diff -r f50c94ec0021 -r d31a4f3b547e pidgin/gtkmain.c
--- a/pidgin/gtkmain.c	Wed Aug 14 16:17:04 2013 +0200
+++ b/pidgin/gtkmain.c	Fri Aug 16 09:29:04 2013 +0200
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@
 		g_string_append_printf(str, _("Usage: %s [OPTION]...\n\n"), name);
 		g_string_append_printf(str, "  -c, --config=%s    %s\n",
 				_("DIR"), _("use DIR for config files"));
-		g_string_append_printf(str, "  -d, --debug         %s\n",
+		g_string_append_printf(str, "  -d, --debug[=colored] %s\n",
 				_("print debugging messages to stdout"));
 		g_string_append_printf(str, "  -f, --force-online  %s\n",
 				_("force online, regardless of network status"));
@@ -458,13 +458,13 @@
 #endif
 	int opt;
 	gboolean gui_check;
-	gboolean debug_enabled;
+	gboolean debug_enabled, debug_colored;
 	GList *active_accounts;
 	GStatBuf st;
 
 	struct option long_options[] = {
 		{"config",       required_argument, NULL, 'c'},
-		{"debug",        no_argument,       NULL, 'd'},
+		{"debug",        optional_argument, NULL, 'd'},
 		{"force-online", no_argument,       NULL, 'f'},
 		{"help",         no_argument,       NULL, 'h'},
 		{"login",        optional_argument, NULL, 'l'},
@@ -477,6 +477,7 @@
 		{0, 0, 0, 0}
 	};
 
+	debug_colored = FALSE;
 #ifdef DEBUG
 	debug_enabled = TRUE;
 #else
@@ -624,6 +625,8 @@
 			break;
 		case 'd':	/* debug */
 			debug_enabled = TRUE;
+			if (g_strcmp0(optarg, "colored") == 0)
+				debug_colored = TRUE;
 			break;
 		case 'f':	/* force-online */
 			opt_force_online = TRUE;
@@ -703,6 +706,7 @@
 	 */
 
 	purple_debug_set_enabled(debug_enabled);
+	purple_debug_set_colored(debug_colored);
 
 #if !GTK_CHECK_VERSION(3,0,0)
 	search_path = g_build_filename(purple_user_dir(), "gtkrc-2.0", NULL);