diff --git a/src/vs/code/browser/workbench/workbench.ts b/src/vs/code/browser/workbench/workbench.ts
index 0ef8b9dc81419b53b27cf111fb206d72ba56bada..cd6cde15786fc8106184b1e3c1d1cdee0cbcd76b 100644
--- a/src/vs/code/browser/workbench/workbench.ts
+++ b/src/vs/code/browser/workbench/workbench.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import { isStandalone } from 'vs/base/browser/browser';
 import { localize } from 'vs/nls';
 import { Schemas } from 'vs/base/common/network';
 import product from 'vs/platform/product/common/product';
+import { getLogLevel, LogLevel } from 'vs/platform/log/common/log';
 
 function doCreateUri(path: string, queryValues: Map<string, string>): URI {
 	let query: string | undefined = undefined;
@@ -416,7 +417,8 @@ class WindowIndicator implements IWindowIndicator {
 	// Find workspace to open and payload
 	let foundWorkspace = false;
 	let workspace: IWorkspace;
-	let payload = Object.create(null);
+	let payloadRaw = Object.create(null);
+	let payloadMap = new Map<string, string>();
 
 	const query = new URL(document.location.href).searchParams;
 	query.forEach((value, key) => {
@@ -443,7 +445,10 @@ class WindowIndicator implements IWindowIndicator {
 			// Payload
 			case WorkspaceProvider.QUERY_PARAM_PAYLOAD:
 				try {
-					payload = JSON.parse(value);
+					payloadRaw = JSON.parse(value);
+					if (Array.isArray(payloadRaw)) {
+						payloadMap = new Map(payloadRaw);
+					}
 				} catch (error) {
 					console.error(error); // possible invalid JSON
 				}
@@ -463,7 +468,7 @@ class WindowIndicator implements IWindowIndicator {
 	}
 
 	// Workspace Provider
-	const workspaceProvider = new WorkspaceProvider(workspace, payload);
+	const workspaceProvider = new WorkspaceProvider(workspace, payloadRaw);
 
 	// Home Indicator
 	const homeIndicator: IHomeIndicator = {
@@ -511,6 +516,13 @@ class WindowIndicator implements IWindowIndicator {
 		}
 	} : undefined;
 
+	// log level
+	let logLevel: LogLevel | undefined = undefined;
+	const logLevelPayload = payloadMap.get('logLevel');
+	if (logLevelPayload) {
+		logLevel = getLogLevel(logLevelPayload);
+	}
+
 	// Finally create workbench
 	create(document.body, {
 		...config,
@@ -520,6 +532,7 @@ class WindowIndicator implements IWindowIndicator {
 		productQualityChangeHandler,
 		workspaceProvider,
 		urlCallbackProvider: new PollingURLCallbackProvider(),
-		credentialsProvider: new LocalStorageCredentialsProvider()
+		credentialsProvider: new LocalStorageCredentialsProvider(),
+		logLevel
 	});
 })();
diff --git a/src/vs/platform/log/common/log.ts b/src/vs/platform/log/common/log.ts
index add6b7666af489d24a6f4be4da4fdffec924108d..c3702745b82c89461b690173957ca7b11880299c 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/log/common/log.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/log/common/log.ts
@@ -414,12 +414,23 @@ export class NullLogService implements ILogService {
 	flush(): void { }
 }
 
-export function getLogLevel(environmentService: IEnvironmentService): LogLevel {
-	if (environmentService.verbose) {
-		return LogLevel.Trace;
+export function getLogLevel(environmentService: IEnvironmentService): LogLevel;
+export function getLogLevel(logLevel: string): LogLevel;
+export function getLogLevel(arg: IEnvironmentService | string): LogLevel {
+	let rawLogLevel: string | undefined = undefined;
+
+	if (typeof arg !== 'string') {
+		if (arg.verbose) {
+			return LogLevel.Trace;
+		}
+
+		rawLogLevel = arg.logLevel;
+	} else {
+		rawLogLevel = arg;
 	}
-	if (typeof environmentService.logLevel === 'string') {
-		const logLevel = environmentService.logLevel.toLowerCase();
+
+	if (typeof rawLogLevel === 'string') {
+		const logLevel = rawLogLevel.toLowerCase();
 		switch (logLevel) {
 			case 'trace':
 				return LogLevel.Trace;