diff --git a/src/ign.cc b/src/ign.cc
index 12ef07713..faba5dcc3 100644
--- a/src/ign.cc
+++ b/src/ign.cc
@@ -33,6 +33,18 @@ char* g_argv[] =
   reinterpret_cast<char*>(const_cast<char*>("./ignition")),
 };
 
+//////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void startConsoleLog()
+{
+  std::string home;
+  ignition::common::env(IGN_HOMEDIR, home);
+
+  std::string logPathMod = ignition::common::joinPaths(home,
+      ".ignition", "gui", "log",
+      ignition::common::timeToIso(IGN_SYSTEM_TIME()));
+  ignLogInit(logPathMod, "console.log");
+}
+
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////
 extern "C" IGNITION_GUI_VISIBLE char *ignitionVersion()
 {
@@ -42,6 +54,8 @@ extern "C" IGNITION_GUI_VISIBLE char *ignitionVersion()
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////
 extern "C" IGNITION_GUI_VISIBLE void cmdPluginList()
 {
+  startConsoleLog();
+
   ignition::gui::Application app(g_argc, g_argv);
 
   auto pluginsList = app.PluginList();
@@ -65,6 +79,8 @@ extern "C" IGNITION_GUI_VISIBLE void cmdPluginList()
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////
 extern "C" IGNITION_GUI_VISIBLE void cmdStandalone(const char *_filename)
 {
+  startConsoleLog();
+
   ignition::gui::Application app(g_argc, g_argv,
       ignition::gui::WindowType::kDialog);
 
@@ -79,6 +95,8 @@ extern "C" IGNITION_GUI_VISIBLE void cmdStandalone(const char *_filename)
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////
 extern "C" IGNITION_GUI_VISIBLE void cmdConfig(const char *_config)
 {
+  startConsoleLog();
+
   ignition::gui::Application app(g_argc, g_argv);
 
   if (!app.findChild<ignition::gui::MainWindow *>())
@@ -103,6 +121,8 @@ extern "C" IGNITION_GUI_VISIBLE void cmdVerbose(const char *_verbosity)
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////
 extern "C" IGNITION_GUI_VISIBLE void cmdEmptyWindow()
 {
+  startConsoleLog();
+
   ignition::gui::Application app(g_argc, g_argv);
 
   if (!app.findChild<ignition::gui::MainWindow *>())
diff --git a/src/ign_TEST.cc b/src/ign_TEST.cc
index 80a240ac8..cf3ba5ea7 100644
--- a/src/ign_TEST.cc
+++ b/src/ign_TEST.cc
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 
 #include <string>
 
+#include <ignition/common/Filesystem.hh>
+#include <ignition/common/Util.hh>
 #include <ignition/utilities/ExtraTestMacros.hh>
 
 #include "test_config.h"  // NOLINT(build/include)
@@ -52,10 +54,45 @@ std::string custom_exec_str(std::string _cmd)
   return result;
 }
 
+using namespace ignition;
+
+class CmdLine : public ::testing::Test
+{
+  // Documentation inherited
+  protected: void SetUp() override
+  {
+    // Change environment variable so that test files aren't written to $HOME
+    common::env(IGN_HOMEDIR, this->realHome);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(common::setenv(IGN_HOMEDIR, this->kFakeHome.c_str()));
+  }
+
+  // Documentation inherited
+  protected: void TearDown() override
+  {
+    // Restore $HOME
+    EXPECT_TRUE(common::setenv(IGN_HOMEDIR, this->realHome.c_str()));
+  }
+
+  /// \brief Directory to act as $HOME for tests
+  public: const std::string kFakeHome = common::joinPaths(PROJECT_BINARY_PATH,
+      "test", "fake_home");
+
+  /// \brief Store user's real $HOME to set it back at the end of tests.
+  public: std::string realHome;
+};
+
 // See https://github.com/ignitionrobotics/ign-gui/issues/75
-TEST(CmdLine, IGN_UTILS_TEST_ENABLED_ONLY_ON_LINUX(list))
+TEST_F(CmdLine, IGN_UTILS_TEST_ENABLED_ONLY_ON_LINUX(list))
 {
+  // Clear home if it exists
+  common::removeAll(this->kFakeHome);
+
+  EXPECT_FALSE(common::exists(this->kFakeHome));
+
   std::string output = custom_exec_str("ign gui -l");
   EXPECT_NE(output.find("TopicEcho"), std::string::npos) << output;
   EXPECT_NE(output.find("Publisher"), std::string::npos) << output;
+
+  EXPECT_TRUE(common::exists(common::joinPaths(this->kFakeHome, ".ignition",
+      "gui")));
 }
diff --git a/tutorials/02_commandline.md b/tutorials/02_commandline.md
index daa19ab4e..978021331 100644
--- a/tutorials/02_commandline.md
+++ b/tutorials/02_commandline.md
@@ -32,3 +32,6 @@ If you have Ignition Tools installed, you can use the `ign gui` command line too
       --force-version <VERSION>  Use a specific library version.
 
       --versions                 Show the available versions.
+
+When using the command line tool, all console messages are logged to
+`$HOME/.ignition/gui/log/<timestamp>`.