diff --git a/include/text.php b/include/text.php
index 2919989331..01873bff24 100644
--- a/include/text.php
+++ b/include/text.php
@@ -753,6 +753,72 @@ function logger($msg, $level = 0) {
 	$a->save_timestamp($stamp1, "file");
 }}
 
+/**
+ * @brief An alternative logger for development.
+ * Works largely as logger() but allows developers
+ * to isolate particular elements they are targetting
+ * personally without background noise
+ *
+ * log levels:
+ * LOGGER_NORMAL (default)
+ * LOGGER_TRACE
+ * LOGGER_DEBUG
+ * LOGGER_DATA
+ * LOGGER_ALL
+ *
+ * @global App $a
+ * @global dba $db
+ * @global array $LOGGER_LEVELS
+ * @param string $msg
+ * @param int $level
+ */
+
+function dlogger($msg, $level = 0) {
+	$a = get_app();
+	global $db;
+
+	// turn off logger in install mode
+	if (
+		$a->module == 'install'
+		|| ! ($db && $db->connected)
+	) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	$logfile = get_config('system','dlogfile');
+
+	if (! $logfile) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (count($LOGGER_LEVELS) == 0) {
+		foreach (get_defined_constants() as $k => $v) {
+			if (substr($k, 0, 7) == "LOGGER_") {
+				$LOGGER_LEVELS[$v] = substr($k, 7, 7);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	$process_id = session_id();
+
+	if ($process_id == '') {
+		$process_id = get_app()->process_id;
+	}
+
+	$callers = debug_backtrace();
+	$logline = sprintf("%s@\t%s:\t%s:\t%s\t%s\t%s\n",
+			datetime_convert(),
+			$process_id,
+			basename($callers[0]['file']),
+			$callers[0]['line'],
+			$callers[1]['function'],
+			$msg
+		);
+
+	$stamp1 = microtime(true);
+	@file_put_contents($logfile, $logline, FILE_APPEND);
+	$a->save_timestamp($stamp1, "file");
+}
 
 if(! function_exists('activity_match')) {
 /**