diff --git a/ChangeLog.md b/ChangeLog.md
--- a/ChangeLog.md
+++ b/ChangeLog.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+## 0.3.10
+
+Introduce the `MonadLoggerIO` typeclass.
+
 ## 0.3.9
 
 Add missing `MonadError NoLoggingT` instance #49
diff --git a/Control/Monad/Logger.hs b/Control/Monad/Logger.hs
--- a/Control/Monad/Logger.hs
+++ b/Control/Monad/Logger.hs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE CPP #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE DefaultSignatures #-}
 #if WITH_TEMPLATE_HASKELL
 {-# LANGUAGE TemplateHaskell #-}
 #endif
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@
 module Control.Monad.Logger
     ( -- * MonadLogger
       MonadLogger(..)
+    , MonadLoggerIO (..)
     , LogLevel(..)
     , LogSource
     -- * Helper transformer
@@ -168,10 +170,26 @@
 
 #endif
 
+-- | A @Monad@ which has the ability to log messages in some manner.
 class Monad m => MonadLogger m where
     monadLoggerLog :: ToLogStr msg => Loc -> LogSource -> LogLevel -> msg -> m ()
 
+-- | An extension of @MonadLogger@ for the common case where the logging action
+-- is a simple @IO@ action. The advantage of using this typeclass is that the
+-- logging function itself can be extracted as a first-class value, which can
+-- make it easier to manipulate monad transfomrer stacks, as an example.
+--
+-- Since 0.3.10
+class (MonadLogger m, MonadIO m) => MonadLoggerIO m where
+    -- | Request the logging function itself.
+    --
+    -- Since 0.3.10
+    askLoggerIO :: m (Loc -> LogSource -> LogLevel -> LogStr -> IO ())
+    default askLoggerIO :: (Trans.MonadTrans t, MonadLogger (t m), MonadIO (t m))
+                        => t m (Loc -> LogSource -> LogLevel -> LogStr -> IO ())
+    askLoggerIO = Trans.lift askLoggerIO
 
+
 {-
 instance MonadLogger IO          where monadLoggerLog _ _ _ = return ()
 instance MonadLogger Identity    where monadLoggerLog _ _ _ = return ()
@@ -202,6 +220,27 @@
 instance (MonadLogger m, Monoid w) => MonadLogger (Strict.RWST r w s m) where DEF
 #undef DEF
 
+instance MonadLoggerIO m => MonadLoggerIO (IdentityT m)
+instance MonadLoggerIO m => MonadLoggerIO (ListT m)
+instance MonadLoggerIO m => MonadLoggerIO (MaybeT m)
+instance (MonadLoggerIO m, Error e) => MonadLoggerIO (ErrorT e m)
+
+#if MIN_VERSION_transformers(0,4,0)
+instance MonadLoggerIO m => MonadLoggerIO (ExceptT e m)
+#endif
+
+instance MonadLoggerIO m => MonadLoggerIO (ReaderT r m)
+instance MonadLoggerIO m => MonadLoggerIO (ContT r m)
+instance MonadLoggerIO m => MonadLoggerIO (StateT s m)
+instance (MonadLoggerIO m, Monoid w) => MonadLoggerIO (WriterT w m)
+instance (MonadLoggerIO m, Monoid w) => MonadLoggerIO (RWST r w s m)
+instance MonadLoggerIO m => MonadLoggerIO (ResourceT m)
+instance MonadLoggerIO m => MonadLoggerIO (Pipe l i o u m)
+instance MonadLoggerIO m => MonadLoggerIO (ConduitM i o m)
+instance MonadLoggerIO m => MonadLoggerIO (Strict.StateT s m)
+instance (MonadLoggerIO m, Monoid w) => MonadLoggerIO (Strict.WriterT w m)
+instance (MonadLoggerIO m, Monoid w) => MonadLoggerIO (Strict.RWST r w s m)
+
 #if WITH_TEMPLATE_HASKELL
 logTH :: LogLevel -> Q Exp
 logTH level =
@@ -335,6 +374,8 @@
 
 instance Monad m => MonadLogger (NoLoggingT m) where
     monadLoggerLog _ _ _ _ = return ()
+instance MonadIO m => MonadLoggerIO (NoLoggingT m) where
+    askLoggerIO = return $ \_ _ _ _ -> return ()
 
 -- | Monad transformer that adds a new logging function.
 --
@@ -402,6 +443,8 @@
 
 instance MonadIO m => MonadLogger (LoggingT m) where
     monadLoggerLog a b c d = LoggingT $ \f -> liftIO $ f a b c (toLogStr d)
+instance MonadIO m => MonadLoggerIO (LoggingT m) where
+    askLoggerIO = LoggingT return
 
 defaultOutput :: Handle
               -> Loc
diff --git a/monad-logger.cabal b/monad-logger.cabal
--- a/monad-logger.cabal
+++ b/monad-logger.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                monad-logger
-version:             0.3.9
+version:             0.3.10
 synopsis:            A class of monads which can log messages.
 description:         This package uses template-haskell for determining source code locations of messages.
 homepage:            https://github.com/kazu-yamamoto/logger