diff --git a/src/util-debug.c b/src/util-debug.c
index 53b387d..0e5aba2 100644
--- a/src/util-debug.c
+++ b/src/util-debug.c
@@ -305,7 +305,6 @@ SCError SCLogMessage(SCLogLevel log_level, char **msg, const char *file,
 
                 gettimeofday(&tval, NULL);
                 tms = localtime(&tval.tv_sec);
-
                 cw = snprintf(temp, SC_LOG_MAX_LOG_MSG_LEN - (temp - *msg),
                               "%s%d/%d/%04d -- %02d:%02d:%02d",
                               substr, tms->tm_mday, tms->tm_mon + 1,
@@ -319,6 +318,25 @@ SCError SCLogMessage(SCLogLevel log_level, char **msg, const char *file,
                 substr++;
                 break;
 
+            case SC_LOG_FMT_ISO8601_TIME:
+                temp_fmt[0] = '\0';
+
+                gettimeofday(&tval, NULL);
+                tms = localtime(&tval.tv_sec);
+                cw = snprintf(temp, SC_LOG_MAX_LOG_MSG_LEN - (temp - *msg),
+                              "%s%04d/%02d/%02d %02d:%02d:%02d",
+                              substr, tms->tm_year + 1900, tms->tm_mon + 1, 
+                              tms->tm_mday, tms->tm_hour, tms->tm_min,
+                              tms->tm_sec);
+
+                if (cw < 0)
+                    goto error;
+                temp += cw;
+                temp_fmt++;
+                substr = temp_fmt;
+                substr++;
+                break;
+
             case SC_LOG_FMT_PID:
                 temp_fmt[0] = '\0';
                 cw = snprintf(temp, SC_LOG_MAX_LOG_MSG_LEN - (temp - *msg),
diff --git a/src/util-debug.h b/src/util-debug.h
index 65658f3..971230c 100644
--- a/src/util-debug.h
+++ b/src/util-debug.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ typedef enum {
 } SCLogOPIface;
 
 /* The default log_format, if it is not supplied by the user */
-#define SC_LOG_DEF_LOG_FORMAT "[%i] %t - (%f:%l) <%d> (%n) -- "
+#define SC_LOG_DEF_LOG_FORMAT "[%i] %T - (%f:%l) <%d> (%n) -- "
 
 /* The maximum length of the log message */
 #define SC_LOG_MAX_LOG_MSG_LEN 1024
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ typedef struct SCLogConfig_ {
 
 /* The different log format specifiers supported by the API */
 #define SC_LOG_FMT_TIME             't' /* Timestamp in standard format */
+#define SC_LOG_FMT_ISO8601_TIME     'T' /* Timestamp in ISO8601 standard format */
 #define SC_LOG_FMT_PID              'p' /* PID */
 #define SC_LOG_FMT_TID              'i' /* Thread ID */
 #define SC_LOG_FMT_TM               'm' /* Thread module name */
