diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 3c352cfe7e..77fda3cab7 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -1899,6 +1899,7 @@ virLogProbablyLogMessage;
 virLogReset;
 virLogSetDefaultPriority;
 virLogSetFromEnv;
+virLogSetOutputs;
 virLogUnlock;
 virLogVMessage;
 
diff --git a/src/util/virlog.c b/src/util/virlog.c
index 25b1fcb5d1..377a7c1c62 100644
--- a/src/util/virlog.c
+++ b/src/util/virlog.c
@@ -2149,3 +2149,34 @@ virLogParseFilters(const char *src, virLogFilterPtr **filters)
     virStringFreeList(strings);
     return ret;
 }
+
+/**
+ * virLogSetOutputs:
+ * @outputs: string defining a (set of) output(s)
+ *
+ * Replaces the current set of defined outputs with a new set of outputs.
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success or -1 in case of an error.
+ */
+int
+virLogSetOutputs(const char *src)
+{
+    int ret = -1;
+    int noutputs = 0;
+    virLogOutputPtr *outputs = NULL;
+
+    if (virLogInitialize() < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    if ((noutputs = virLogParseOutputs(src, &outputs)) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    if (virLogDefineOutputs(outputs, noutputs) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    outputs = NULL;
+    ret = 0;
+ cleanup:
+    virLogOutputListFree(outputs, noutputs);
+    return ret;
+}
diff --git a/src/util/virlog.h b/src/util/virlog.h
index 1f97238114..f3b8f8b63f 100644
--- a/src/util/virlog.h
+++ b/src/util/virlog.h
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ void virLogOutputFree(virLogOutputPtr output);
 void virLogOutputListFree(virLogOutputPtr *list, int count);
 void virLogFilterFree(virLogFilterPtr filter);
 void virLogFilterListFree(virLogFilterPtr *list, int count);
+int virLogSetOutputs(const char *outputs) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1);
 
 /*
  * Internal logging API