diff --git a/log/logger.go b/log/logger.go
index a511df90..3de3355f 100644
--- a/log/logger.go
+++ b/log/logger.go
@@ -8,12 +8,17 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
+const (
+	EnvTanzuCLILogLevel = "TANZU_CLI_LOG_LEVEL"
+)
+
 var defaultLogThreshold int32 = 3
 
 // logEntry defines the information that can be used for composing a log line.
@@ -28,14 +33,27 @@ type logEntry struct {
 	Values []interface{}
 }
 
-// NewLogger returns a new instance of the clusterctl.
+// NewLogger returns a new instance of the logger.
 func NewLogger() LoggerImpl {
+	logThreshold := getLogThreshold()
 	return &logger{
-		threshold: &defaultLogThreshold,
+		threshold: &logThreshold,
+	}
+}
+
+func getLogThreshold() int32 {
+	reqLogLevelStr := os.Getenv(EnvTanzuCLILogLevel)
+	if reqLogLevelStr != "" {
+		requestedLogLevel, err := strconv.ParseUint(reqLogLevelStr, 10, 32)
+		if err == nil {
+			return int32(requestedLogLevel)
+		}
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "invalid value %q for %s\n", reqLogLevelStr, EnvTanzuCLILogLevel)
 	}
+	return defaultLogThreshold
 }
 
-// logger defines a clusterctl friendly logr.Logger
+// logger defines a logr.Logger
 type logger struct {
 	threshold  *int32
 	level      int32
diff --git a/log/logger_test.go b/log/logger_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dc31b791
--- /dev/null
+++ b/log/logger_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+// Copyright 2021 VMware, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package log
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/tj/assert"
+)
+
+func TestLogger(t *testing.T) {
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		test                  string
+		logLevel              string
+		containStrings        []string
+		doesNotContainStrings []string
+	}{
+		{
+			test:                  "when TANZU_CLI_LOG_LEVEL is not configured",
+			logLevel:              "",
+			containStrings:        []string{"log-default", "log-0", "log-1", "log-3"},
+			doesNotContainStrings: []string{"log-5", "log-8"},
+		},
+		{
+			test:                  "when TANZU_CLI_LOG_LEVEL is set to 3",
+			logLevel:              "",
+			containStrings:        []string{"log-default", "log-0", "log-1", "log-3"},
+			doesNotContainStrings: []string{"log-5", "log-8"},
+		},
+		{
+			test:                  "when TANZU_CLI_LOG_LEVEL is set to 6",
+			logLevel:              "6",
+			containStrings:        []string{"log-default", "log-0", "log-1", "log-3", "log-5"},
+			doesNotContainStrings: []string{"log-8"},
+		},
+		{
+			test:                  "when TANZU_CLI_LOG_LEVEL is set to 9",
+			logLevel:              "9",
+			containStrings:        []string{"log-default", "log-0", "log-1", "log-3", "log-5", "log-8"},
+			doesNotContainStrings: []string{},
+		},
+		{
+			test:                  "when TANZU_CLI_LOG_LEVEL is configured with incorrect value",
+			logLevel:              "a",
+			containStrings:        []string{"log-default", "log-0", "log-1", "log-3"},
+			doesNotContainStrings: []string{"log-5", "log-8"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, spec := range tests {
+		defer os.Setenv(EnvTanzuCLILogLevel, "")
+		os.Setenv(EnvTanzuCLILogLevel, spec.logLevel)
+
+		l = NewLogger()
+		stderr := &bytes.Buffer{}
+		SetStderr(stderr)
+
+		Info("log-default")
+		V(0).Info("log-0")
+		V(1).Info("log-1")
+		V(3).Info("log-3")
+		V(5).Info("log-5")
+		V(8).Info("log-8")
+
+		for _, logStr := range spec.containStrings {
+			assert.Contains(stderr.String(), logStr, spec.test)
+		}
+		for _, logStr := range spec.doesNotContainStrings {
+			assert.NotContains(stderr.String(), logStr, spec.test)
+		}
+	}
+}