diff --git a/picard/log.py b/picard/log.py
index 764368d8c..c0acf0df0 100644
--- a/picard/log.py
+++ b/picard/log.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ LOG_DEBUG = 8
 
 _entries = deque(maxlen=50000)
 _receivers = []
-_log_debug_messages = False
+log_levels = LOG_INFO|LOG_WARNING|LOG_ERROR
 
 
 def register_receiver(receiver):
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ def unregister_receiver(receiver):
 
 
 def _message(level, message, args, kwargs):
+    if not log_levels & level:
+        return
     if not (isinstance(message, str) or isinstance(message, unicode)):
         message = repr(message)
     if args:
@@ -61,8 +63,7 @@ def _message(level, message, args, kwargs):
 
 
 def debug(message, *args, **kwargs):
-    if _log_debug_messages:
-        thread.proxy_to_main(_message, LOG_DEBUG, message, args, kwargs)
+    thread.proxy_to_main(_message, LOG_DEBUG, message, args, kwargs)
 
 
 def info(message, *args, **kwargs):
diff --git a/picard/tagger.py b/picard/tagger.py
index ff30c0407..d562d36d9 100644
--- a/picard/tagger.py
+++ b/picard/tagger.py
@@ -111,7 +111,8 @@ class Tagger(QtGui.QApplication):
         self.stopping = False
 
         # Setup logging
-        log._log_debug_messages = debug or "PICARD_DEBUG" in os.environ
+        if debug or "PICARD_DEBUG" in os.environ:
+            log.log_levels = log.log_levels|log.LOG_DEBUG
         log.debug("Starting Picard %s from %r", picard.__version__, os.path.abspath(__file__))
 
         # TODO remove this before the final release