diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml
index 36adf5ec9477b3fb8d9bec477a51ab1c79f895ae..1bb3ce7f07e1f5158d42b7cd7c968c60a1613b02 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <!--
-$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml,v 1.141 2002/09/27 02:04:39 momjian Exp $
+$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml,v 1.142 2002/10/02 16:27:57 momjian Exp $
 -->
 
 <Chapter Id="runtime">
@@ -1036,15 +1036,15 @@ env PGOPTIONS='-c geqo=off' psql
       <term><varname>LOG_MIN_ERROR_STATEMENT</varname> (<type>string</type>)</term>
       <listitem>
        <para>
-        This controls which log messages are accompanied by the original
-        query which generated the message. All queries matching the setting
-        or which are of a higher severity than the setting are logged. The
-        default is <literal>ERROR</literal>. Valid values are
-        <literal>DEBUG5</literal>, <literal>DEBUG4</literal>, 
-        <literal>DEBUG3</literal>, <literal>DEBUG2</literal>, 
+        This controls which message types output the original query to
+        the server logs. All queries matching the setting or higher are
+        logged. The default is <literal>PANIC</literal>. Valid values
+        are <literal>DEBUG5</literal>, <literal>DEBUG4</literal>,
+        <literal>DEBUG3</literal>, <literal>DEBUG2</literal>,
         <literal>DEBUG1</literal>, <literal>INFO</literal>,
-        <literal>NOTICE</literal>, <literal>WARNING</literal>
-        and <literal>ERROR</literal>.
+        <literal>NOTICE</literal>, <literal>WARNING</literal>,
+        <literal>ERROR</literal>, <literal>FATAL</literal>, and
+	<literal>PANIC</literal>.
        </para>
        <para>
         It is recommended you enable <literal>LOG_PID</literal> as well
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
index fa2057ca935325e40d0aaef70e5d1fc2ba2aea4f..2e386afab15a9b5d19d298353a4ed423efc67986 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  * command, configuration file, and command line options.
  * See src/backend/utils/misc/README for more information.
  *
- * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c,v 1.96 2002/09/22 19:52:38 tgl Exp $
+ * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c,v 1.97 2002/10/02 16:27:57 momjian Exp $
  *
  * Copyright 2000 by PostgreSQL Global Development Group
  * Written by Peter Eisentraut <peter_e@gmx.net>.
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ bool		Password_encryption = true;
 
 int			log_min_error_statement = ERROR;
 char	   *log_min_error_statement_str = NULL;
-const char	log_min_error_statement_str_default[] = "error";
+const char	log_min_error_statement_str_default[] = "panic";
 
 int			server_min_messages = NOTICE;
 char	   *server_min_messages_str = NULL;
@@ -3000,6 +3000,17 @@ assign_msglvl(int *var, const char *newval, bool doit, bool interactive)
 		if (doit)
 			(*var) = ERROR;
 	}
+	/* We allow FATAL/PANIC for client-side messages too. */
+	else if (strcasecmp(newval, "fatal") == 0)
+	{
+		if (doit)
+			(*var) = FATAL;
+	}
+	else if (strcasecmp(newval, "panic") == 0)
+	{
+		if (doit)
+			(*var) = PANIC;
+	}
 	else
 		return NULL;			/* fail */
 	return newval;				/* OK */