diff --git a/crtools.c b/crtools.c
index 2e6087393..cff4a8f4b 100644
--- a/crtools.c
+++ b/crtools.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	int ret = -1;
 	bool usage_error = true;
 	int opt, idx;
-	int log_level = 0;
+	int log_level = LOG_UNSET;
 	char *imgs_dir = ".";
 	char *work_dir = NULL;
 	static const char short_opts[] = "dsRf:F:t:p:hcD:o:n:v::xVr:jlW:L:";
@@ -192,6 +192,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 				goto bad_arg;
 			break;
 		case 'v':
+			if (log_level == LOG_UNSET)
+				log_level = 0;
 			if (optarg) {
 				if (optarg[0] == 'v')
 					/* handle -vvvvv */
diff --git a/include/criu-log.h b/include/criu-log.h
index 613f70f9e..d84b3151f 100644
--- a/include/criu-log.h
+++ b/include/criu-log.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #ifndef __CRIU_LOG_H__
 #define __CRIU_LOG_H__
 
+#define LOG_UNSET	(-1)
 #define LOG_MSG		(0) /* Print message regardless of log level */
 #define LOG_ERROR	(1) /* Errors only, when we're in trouble */
 #define LOG_WARN	(2) /* Warnings, dazen and confused but trying to continue */
diff --git a/log.c b/log.c
index 277a9e8f6..c5ad47220 100644
--- a/log.c
+++ b/log.c
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ void log_fini(void)
 
 void log_set_loglevel(unsigned int level)
 {
-	if (!level)
+	if (level == LOG_UNSET)
 		current_loglevel = DEFAULT_LOGLEVEL;
 	else
 		current_loglevel = level;