diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 3509b93f..ef23bb6a 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -71,8 +71,15 @@ Feature release.
 
 **Configuration**
 
+- Add ``optional=True`` support to :class:`mopidy.config.Boolean`.
+
+**Logging**
+
 - Fix proper decoding of exception messages that depends on the user's locale.
 
+- Colorize logs depending on log level. This can be turned off with the new
+  :confval:`logging/color` configuration. (Fixes: :issue:`772`)
+
 **Extension support**
 
 - Removed the :class:`~mopidy.ext.Extension` methods that were deprecated in
diff --git a/docs/config.rst b/docs/config.rst
index 35acc10d..f5f6bd19 100644
--- a/docs/config.rst
+++ b/docs/config.rst
@@ -107,6 +107,11 @@ Audio configuration
 Logging configuration
 ---------------------
 
+.. confval:: logging/color
+
+    Whether or not to colorize the console log based on log level. Defaults to
+    ``true``.
+
 .. confval:: logging/console_format
 
     The log format used for informational logging.
diff --git a/mopidy/config/__init__.py b/mopidy/config/__init__.py
index c23707d8..3b63a1ab 100644
--- a/mopidy/config/__init__.py
+++ b/mopidy/config/__init__.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ from mopidy.utils import path, versioning
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 _logging_schema = ConfigSchema('logging')
+_logging_schema['color'] = Boolean()
 _logging_schema['console_format'] = String()
 _logging_schema['debug_format'] = String()
 _logging_schema['debug_file'] = Path()
diff --git a/mopidy/config/default.conf b/mopidy/config/default.conf
index d56b7b28..6a900cf9 100644
--- a/mopidy/config/default.conf
+++ b/mopidy/config/default.conf
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 [logging]
+color = true
 console_format = %(levelname)-8s %(message)s
 debug_format = %(levelname)-8s %(asctime)s [%(process)d:%(threadName)s] %(name)s\n  %(message)s
 debug_file = mopidy.log
diff --git a/mopidy/config/types.py b/mopidy/config/types.py
index a6736371..4498cb67 100644
--- a/mopidy/config/types.py
+++ b/mopidy/config/types.py
@@ -151,7 +151,13 @@ class Boolean(ConfigValue):
     true_values = ('1', 'yes', 'true', 'on')
     false_values = ('0', 'no', 'false', 'off')
 
+    def __init__(self, optional=False):
+        self._required = not optional
+
     def deserialize(self, value):
+        validators.validate_required(value, self._required)
+        if not value:
+            return None
         if value.lower() in self.true_values:
             return True
         elif value.lower() in self.false_values:
diff --git a/mopidy/http/actor.py b/mopidy/http/actor.py
index 484fc946..96c71c8c 100644
--- a/mopidy/http/actor.py
+++ b/mopidy/http/actor.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import tornado.websocket
 from mopidy import models, zeroconf
 from mopidy.core import CoreListener
 from mopidy.http import handlers
+from mopidy.utils import formatting
 
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -88,7 +89,8 @@ class HttpFrontend(pykka.ThreadingActor, CoreListener):
 
         logger.debug(
             'HTTP routes from extensions: %s',
-            list((l[0], l[1]) for l in request_handlers))
+            formatting.indent('\n'.join(
+                '%r: %r' % (r[0], r[1]) for r in request_handlers)))
         return request_handlers
 
     def _get_app_request_handlers(self):
diff --git a/mopidy/http/handlers.py b/mopidy/http/handlers.py
index 18b56de2..048c9ddf 100644
--- a/mopidy/http/handlers.py
+++ b/mopidy/http/handlers.py
@@ -152,6 +152,9 @@ class ClientListHandler(tornado.web.RequestHandler):
         self.apps = apps
         self.statics = statics
 
+    def get_template_path(self):
+        return os.path.dirname(__file__)
+
     def get(self):
         set_mopidy_headers(self)
 
diff --git a/mopidy/mpd/actor.py b/mopidy/mpd/actor.py
index 684b4968..52cf6746 100644
--- a/mopidy/mpd/actor.py
+++ b/mopidy/mpd/actor.py
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 import logging
-import sys
 
 import pykka
 
-from mopidy import zeroconf
+from mopidy import exceptions, zeroconf
 from mopidy.core import CoreListener
 from mopidy.mpd import session
 from mopidy.utils import encoding, network, process
@@ -34,10 +33,9 @@ class MpdFrontend(pykka.ThreadingActor, CoreListener):
                 max_connections=config['mpd']['max_connections'],
                 timeout=config['mpd']['connection_timeout'])
         except IOError as error:
-            logger.error(
-                'MPD server startup failed: %s',
+            raise exceptions.FrontendError(
+                'MPD server startup failed: %s' %
                 encoding.locale_decode(error))
-            sys.exit(1)
 
         logger.info('MPD server running at [%s]:%s', self.hostname, self.port)
 
diff --git a/mopidy/utils/log.py b/mopidy/utils/log.py
index cde07693..5d6d3635 100644
--- a/mopidy/utils/log.py
+++ b/mopidy/utils/log.py
@@ -3,6 +3,16 @@ from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import logging
 import logging.config
 import logging.handlers
+import platform
+
+
+LOG_LEVELS = {
+    -1: dict(root=logging.ERROR, mopidy=logging.WARNING),
+    0: dict(root=logging.ERROR, mopidy=logging.INFO),
+    1: dict(root=logging.WARNING, mopidy=logging.DEBUG),
+    2: dict(root=logging.INFO, mopidy=logging.DEBUG),
+    3: dict(root=logging.DEBUG, mopidy=logging.DEBUG),
+}
 
 
 class DelayedHandler(logging.Handler):
@@ -46,13 +56,41 @@ def setup_logging(config, verbosity_level, save_debug_log):
     _delayed_handler.release()
 
 
-LOG_LEVELS = {
-    -1: dict(root=logging.ERROR, mopidy=logging.WARNING),
-    0: dict(root=logging.ERROR, mopidy=logging.INFO),
-    1: dict(root=logging.WARNING, mopidy=logging.DEBUG),
-    2: dict(root=logging.INFO, mopidy=logging.DEBUG),
-    3: dict(root=logging.DEBUG, mopidy=logging.DEBUG),
-}
+def setup_console_logging(config, verbosity_level):
+    if verbosity_level < min(LOG_LEVELS.keys()):
+        verbosity_level = min(LOG_LEVELS.keys())
+    if verbosity_level > max(LOG_LEVELS.keys()):
+        verbosity_level = max(LOG_LEVELS.keys())
+
+    loglevels = config.get('loglevels', {})
+    has_debug_loglevels = any([
+        level < logging.INFO for level in loglevels.values()])
+
+    verbosity_filter = VerbosityFilter(verbosity_level, loglevels)
+
+    if verbosity_level < 1 and not has_debug_loglevels:
+        log_format = config['logging']['console_format']
+    else:
+        log_format = config['logging']['debug_format']
+    formatter = logging.Formatter(log_format)
+
+    if config['logging']['color']:
+        handler = ColorizingStreamHandler()
+    else:
+        handler = logging.StreamHandler()
+    handler.addFilter(verbosity_filter)
+    handler.setFormatter(formatter)
+
+    logging.getLogger('').addHandler(handler)
+
+
+def setup_debug_logging_to_file(config):
+    formatter = logging.Formatter(config['logging']['debug_format'])
+    handler = logging.handlers.RotatingFileHandler(
+        config['logging']['debug_file'], maxBytes=10485760, backupCount=3)
+    handler.setFormatter(formatter)
+
+    logging.getLogger('').addHandler(handler)
 
 
 class VerbosityFilter(logging.Filter):
@@ -72,35 +110,74 @@ class VerbosityFilter(logging.Filter):
         return record.levelno >= required_log_level
 
 
-def setup_console_logging(config, verbosity_level):
-    if verbosity_level < min(LOG_LEVELS.keys()):
-        verbosity_level = min(LOG_LEVELS.keys())
-    if verbosity_level > max(LOG_LEVELS.keys()):
-        verbosity_level = max(LOG_LEVELS.keys())
+class ColorizingStreamHandler(logging.StreamHandler):
+    """
+    Stream handler which colorizes the log using ANSI escape sequences.
 
-    loglevels = config.get('loglevels', {})
-    has_debug_loglevels = any([
-        level < logging.INFO for level in loglevels.values()])
+    Does nothing on Windows, which doesn't support ANSI escape sequences.
 
-    verbosity_filter = VerbosityFilter(verbosity_level, loglevels)
+    This implementation is based upon https://gist.github.com/vsajip/758430,
+    which is:
 
-    if verbosity_level < 1 and not has_debug_loglevels:
-        log_format = config['logging']['console_format']
-    else:
-        log_format = config['logging']['debug_format']
-    formatter = logging.Formatter(log_format)
+        Copyright (C) 2010-2012 Vinay Sajip. All rights reserved.
+        Licensed under the new BSD license.
+    """
 
-    handler = logging.StreamHandler()
-    handler.addFilter(verbosity_filter)
-    handler.setFormatter(formatter)
+    color_map = {
+        'black': 0,
+        'red': 1,
+        'green': 2,
+        'yellow': 3,
+        'blue': 4,
+        'magenta': 5,
+        'cyan': 6,
+        'white': 7,
+    }
 
-    logging.getLogger('').addHandler(handler)
+    # Map logging levels to (background, foreground, bold/intense)
+    level_map = {
+        logging.DEBUG: (None, 'blue', False),
+        logging.INFO: (None, 'white', False),
+        logging.WARNING: (None, 'yellow', False),
+        logging.ERROR: (None, 'red', False),
+        logging.CRITICAL: ('red', 'white', True),
+    }
+    csi = '\x1b['
+    reset = '\x1b[0m'
 
+    is_windows = platform.system() == 'Windows'
 
-def setup_debug_logging_to_file(config):
-    formatter = logging.Formatter(config['logging']['debug_format'])
-    handler = logging.handlers.RotatingFileHandler(
-        config['logging']['debug_file'], maxBytes=10485760, backupCount=3)
-    handler.setFormatter(formatter)
+    @property
+    def is_tty(self):
+        isatty = getattr(self.stream, 'isatty', None)
+        return isatty and isatty()
 
-    logging.getLogger('').addHandler(handler)
+    def emit(self, record):
+        try:
+            message = self.format(record)
+            self.stream.write(message)
+            self.stream.write(getattr(self, 'terminator', '\n'))
+            self.flush()
+        except Exception:
+            self.handleError(record)
+
+    def format(self, record):
+        message = logging.StreamHandler.format(self, record)
+        if not self.is_tty or self.is_windows:
+            return message
+        return self.colorize(message, record)
+
+    def colorize(self, message, record):
+        if record.levelno in self.level_map:
+            bg, fg, bold = self.level_map[record.levelno]
+            params = []
+            if bg in self.color_map:
+                params.append(str(self.color_map[bg] + 40))
+            if fg in self.color_map:
+                params.append(str(self.color_map[fg] + 30))
+            if bold:
+                params.append('1')
+            if params:
+                message = ''.join((
+                    self.csi, ';'.join(params), 'm', message, self.reset))
+        return message
diff --git a/tests/config/test_types.py b/tests/config/test_types.py
index e4a6f22e..dfb439be 100644
--- a/tests/config/test_types.py
+++ b/tests/config/test_types.py
@@ -214,6 +214,10 @@ class BooleanTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(b'false', result)
         self.assertIsInstance(result, bytes)
 
+    def test_deserialize_respects_optional(self):
+        value = types.Boolean(optional=True)
+        self.assertEqual(None, value.deserialize(''))
+
     # TODO: test None or other invalid values into serialize?