diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 9198a0b..8d21319 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ option( Scarab_BUILD_CLI "Flag to enable the building of the command-line interf
 
 option( Scarab_BUILD_PYTHON "Build python bindings" TRUE )
 
+set( Scarab_LOGGER_DEFAULT_THRESHOLD "eTrace" CACHE STRING "Default threshold for printing: eTrace, eDebug, eInfo, eProg, eWarn, eError, eFatal" )
+
 option( Scarab_ENABLE_LOGGER_DEBUG "Flag to enable debug printing for the logger itself" FALSE )
 
 if( (Scarab_BUILD_CODEC_JSON OR Scarab_BUILD_CODEC_YAML OR Scarab_BUILD_AUTHENTICATION OR Scarab_BUILD_CLI) AND NOT Scarab_BUILD_PARAM )
@@ -58,6 +60,8 @@ if( Scarab_ENABLE_TESTING )
     enable_testing()
 endif()
 
+add_compile_definitions( SCARAB_LOGGER_DEFAULT_THRESHOLD=${Scarab_LOGGER_DEFAULT_THRESHOLD} )
+
 if( Scarab_ENABLE_LOGGER_DEBUG ) 
     add_compile_definitions( SCARAB_LOGGER_DEBUG )
 else( Scarab_ENABLE_LOGGER_DEBUG )
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 38bcc5e..3bb58a4 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-3 13 2
+3 13 3
diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index 44ca802..263d4ac 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -9,6 +9,13 @@ Types of changes: Added, Changed, Deprecated, Removed, Fixed, Security
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [3.13.3] - 2025-10-06
+
+### Changed
+
+- Default threshold configurable with preprocessor macro and via CMake
+- Splash screen callback added to main_app
+
 
 ## [3.13.2] - 2025-09-17
 
diff --git a/library/cli/application.cc b/library/cli/application.cc
index 1029800..ec241df 100644
--- a/library/cli/application.cc
+++ b/library/cli/application.cc
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ namespace scarab
             f_use_config( a_use_config ),
             f_auth_groups_key( "auth-groups" ),
             f_auth_file_key( "auth-file" ),
-            f_auth()
+            f_auth(),
+            f_splash( [](){} ) // empty function with signature void()
     {
         set_global_verbosity( logger::ELevel::eProg );
 
@@ -162,6 +163,9 @@ namespace scarab
             LPROG( applog, "Final configuration:\n" << f_primary_config );
             LPROG( applog, "Ordered args:\n" << f_nonoption_ord_args );
         }
+
+        f_splash();
+
         return;
     }
 
diff --git a/library/cli/application.hh b/library/cli/application.hh
index 55ac905..a97bd46 100644
--- a/library/cli/application.hh
+++ b/library/cli/application.hh
@@ -347,6 +347,9 @@ namespace scarab
             /// Authentication object
             mv_referrable( authentication, auth );
 
+            /// Splash text callback
+            mv_referrable( std::function< void() >, splash );
+
             //*************************
             // Verbosity
             //*************************
diff --git a/library/logger/logger.cc b/library/logger/logger.cc
index 3cdb814..ff64a21 100644
--- a/library/logger/logger.cc
+++ b/library/logger/logger.cc
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ namespace scarab
         {
             // see the comment in logger.hh about why the a_make_logger_fcn callback is used instead of the virtual function call
             t_logger = a_make_logger_fcn( a_name ); //this->make_logger( a_name );
+            t_logger->set_level( spdlog::level::level_enum(unsigned(logger::ELevel::SCARAB_LOGGER_DEFAULT_THRESHOLD)) );
             spdlog::register_logger( t_logger );
         }
         return t_logger;
diff --git a/library/logger/logger.hh b/library/logger/logger.hh
index 0045885..d92f171 100644
--- a/library/logger/logger.hh
+++ b/library/logger/logger.hh
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@
 #include "scarab_api.hh"
 #include "typename.hh"
 
+#ifndef SCARAB_LOGGER_DEFAULT_THRESHOLD
+#define SCARAB_LOGGER_DEFAULT_THRESHOLD eInfo
+#endif
+
 /**
  * @file logger.hh
  * @brief Contains the logger class and macros
diff --git a/testing/applications/test_basic_application.cc b/testing/applications/test_basic_application.cc
index 4fac5e4..e4b6430 100644
--- a/testing/applications/test_basic_application.cc
+++ b/testing/applications/test_basic_application.cc
@@ -46,12 +46,17 @@ Usage: bin/test_basic_application [OPTIONS]
 
 using namespace scarab;
 
+LOGGER( slog, "basic_application" );
+
 int main( int argc, char **argv )
 {
     logger::set_global_threshold( logger::ELevel::eDebug );
 
     main_app the_main( false );
 
+    // this isn't strictly necessary, but tests the splash screen feature
+    the_main.splash() = [](){ LPROG( slog, "WELCOME TO BASIC APPLICATION!" ); };
+
     CLI11_PARSE( the_main, argc, argv );
 
     return 0;