diff --git a/OpenSim/Framework/Servers/BaseOpenSimServer.cs b/OpenSim/Framework/Servers/BaseOpenSimServer.cs
index 566772d869..54e6061bb6 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Framework/Servers/BaseOpenSimServer.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Framework/Servers/BaseOpenSimServer.cs
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ using OpenSim.Framework.Monitoring;
 using OpenSim.Framework.Servers;
 using OpenSim.Framework.Servers.HttpServer;
 using Timer=System.Timers.Timer;
+using Nini.Config;
 
 namespace OpenSim.Framework.Servers
 {
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Framework.Servers
         /// This will control a periodic log printout of the current 'show stats' (if they are active) for this
         /// server.
         /// </summary>
+        private int m_periodDiagnosticTimerMS = 60 * 60 * 1000;
         private Timer m_periodicDiagnosticsTimer = new Timer(60 * 60 * 1000);
         
         /// <summary>
@@ -77,8 +79,6 @@ namespace OpenSim.Framework.Servers
             // Random uuid for private data
             m_osSecret = UUID.Random().ToString();
 
-            m_periodicDiagnosticsTimer.Elapsed += new ElapsedEventHandler(LogDiagnostics);
-            m_periodicDiagnosticsTimer.Enabled = true;
         }
         
         /// <summary>
@@ -89,6 +89,16 @@ namespace OpenSim.Framework.Servers
             StatsManager.SimExtraStats = new SimExtraStatsCollector();
             RegisterCommonCommands();
             RegisterCommonComponents(Config);
+
+            IConfig startupConfig = Config.Configs["Startup"];
+            int logShowStatsSeconds = startupConfig.GetInt("LogShowStatsSeconds", m_periodDiagnosticTimerMS / 1000);
+            m_periodDiagnosticTimerMS = logShowStatsSeconds * 1000;
+            m_periodicDiagnosticsTimer.Elapsed += new ElapsedEventHandler(LogDiagnostics);
+            if (m_periodDiagnosticTimerMS != 0)
+            {
+                m_periodicDiagnosticsTimer.Interval = m_periodDiagnosticTimerMS;
+                m_periodicDiagnosticsTimer.Enabled = true;
+            }
         }       
 
         protected override void ShutdownSpecific()
diff --git a/bin/OpenSimDefaults.ini b/bin/OpenSimDefaults.ini
index b9fd163169..8b8364cf8c 100644
--- a/bin/OpenSimDefaults.ini
+++ b/bin/OpenSimDefaults.ini
@@ -269,6 +269,10 @@
     ; PreJump is an additional animation state, but it probably
     ; won't look right until the physics engine supports it
     ; (i.e delays takeoff for a moment)
+    
+    ; Simulator statistics are output to the console periodically at debug level INFO.
+    ; Setting this to zero disables this output.
+    ; LogShowStatsSeconds = 3600
 
     ; Simulator Stats URI
     ; Enable JSON simulator data by setting a URI name (case sensitive)