ld.log_path, strerror( errno ));
 			return;
 		}
 
@@ -295,17 +299,23 @@ void Sys_PrintLog( const char *pMsg )
 	// save last char to detect when line was not ended
 	lastchar = len > 0 ? pMsg[len - 1] : 0;
 
-	if( !s_ld.logfile )
-		return;
-
-	if( print_time )
+	// spew to engine.log
+	if( s_ld.logfile )
 	{
-		logtime_len = strftime( logtime, sizeof( logtime ), "[%Y:%m:%d|%H:%M:%S] ", crt_tm ); //full time
-		logtime_len = Q_min( logtime_len, sizeof( logtime ) - 1 ); // just in case
+		if( s_ld.log_time && print_time )
+		{
+			logtime_len = strftime( logtime, sizeof( logtime ), "[%Y:%m:%d|%H:%M:%S] ", crt_tm ); //full time
+			logtime_len = Q_min( logtime_len, sizeof( logtime ) - 1 ); // just in case
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			logtime[0] = '\0';
+			logtime_len = 0;
+		}
+
+		Sys_PrintLogfile( s_ld.logfileno, logtime, logtime_len, pMsg, false );
+		Sys_FlushLogfile();
 	}
-	
-	Sys_PrintLogfile( s_ld.logfileno, logtime, logtime_len, pMsg, false );
-	Sys_FlushLogfile();
 }
 
 /*