diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.tm.terminal/.options b/plugins/org.eclipse.tm.terminal/.options
index 5f5848c2565..78cb917d600 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.tm.terminal/.options
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.tm.terminal/.options
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
+org.eclipse.tm.terminal/debug/log = false
 org.eclipse.tm.terminal/debug/log/char = false
 org.eclipse.tm.terminal/debug/log/VT100Backend = false
diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.tm.terminal/src/org/eclipse/tm/internal/terminal/emulator/VT100Emulator.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.tm.terminal/src/org/eclipse/tm/internal/terminal/emulator/VT100Emulator.java
index 76c40883f99..594bacb94f2 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.tm.terminal/src/org/eclipse/tm/internal/terminal/emulator/VT100Emulator.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.tm.terminal/src/org/eclipse/tm/internal/terminal/emulator/VT100Emulator.java
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ public class VT100Emulator implements ControlListener {
 			ansiParameters[i] = new StringBuffer();
 		}
 		setInputStreamReader(reader);
-		if(TerminalPlugin.isOptionEnabled("org.eclipse.tm.terminal/debug/log/VT100Backend")) //$NON-NLS-1$
+		if(TerminalPlugin.isOptionEnabled(Logger.TRACE_DEBUG_LOG_VT100BACKEND)) //$NON-NLS-1$
 			text=new VT100BackendTraceDecorator(new VT100EmulatorBackend(data),System.out);
 		else
 			text=new VT100EmulatorBackend(data);
diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.tm.terminal/src/org/eclipse/tm/internal/terminal/provisional/api/Logger.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.tm.terminal/src/org/eclipse/tm/internal/terminal/provisional/api/Logger.java
index e7808a5d16e..e465587f72a 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.tm.terminal/src/org/eclipse/tm/internal/terminal/provisional/api/Logger.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.tm.terminal/src/org/eclipse/tm/internal/terminal/provisional/api/Logger.java
@@ -42,20 +42,30 @@ import org.eclipse.tm.internal.terminal.control.impl.TerminalPlugin;
  * </p>
  */
 public final class Logger {
-    public static final String  TRACE_DEBUG_LOG_CHAR           = "org.eclipse.tm.terminal/debug/log/char"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+    public static final String TRACE_DEBUG_LOG					= "org.eclipse.tm.terminal/debug/log"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+    public static final String TRACE_DEBUG_LOG_CHAR				= "org.eclipse.tm.terminal/debug/log/char"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+    public static final String TRACE_DEBUG_LOG_VT100BACKEND		= "org.eclipse.tm.terminal/debug/log/VT100Backend"; //$NON-NLS-1$
 
     private static PrintStream logStream;
 
 	static {
-		IPath logFile = Platform.getStateLocation(TerminalPlugin.getDefault().getBundle());
-		if (logFile != null && logFile.toFile().isDirectory()) {
-			logFile = logFile.append("tmterminal.log"); //$NON-NLS-1$
-			try {
-				logStream = new PrintStream(new FileOutputStream(logFile.toFile(), true));
-			} catch (Exception ex) {
-				logStream = System.err;
-				logStream.println("Exception when opening log file -- logging to stderr!"); //$NON-NLS-1$
-				ex.printStackTrace(logStream);
+		// Any of the three known debugging options turns on the creation of the log file
+		boolean createLogFile = TerminalPlugin.isOptionEnabled(TRACE_DEBUG_LOG)
+									|| TerminalPlugin.isOptionEnabled(TRACE_DEBUG_LOG_CHAR)
+									|| TerminalPlugin.isOptionEnabled(TRACE_DEBUG_LOG_VT100BACKEND);
+		
+		// Log only if tracing is enabled
+		if (createLogFile && TerminalPlugin.getDefault() != null) {
+			IPath logFile = Platform.getStateLocation(TerminalPlugin.getDefault().getBundle());
+			if (logFile != null && logFile.toFile().isDirectory()) {
+				logFile = logFile.append("tmterminal.log"); //$NON-NLS-1$
+				try {
+					logStream = new PrintStream(new FileOutputStream(logFile.toFile(), true));
+				} catch (Exception ex) {
+					logStream = System.err;
+					logStream.println("Exception when opening log file -- logging to stderr!"); //$NON-NLS-1$
+					ex.printStackTrace(logStream);
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}