diff --git a/spring-boot/src/main/resources/org/springframework/boot/logging/logback/defaults.xml b/spring-boot/src/main/resources/org/springframework/boot/logging/logback/defaults.xml
index 58ce0d7ea04..70af71b4518 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/main/resources/org/springframework/boot/logging/logback/defaults.xml
+++ b/spring-boot/src/main/resources/org/springframework/boot/logging/logback/defaults.xml
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@ initialization performed by Boot
 	<conversionRule conversionWord="clr" converterClass="org.springframework.boot.logging.logback.ColorConverter" />
 	<conversionRule conversionWord="wex" converterClass="org.springframework.boot.logging.logback.WhitespaceThrowableProxyConverter" />
 	<conversionRule conversionWord="wEx" converterClass="org.springframework.boot.logging.logback.ExtendedWhitespaceThrowableProxyConverter" />
-
-	<property name="CONSOLE_LOG_PATTERN" value="%clr(%d{yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.SSS}){faint} %clr(${LOG_LEVEL_PATTERN:-%5p}) %clr(${PID:- }){magenta} %clr(---){faint} %clr([%15.15t]){faint} %clr(%-40.40logger{39}){cyan} %clr(:){faint} %m%n${LOG_EXCEPTION_CONVERSION_WORD:-%wEx}"/>
+	<property name="CONSOLE_LOG_PATTERN" value="${CONSOLE_LOG_PATTERN:-%clr(%d{yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.SSS}){faint} %clr(${LOG_LEVEL_PATTERN:-%5p}) %clr(${PID:- }){magenta} %clr(---){faint} %clr([%15.15t]){faint} %clr(%-40.40logger{39}){cyan} %clr(:){faint} %m%n${LOG_EXCEPTION_CONVERSION_WORD:-%wEx}}"/>
 	<property name="FILE_LOG_PATTERN" value="%d{yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.SSS} ${LOG_LEVEL_PATTERN:-%5p} ${PID:- } --- [%t] %-40.40logger{39} : %m%n${LOG_EXCEPTION_CONVERSION_WORD:-%wEx}"/>
 
 	<appender name="DEBUG_LEVEL_REMAPPER" class="org.springframework.boot.logging.logback.LevelRemappingAppender">
diff --git a/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/logback/LogbackConfigurationTests.java b/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/logback/LogbackConfigurationTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5054a7194b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/logging/logback/LogbackConfigurationTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2012-2016 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.boot.logging.logback;
+
+import java.io.File;
+
+import ch.qos.logback.classic.LoggerContext;
+import ch.qos.logback.classic.encoder.PatternLayoutEncoder;
+import ch.qos.logback.classic.joran.JoranConfigurator;
+import ch.qos.logback.classic.spi.ILoggingEvent;
+import ch.qos.logback.core.Appender;
+import ch.qos.logback.core.ConsoleAppender;
+import ch.qos.logback.core.encoder.Encoder;
+import ch.qos.logback.core.joran.spi.JoranException;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+
+/**
+ * Tests for default Logback configuration provided by {@code base.xml}.
+ *
+ * @author Andy Wilkinson
+ */
+public class LogbackConfigurationTests {
+
+	@Test
+	public void consolePatternCanBeOverridden() throws JoranException {
+		JoranConfigurator configurator = new JoranConfigurator();
+		LoggerContext context = new LoggerContext();
+		configurator.setContext(context);
+		configurator.doConfigure(
+				new File("src/test/resources/custom-console-log-pattern.xml"));
+		Appender<ILoggingEvent> appender = context.getLogger("ROOT")
+				.getAppender("CONSOLE");
+		assertThat(appender).isInstanceOf(ConsoleAppender.class);
+		Encoder<?> encoder = ((ConsoleAppender<?>) appender).getEncoder();
+		assertThat(encoder).isInstanceOf(PatternLayoutEncoder.class);
+		assertThat(((PatternLayoutEncoder) encoder).getPattern()).isEqualTo("foo");
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/spring-boot/src/test/resources/custom-console-log-pattern.xml b/spring-boot/src/test/resources/custom-console-log-pattern.xml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bf800186cec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spring-boot/src/test/resources/custom-console-log-pattern.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+<configuration>
+	<property name="CONSOLE_LOG_PATTERN" value="foo" />
+    <include resource="org/springframework/boot/logging/logback/base.xml" />
+</configuration>