diff --git a/docker/start-siav2.sh b/docker/start-siav2.sh
index 0272ca266efd91e3df3f55ae1f51dbc5b3b6923e..f32b149f51282d9c7c46f1c9beffbe6263bebbc7 100755
--- a/docker/start-siav2.sh
+++ b/docker/start-siav2.sh
@@ -27,6 +27,12 @@ echo "<Context docBase=\"$WEBAPP_DIR\"/>" > $CATALINA_BASE/conf/Catalina/localho
    echo "cutout_url=$CUTOUT_SERVICE_URL"
 } > $WEBAPP_DIR/WEB-INF/classes/formatresponsefilter.properties
 
+# configure debug level
+
+DBG_LEVEL=${DEBUG_LEVEL:-CONFIG}
+sed -i "s/.*SearchServlet\.level.*=.*/SearchServlet.level = $DBG_LEVEL/g" $CATALINA_BASE/conf/siav2.logging.properties
+sed -i "s/.*FormatResponseFilter\.level.*=.*/FormatResponseFilter.level = $DBG_LEVEL/g" $CATALINA_BASE/conf/siav2.logging.properties
+sed -i "s/.*DbObstap\.level.*=.*/DbObstap.level = $DBG_LEVEL/g" $CATALINA_BASE/conf/siav2.logging.properties
 
 
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