diff --git a/text_formatter.go b/text_formatter.go
index b4dffa1..ba88854 100644
--- a/text_formatter.go
+++ b/text_formatter.go
@@ -49,9 +49,26 @@ type TextFormatter struct {
 	// be desired.
 	DisableSorting bool
 
+	// QuoteEmptyFields will wrap empty fields in quotes if true
+	QuoteEmptyFields bool
+
+	// QuoteCharacter can be set to the override the default quoting character "
+	// with something else. For example: ', or `.
+	QuoteCharacter string
+
 	// Whether the logger's out is to a terminal
-	isTerminal   bool
-	terminalOnce sync.Once
+	isTerminal bool
+
+	sync.Once
+}
+
+func (f *TextFormatter) init(entry *Entry) {
+	if len(f.QuoteCharacter) == 0 {
+		f.QuoteCharacter = "\""
+	}
+	if entry.Logger != nil {
+		f.isTerminal = IsTerminal(entry.Logger.Out)
+	}
 }
 
 func (f *TextFormatter) Format(entry *Entry) ([]byte, error) {
@@ -72,11 +89,7 @@ func (f *TextFormatter) Format(entry *Entry) ([]byte, error) {
 
 	prefixFieldClashes(entry.Data)
 
-	f.terminalOnce.Do(func() {
-		if entry.Logger != nil {
-			f.isTerminal = IsTerminal(entry.Logger.Out)
-		}
-	})
+	f.Do(func() { f.init(entry) })
 
 	isColored := (f.ForceColors || f.isTerminal) && !f.DisableColors
 
@@ -132,7 +145,10 @@ func (f *TextFormatter) printColored(b *bytes.Buffer, entry *Entry, keys []strin
 	}
 }
 
-func needsQuoting(text string) bool {
+func (f *TextFormatter) needsQuoting(text string) bool {
+	if f.QuoteEmptyFields && len(text) == 0 {
+		return true
+	}
 	for _, ch := range text {
 		if !((ch >= 'a' && ch <= 'z') ||
 			(ch >= 'A' && ch <= 'Z') ||
@@ -155,17 +171,17 @@ func (f *TextFormatter) appendKeyValue(b *bytes.Buffer, key string, value interf
 func (f *TextFormatter) appendValue(b *bytes.Buffer, value interface{}) {
 	switch value := value.(type) {
 	case string:
-		if !needsQuoting(value) {
+		if !f.needsQuoting(value) {
 			b.WriteString(value)
 		} else {
-			fmt.Fprintf(b, "%q", value)
+			fmt.Fprintf(b, "%s%v%s", f.QuoteCharacter, value, f.QuoteCharacter)
 		}
 	case error:
 		errmsg := value.Error()
-		if !needsQuoting(errmsg) {
+		if !f.needsQuoting(errmsg) {
 			b.WriteString(errmsg)
 		} else {
-			fmt.Fprintf(b, "%q", errmsg)
+			fmt.Fprintf(b, "%s%v%s", f.QuoteCharacter, errmsg, f.QuoteCharacter)
 		}
 	default:
 		fmt.Fprint(b, value)
diff --git a/text_formatter_test.go b/text_formatter_test.go
index 107703f..9793b5f 100644
--- a/text_formatter_test.go
+++ b/text_formatter_test.go
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@ package logrus
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"errors"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
-	"strings"
 )
 
 func TestQuoting(t *testing.T) {
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ func TestQuoting(t *testing.T) {
 	checkQuoting := func(q bool, value interface{}) {
 		b, _ := tf.Format(WithField("test", value))
 		idx := bytes.Index(b, ([]byte)("test="))
-		cont := bytes.Contains(b[idx+5:], []byte{'"'})
+		cont := bytes.Contains(b[idx+5:], []byte(tf.QuoteCharacter))
 		if cont != q {
 			if q {
 				t.Errorf("quoting expected for: %#v", value)
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ func TestQuoting(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	checkQuoting(false, "")
 	checkQuoting(false, "abcd")
 	checkQuoting(false, "v1.0")
 	checkQuoting(false, "1234567890")
@@ -32,6 +33,24 @@ func TestQuoting(t *testing.T) {
 	checkQuoting(true, "x,y")
 	checkQuoting(false, errors.New("invalid"))
 	checkQuoting(true, errors.New("invalid argument"))
+
+	// Test for custom quote character.
+	tf.QuoteCharacter = "`"
+	checkQuoting(false, "")
+	checkQuoting(false, "abcd")
+	checkQuoting(true, "/foobar")
+	checkQuoting(true, errors.New("invalid argument"))
+
+	// Test for multi-character quotes.
+	tf.QuoteCharacter = "§~±"
+	checkQuoting(false, "abcd")
+	checkQuoting(true, errors.New("invalid argument"))
+
+	// Test for quoting empty fields.
+	tf.QuoteEmptyFields = true
+	checkQuoting(true, "")
+	checkQuoting(false, "abcd")
+	checkQuoting(true, errors.New("invalid argument"))
 }
 
 func TestTimestampFormat(t *testing.T) {
@@ -40,10 +59,7 @@ func TestTimestampFormat(t *testing.T) {
 		customStr, _ := customFormatter.Format(WithField("test", "test"))
 		timeStart := bytes.Index(customStr, ([]byte)("time="))
 		timeEnd := bytes.Index(customStr, ([]byte)("level="))
-		timeStr := customStr[timeStart+5 : timeEnd-1]
-		if timeStr[0] == '"' && timeStr[len(timeStr)-1] == '"' {
-			timeStr = timeStr[1 : len(timeStr)-1]
-		}
+		timeStr := customStr[timeStart+5+len(customFormatter.QuoteCharacter) : timeEnd-1-len(customFormatter.QuoteCharacter)]
 		if format == "" {
 			format = time.RFC3339
 		}