diff --git a/docs/envvars.rst b/docs/envvars.rst
index 2a756f8d94f..72852ef8cf8 100644
--- a/docs/envvars.rst
+++ b/docs/envvars.rst
@@ -81,6 +81,10 @@ Core Mesa environment variables
    purposes (e.g. for driconf option matching, logging, artifact storage,
    etc.).
 
+.. envvar:: MESA_LOG_LEVEL
+
+   specifies the maximum log level
+
 .. envvar:: MESA_LOG_FILE
 
    specifies a file name for logging all errors, warnings, etc., rather
diff --git a/src/util/log.c b/src/util/log.c
index 35c55ba8ce6..39cba6ecdaa 100644
--- a/src/util/log.c
+++ b/src/util/log.c
@@ -67,8 +67,35 @@ static const struct debug_control mesa_log_control_options[] = {
    { NULL, 0 },
 };
 
+static inline const char *
+level_to_str(enum mesa_log_level l)
+{
+   switch (l) {
+   case MESA_LOG_ERROR: return "error";
+   case MESA_LOG_WARN: return "warning";
+   case MESA_LOG_INFO: return "info";
+   case MESA_LOG_DEBUG: return "debug";
+   case MESA_NUM_LOG_LEVELS:
+      break;
+   }
+
+   UNREACHABLE("bad mesa_log_level");
+}
+
+static enum mesa_log_level
+level_from_str(const char *str)
+{
+   for (unsigned l = 0; l < MESA_NUM_LOG_LEVELS; l++) {
+      if (strcmp(level_to_str(l), str) == 0)
+         return l;
+   }
+
+   return MESA_NUM_LOG_LEVELS;
+}
+
 static uint32_t mesa_log_control;
 static FILE *mesa_log_file;
+static enum mesa_log_level mesa_max_log_level;
 
 static void
 mesa_log_init_once(void)
@@ -91,6 +118,11 @@ mesa_log_init_once(void)
 #endif
    }
 
+   mesa_max_log_level = MESA_DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL;
+   const char *log_level = os_get_option("MESA_LOG_LEVEL");
+   if (log_level != NULL)
+      mesa_max_log_level = level_from_str(log_level);
+
    mesa_log_file = stderr;
 
 #if !DETECT_OS_WINDOWS
@@ -119,6 +151,20 @@ mesa_log_init(void)
    call_once(&once, mesa_log_init_once);
 }
 
+static void
+mesa_warn_invalid_level_once(void)
+{
+   const char *log_level = os_get_option("MESA_LOG_LEVEL");
+   mesa_logw("Invalid log level: \"%s\"", log_level);
+}
+
+static void
+mesa_warn_invalid_level(void)
+{
+   static once_flag once = ONCE_FLAG_INIT;
+   call_once(&once, mesa_warn_invalid_level_once);
+}
+
 void
 mesa_log_if_debug(enum mesa_log_level level, const char *outputString)
 {
@@ -147,19 +193,6 @@ mesa_log_if_debug(enum mesa_log_level level, const char *outputString)
       mesa_log(level, "Mesa", "%s", outputString);
 }
 
-static inline const char *
-level_to_str(enum mesa_log_level l)
-{
-   switch (l) {
-   case MESA_LOG_ERROR: return "error";
-   case MESA_LOG_WARN: return "warning";
-   case MESA_LOG_INFO: return "info";
-   case MESA_LOG_DEBUG: return "debug";
-   }
-
-   UNREACHABLE("bad mesa_log_level");
-}
-
 enum logger_vasnprintf_affix {
    LOGGER_VASNPRINTF_AFFIX_TAG = 1 << 0,
    LOGGER_VASNPRINTF_AFFIX_LEVEL = 1 << 1,
@@ -270,6 +303,8 @@ level_to_syslog(enum mesa_log_level l)
    case MESA_LOG_WARN: return LOG_WARNING;
    case MESA_LOG_INFO: return LOG_INFO;
    case MESA_LOG_DEBUG: return LOG_DEBUG;
+   case MESA_NUM_LOG_LEVELS:
+      break;
    }
 
    UNREACHABLE("bad mesa_log_level");
@@ -303,6 +338,8 @@ level_to_android(enum mesa_log_level l)
    case MESA_LOG_WARN: return ANDROID_LOG_WARN;
    case MESA_LOG_INFO: return ANDROID_LOG_INFO;
    case MESA_LOG_DEBUG: return ANDROID_LOG_DEBUG;
+   case MESA_NUM_LOG_LEVELS:
+      break;
    }
 
    UNREACHABLE("bad mesa_log_level");
@@ -405,6 +442,17 @@ mesa_log_v(enum mesa_log_level level, const char *tag, const char *format,
 
    mesa_log_init();
 
+   if (unlikely(mesa_max_log_level >= MESA_NUM_LOG_LEVELS)) {
+      /* Set to the default since this function will call back into mesa_log()
+       * and we don't want to recurse back into the once.
+       */
+      mesa_max_log_level = MESA_DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL;
+      mesa_warn_invalid_level();
+   }
+
+   if (level > mesa_max_log_level)
+      return;
+
    for (uint32_t i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(loggers); i++) {
       if (mesa_log_control & loggers[i].bit) {
          va_list copy;
diff --git a/src/util/log.h b/src/util/log.h
index 7bcce3d61e0..c1d9f806232 100644
--- a/src/util/log.h
+++ b/src/util/log.h
@@ -42,8 +42,16 @@ enum mesa_log_level {
    MESA_LOG_WARN,
    MESA_LOG_INFO,
    MESA_LOG_DEBUG,
+
+   MESA_NUM_LOG_LEVELS,
 };
 
+#if MESA_DEBUG
+#define MESA_DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL MESA_LOG_DEBUG
+#else
+#define MESA_DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL MESA_LOG_INFO
+#endif
+
 #define MAX_LOG_MESSAGE_LENGTH 4096
 
 FILE *