diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ElasticsearchBackwardsCompatIntegrationTest.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ElasticsearchBackwardsCompatIntegrationTest.java
index 1229f286297..8b0e1600003 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ElasticsearchBackwardsCompatIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ElasticsearchBackwardsCompatIntegrationTest.java
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.regex.Regex;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.ImmutableSettings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.indices.recovery.RecoverySettings;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.junit.annotations.TestLogging;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.junit.listeners.LoggingListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.transport.Transport;
 import org.elasticsearch.transport.TransportModule;
 import org.elasticsearch.transport.TransportService;
@@ -37,6 +39,7 @@ import org.junit.Ignore;
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.Map;
 
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
 
@@ -97,7 +100,7 @@ public abstract class ElasticsearchBackwardsCompatIntegrationTest extends Elasti
         File file = new File(path, "elasticsearch-" + version);
         if (!file.exists()) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("Backwards tests location is missing: " + file.getAbsolutePath());
-        }   
+        }
         if (!file.isDirectory()) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("Backwards tests location is not a directory: " + file.getAbsolutePath());
         }
@@ -124,10 +127,21 @@ public abstract class ElasticsearchBackwardsCompatIntegrationTest extends Elasti
         return new CompositeTestCluster((InternalTestCluster) cluster, between(minExternalNodes(), maxExternalNodes()), externalNode);
     }
 
-    protected int minExternalNodes() {
-        return 1;
+    private Settings addLoggerSettings(Settings externalNodesSettings) {
+        TestLogging logging = getClass().getAnnotation(TestLogging.class);
+        Map<String, String> loggingLevels = LoggingListener.getLoggersAndLevelsFromAnnotation(logging);
+        ImmutableSettings.Builder finalSettings = ImmutableSettings.settingsBuilder();
+        if (loggingLevels != null) {
+            for (Map.Entry<String, String> level : loggingLevels.entrySet()) {
+                finalSettings.put("logger." + level.getKey(), level.getValue());
+            }
+        }
+        finalSettings.put(externalNodesSettings);
+        return finalSettings.build();
     }
 
+    protected int minExternalNodes() { return 1; }
+
     protected int maxExternalNodes() {
         return 2;
     }
@@ -169,6 +183,6 @@ public abstract class ElasticsearchBackwardsCompatIntegrationTest extends Elasti
     }
 
     protected Settings externalNodeSettings(int nodeOrdinal) {
-        return nodeSettings(nodeOrdinal);
+        return addLoggerSettings(nodeSettings(nodeOrdinal));
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/InternalTestCluster.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/InternalTestCluster.java
index d71335879db..968827854f3 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/InternalTestCluster.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/InternalTestCluster.java
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ public final class InternalTestCluster extends TestCluster {
             builder.put("logger.level", System.getProperty("es.logger.level"));
         }
         if (Strings.hasLength(System.getProperty("es.logger.prefix"))) {
-            builder.put("logger.prefix", System.getProperty("es.logger.level"));
+            builder.put("logger.prefix", System.getProperty("es.logger.prefix"));
         }
         // Default the watermarks to absurdly low to prevent the tests
         // from failing on nodes without enough disk space
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/junit/listeners/LoggingListener.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/junit/listeners/LoggingListener.java
index 804dab9db3f..b997d880938 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/junit/listeners/LoggingListener.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/junit/listeners/LoggingListener.java
@@ -76,6 +76,18 @@ public class LoggingListener extends RunListener {
     }
 
     private Map<String, String> processTestLogging(TestLogging testLogging) {
+        Map<String, String> map = getLoggersAndLevelsFromAnnotation(testLogging);
+        if (map == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry : map.entrySet()) {
+            ESLogger esLogger = resolveLogger(entry.getKey());
+            esLogger.setLevel(entry.getValue());
+        }
+        return map;
+    }
+
+    public static Map<String, String> getLoggersAndLevelsFromAnnotation(TestLogging testLogging) {
         if (testLogging == null) {
             return null;
         }
@@ -86,9 +98,7 @@ public class LoggingListener extends RunListener {
             if (loggerAndLevelArray.length >=2) {
                 String loggerName = loggerAndLevelArray[0];
                 String level = loggerAndLevelArray[1];
-                ESLogger esLogger = resolveLogger(loggerName);
-                map.put(loggerName, esLogger.getLevel());
-                esLogger.setLevel(level);
+                map.put(loggerName, level);
             }
         }
         return map;