diff --git a/qutebrowser/qutebrowser.py b/qutebrowser/qutebrowser.py
index f7c6eb904..2aa26ce15 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/qutebrowser.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/qutebrowser.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import sys
 import json
 
 import qutebrowser
+from qutebrowser.utils import log
 try:
     from qutebrowser.misc.checkpyver import check_python_version
 except ImportError:
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ def get_argparser():
                        help="Set loglevel", default='info',
                        choices=['critical', 'error', 'warning', 'info',
                                 'debug', 'vdebug'])
-    debug.add_argument('--logfilter',
+    debug.add_argument('--logfilter', type=logfilter_error,
                        help="Comma-separated list of things to be logged "
                        "to the debug log on stdout.")
     debug.add_argument('--loglines',
@@ -139,6 +140,14 @@ def get_argparser():
     return parser
 
 
+def logfilter_error(logfilter):
+    if set(logfilter.split(',')).issubset(log.LOGGER_NAMES)==False:
+        raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError("filters: Invalid value {} - expected one "
+                                        "of: {}".format(logfilter,
+                                        ', '.join(log.LOGGER_NAMES)))
+    return logfilter
+
+
 def main():
     parser = get_argparser()
     if sys.platform == 'darwin' and getattr(sys, 'frozen', False):