diff --git a/pelican/__init__.py b/pelican/__init__.py
index aef4b124b..8a880584f 100644
--- a/pelican/__init__.py
+++ b/pelican/__init__.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 
 # pelican.log has to be the first pelican module to be loaded
 # because logging.setLoggerClass has to be called before logging.getLogger
-from pelican.log import console  # noqa: I001
+from pelican.log import console, DEFAULT_LOG_HANDLER  # noqa: I001
 from pelican.log import init as init_logging
 from pelican.generators import (
     ArticlesGenerator,
@@ -455,6 +455,17 @@ def parse_arguments(argv=None):
         ),
     )
 
+    LOG_HANDLERS = {"plain": None, "rich": DEFAULT_LOG_HANDLER}
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--log-handler",
+        default="rich",
+        choices=LOG_HANDLERS,
+        help=(
+            "Which handler to use to format log messages. "
+            "The `rich` handler prints output in columns."
+        ),
+    )
+
     parser.add_argument(
         "--logs-dedup-min-level",
         default="WARNING",
@@ -509,6 +520,8 @@ def parse_arguments(argv=None):
     if args.bind is not None and not args.listen:
         logger.warning("--bind without --listen has no effect")
 
+    args.log_handler = LOG_HANDLERS[args.log_handler]
+
     return args
 
 
@@ -631,6 +644,7 @@ def main(argv=None):
         level=args.verbosity,
         fatal=args.fatal,
         name=__name__,
+        handler=args.log_handler,
         logs_dedup_min_level=logs_dedup_min_level,
     )
 
diff --git a/pelican/log.py b/pelican/log.py
index ef49d2804..edf2f1826 100644
--- a/pelican/log.py
+++ b/pelican/log.py
@@ -126,11 +126,13 @@ def error(self, *args, stacklevel=1, **kwargs):
 # force root logger to be of our preferred class
 logging.getLogger().__class__ = FatalLogger
 
+DEFAULT_LOG_HANDLER = RichHandler(console=console)
+
 
 def init(
     level=None,
     fatal="",
-    handler=RichHandler(console=console),
+    handler=DEFAULT_LOG_HANDLER,
     name=None,
     logs_dedup_min_level=None,
 ):
@@ -139,7 +141,10 @@ def init(
 
     LOG_FORMAT = "%(message)s"
     logging.basicConfig(
-        level=level, format=LOG_FORMAT, datefmt="[%H:%M:%S]", handlers=[handler]
+        level=level,
+        format=LOG_FORMAT,
+        datefmt="[%H:%M:%S]",
+        handlers=[handler] if handler else [],
     )
 
     logger = logging.getLogger(name)