diff --git a/jetty-util/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/util/log/StdErrLog.java b/jetty-util/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/util/log/StdErrLog.java
index 87d8530205d..d2457c10f25 100644
--- a/jetty-util/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/util/log/StdErrLog.java
+++ b/jetty-util/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/util/log/StdErrLog.java
@@ -141,27 +141,44 @@ public class StdErrLog implements Logger
             }
             else
             {
-                if ("ALL".equalsIgnoreCase(levelStr.trim()))
+                int level = getLevelId(levelStr);
+                if (level != (-1))
                 {
-                    return LEVEL_ALL;
-                }
-                else if ("DEBUG".equalsIgnoreCase(levelStr.trim()))
-                {
-                    return LEVEL_DEBUG;
-                }
-                else if ("INFO".equalsIgnoreCase(levelStr.trim()))
-                {
-                    return LEVEL_INFO;
-                }
-                else if ("WARN".equalsIgnoreCase(levelStr.trim()))
-                {
-                    return LEVEL_WARN;
+                    return level;
                 }
             }
         }
 
         // Default Logging Level
-        return LEVEL_INFO;
+        return getLevelId(props.getProperty("log.LEVEL", "INFO"));
+    }
+    
+    protected static int getLevelId(String levelName)
+    {
+        if (levelName == null)
+        {
+            return -1;
+        }
+        String levelStr = levelName.trim();
+        if ("ALL".equalsIgnoreCase(levelStr))
+        {
+            return LEVEL_ALL;
+        }
+        else if ("DEBUG".equalsIgnoreCase(levelStr))
+        {
+            return LEVEL_DEBUG;
+        }
+        else if ("INFO".equalsIgnoreCase(levelStr))
+        {
+            return LEVEL_INFO;
+        }
+        else if ("WARN".equalsIgnoreCase(levelStr))
+        {
+            return LEVEL_WARN;
+        }
+
+        System.err.println("Unknown StdErrLog level [" + levelStr + "], expecting only [ALL, DEBUG, INFO, WARN] as values.");
+        return -1;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/jetty-util/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/util/log/StdErrLogTest.java b/jetty-util/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/util/log/StdErrLogTest.java
index 913acb06820..12b15ca0b1b 100644
--- a/jetty-util/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/util/log/StdErrLogTest.java
+++ b/jetty-util/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/util/log/StdErrLogTest.java
@@ -78,6 +78,19 @@ public class StdErrLogTest
         Assert.assertEquals("Default Logging Level",StdErrLog.LEVEL_INFO,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,StdErrLogTest.class.getName()));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testGetLoggingLevel_Root()
+    {
+        Properties props = new Properties();
+        props.setProperty("log.LEVEL","DEBUG");
+        
+        // Default Levels
+        Assert.assertEquals("Default Logging Level",StdErrLog.LEVEL_DEBUG,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,null));
+        Assert.assertEquals("Default Logging Level",StdErrLog.LEVEL_DEBUG,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,""));
+        Assert.assertEquals("Default Logging Level",StdErrLog.LEVEL_DEBUG,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,"org.eclipse.jetty"));
+        Assert.assertEquals("Default Logging Level",StdErrLog.LEVEL_DEBUG,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,StdErrLogTest.class.getName()));
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testGetLoggingLevel_FQCN()
     {
@@ -117,20 +130,21 @@ public class StdErrLogTest
     public void testGetLoggingLevel_MixedLevels()
     {
         Properties props = new Properties();
-        props.setProperty("org.eclipse.jetty.util.LEVEL","DEBUG");
+        props.setProperty("log.LEVEL","DEBUG");
+        props.setProperty("org.eclipse.jetty.util.LEVEL","WARN");
         props.setProperty("org.eclipse.jetty.util.ConcurrentHashMap.LEVEL","ALL");
 
         // Default Levels
-        Assert.assertEquals(StdErrLog.LEVEL_INFO,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,null));
-        Assert.assertEquals(StdErrLog.LEVEL_INFO,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,""));
-        Assert.assertEquals(StdErrLog.LEVEL_INFO,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,"org.eclipse.jetty"));
-        Assert.assertEquals(StdErrLog.LEVEL_INFO,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,"org.eclipse.jetty.server.ServerObject"));
+        Assert.assertEquals(StdErrLog.LEVEL_DEBUG,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,null));
+        Assert.assertEquals(StdErrLog.LEVEL_DEBUG,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,""));
+        Assert.assertEquals(StdErrLog.LEVEL_DEBUG,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,"org.eclipse.jetty"));
+        Assert.assertEquals(StdErrLog.LEVEL_DEBUG,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,"org.eclipse.jetty.server.ServerObject"));
         
         // Configured Level
-        Assert.assertEquals(StdErrLog.LEVEL_DEBUG,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,StdErrLogTest.class.getName()));
-        Assert.assertEquals(StdErrLog.LEVEL_DEBUG,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,"org.eclipse.jetty.util.MagicUtil"));
-        Assert.assertEquals(StdErrLog.LEVEL_DEBUG,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,"org.eclipse.jetty.util"));
-        Assert.assertEquals(StdErrLog.LEVEL_DEBUG,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,"org.eclipse.jetty.util.resource.FileResource"));
+        Assert.assertEquals(StdErrLog.LEVEL_WARN,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,StdErrLogTest.class.getName()));
+        Assert.assertEquals(StdErrLog.LEVEL_WARN,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,"org.eclipse.jetty.util.MagicUtil"));
+        Assert.assertEquals(StdErrLog.LEVEL_WARN,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,"org.eclipse.jetty.util"));
+        Assert.assertEquals(StdErrLog.LEVEL_WARN,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,"org.eclipse.jetty.util.resource.FileResource"));
         Assert.assertEquals(StdErrLog.LEVEL_ALL,StdErrLog.getLoggingLevel(props,"org.eclipse.jetty.util.ConcurrentHashMap"));
     }