diff --git a/include/notcurses.h b/include/notcurses.h
index 77a57fa33..a53c814db 100644
--- a/include/notcurses.h
+++ b/include/notcurses.h
@@ -98,6 +98,23 @@ typedef struct cell {
   uint64_t channels;          // + 8b == 16b
 } cell;
 
+// These log levels consciously map cleanly to those of libav; notcurses itself
+// does not use this full granularity. The log level does not affect the opening
+// and closing banners, which can be disabled via the notcurses_option struct's
+// 'suppress_banner'. Note that if stderr is connected to the same terminal on
+// which we're rendering, any kind of logging will disrupt the output.
+typedef enum {
+  NCLOGLEVEL_SILENT,  // default. print nothing once fullscreen service begins
+  NCLOGLEVEL_PANIC,   // print diagnostics immediately related to crashing
+  NCLOGLEVEL_FATAL,   // we're hanging around, but we've had a horrible fault
+  NCLOGLEVEL_ERROR,   // we can't keep doin' this, but we can do other things
+  NCLOGLEVEL_WARNING, // you probably don't want what's happening to happen
+  NCLOGLEVEL_INFO,    // "standard information"
+  NCLOGLEVEL_VERBOSE, // "detailed information"
+  NCLOGLEVEL_DEBUG,   // this is honestly a bit much
+  NCLOGLEVEL_TRACE,   // there's probably a better way to do what you want
+} ncloglevel_e;
+
 // Configuration for notcurses_init().
 typedef struct notcurses_options {
   // The name of the terminfo database entry describing this terminal. If NULL,
@@ -125,6 +142,9 @@ typedef struct notcurses_options {
   // If non-NULL, notcurses_render() will write each rendered frame to this
   // FILE* in addition to outfp. This is used primarily for debugging.
   FILE* renderfp;
+  // Progressively higher log levels result in more logging to stderr. By
+  // default, nothing is printed to stderr once fullscreen service begins.
+  ncloglevel_e loglevel;
 } notcurses_options;
 
 // Initialize a notcurses context on the connected terminal at 'fp'. 'fp' must
diff --git a/src/demo/demo.c b/src/demo/demo.c
index 89698f244..c7a54ebd7 100644
--- a/src/demo/demo.c
+++ b/src/demo/demo.c
@@ -66,9 +66,10 @@ struct timespec demodelay = {
 static void
 usage(const char* exe, int status){
   FILE* out = status == EXIT_SUCCESS ? stdout : stderr;
-  fprintf(out, "usage: %s [ -hHVkc ] [ -d mult ] [ -f renderfile ] demospec\n", exe);
+  fprintf(out, "usage: %s [ -hHVkc ] [ -l loglevel ] [ -d mult ] [ -f renderfile ] demospec\n", exe);
   fprintf(out, " -h: this message\n");
   fprintf(out, " -V: print program name and version\n");
+  fprintf(out, " -l: logging level (%d: silent..%d: manic)\n", NCLOGLEVEL_SILENT, NCLOGLEVEL_TRACE);
   fprintf(out, " -H: deploy the HUD\n");
   fprintf(out, " -k: keep screen; do not switch to alternate\n");
   fprintf(out, " -d: delay multiplier (float)\n");
@@ -287,7 +288,7 @@ handle_opts(int argc, char** argv, notcurses_options* opts, bool* use_hud){
   int c;
   *use_hud = false;
   memset(opts, 0, sizeof(*opts));
-  while((c = getopt(argc, argv, "HVhckd:f:p:")) != EOF){
+  while((c = getopt(argc, argv, "HVhckl:d:f:p:")) != EOF){
     switch(c){
       case 'H':
         *use_hud = true;
@@ -295,7 +296,19 @@ handle_opts(int argc, char** argv, notcurses_options* opts, bool* use_hud){
       case 'h':
         usage(*argv, EXIT_SUCCESS);
         break;
-      case 'V':
+      case 'l':{
+        int loglevel;
+        if(sscanf(optarg, "%d", &loglevel) != 1){
+          fprintf(stderr, "Couldn't get an int from %s\n", optarg);
+          usage(*argv, EXIT_FAILURE);
+        }
+        opts->loglevel = loglevel;
+        if(opts->loglevel < NCLOGLEVEL_SILENT || opts->loglevel > NCLOGLEVEL_TRACE){
+          fprintf(stderr, "Invalid log level: %d\n", opts->loglevel);
+          usage(*argv, EXIT_FAILURE);
+        }
+        break;
+      }case 'V':
         printf("notcurses-demo version %s\n", notcurses_version());
         exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
       case 'c':
diff --git a/src/lib/internal.h b/src/lib/internal.h
index 0d8047f99..cb5be281f 100644
--- a/src/lib/internal.h
+++ b/src/lib/internal.h
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ int prep_special_keys(notcurses* nc);
 void input_free_esctrie(struct esctrie** trie);
 
 // initialize libav
-int ncvisual_init(void);
+int ncvisual_init(int loglevel);
 
 static inline void
 ncplane_lock(const ncplane* n){
diff --git a/src/lib/libav.c b/src/lib/libav.c
index 60c643b04..84fdbdd11 100644
--- a/src/lib/libav.c
+++ b/src/lib/libav.c
@@ -437,8 +437,8 @@ int ncvisual_stream(notcurses* nc, ncvisual* ncv, int* averr,
   return -1;
 }
 
-int ncvisual_init(void){
-  av_log_set_level(AV_LOG_QUIET); // FIXME make this configurable?
+int ncvisual_init(int loglevel){
+  av_log_set_level(loglevel);
   // FIXME could also use av_log_set_callback() and capture the message...
   return 0;
 }
@@ -491,7 +491,8 @@ ncvisual* ncvisual_open_plane(notcurses* nc, const char* filename,
   return NULL;
 }
 
-int ncvisual_init(void){
+int ncvisual_init(int loglevel){
+  (void)loglevel;
   return 0;
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/lib/notcurses.c b/src/lib/notcurses.c
index 609ca7cdb..6d5981d06 100644
--- a/src/lib/notcurses.c
+++ b/src/lib/notcurses.c
@@ -332,8 +332,8 @@ ncplane_resize_internal(ncplane* n, int keepy, int keepx, int keepleny,
   }
   int rows, cols;
   ncplane_dim_yx(n, &rows, &cols);
-/*fprintf(stderr, "NCPLANE(RESIZING) to %dx%d at %d/%d (keeping %dx%d from %d/%d)\n",
-        ylen, xlen, yoff, xoff, keepleny, keeplenx, keepy, keepx);*/
+//fprintf(stderr, "NCPLANE(RESIZING) to %dx%d at %d/%d (keeping %dx%d from %d/%d)\n",
+//        ylen, xlen, yoff, xoff, keepleny, keeplenx, keepy, keepx);
   // we're good to resize. we'll need alloc up a new framebuffer, and copy in
   // those elements we're retaining, zeroing out the rest. alternatively, if
   // we've shrunk, we will be filling the new structure.
@@ -650,6 +650,25 @@ void notcurses_reset_stats(notcurses* nc, ncstats* stats){
   pthread_mutex_unlock(&nc->lock);
 }
 
+// Convert a notcurses log level to its ffmpeg equivalent.
+static int
+ffmpeg_log_level(ncloglevel_e level){
+  switch(level){
+    case NCLOGLEVEL_SILENT: return AV_LOG_QUIET;
+    case NCLOGLEVEL_PANIC: return AV_LOG_PANIC;
+    case NCLOGLEVEL_FATAL: return AV_LOG_FATAL;
+    case NCLOGLEVEL_ERROR: return AV_LOG_ERROR;
+    case NCLOGLEVEL_WARNING: return AV_LOG_WARNING;
+    case NCLOGLEVEL_INFO: return AV_LOG_INFO;
+    case NCLOGLEVEL_VERBOSE: return AV_LOG_VERBOSE;
+    case NCLOGLEVEL_DEBUG: return AV_LOG_DEBUG;
+    case NCLOGLEVEL_TRACE: return AV_LOG_TRACE;
+    default: break;
+  }
+  fprintf(stderr, "Invalid log level: %d\n", level);
+  return AV_LOG_TRACE;
+}
+
 notcurses* notcurses_init(const notcurses_options* opts, FILE* outfp){
   const char* encoding = nl_langinfo(CODESET);
   if(encoding == NULL || strcmp(encoding, "UTF-8")){
@@ -720,7 +739,7 @@ notcurses* notcurses_init(const notcurses_options* opts, FILE* outfp){
   if(interrogate_terminfo(ret, opts)){
     goto err;
   }
-  if(ncvisual_init()){
+  if(ncvisual_init(ffmpeg_log_level(opts->loglevel))){
     goto err;
   }
   if((ret->stdscr = create_initial_ncplane(ret)) == NULL){
diff --git a/src/view/view.cpp b/src/view/view.cpp
index ee0daac1e..1930fc119 100644
--- a/src/view/view.cpp
+++ b/src/view/view.cpp
@@ -94,7 +94,10 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv){
       std::cerr << "Error decoding " << argv[i] << ": " << errbuf.data() << std::endl;
       return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
-    notcurses_getc_blocking(nc, nullptr);
+    char32_t ie = notcurses_getc_blocking(nc, nullptr);
+    if(ie == (char32_t)-1){
+      break;
+    }
     ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
   }
   if(notcurses_stop(nc)){