diff --git a/server/config/server/deployment.yaml b/server/config/server/deployment.yaml
index f5a626b5..e3bdaa48 100644
--- a/server/config/server/deployment.yaml
+++ b/server/config/server/deployment.yaml
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@ spec:
             configMapKeyRef:
               name: rest-api-server-config
               key: kubesaw.namespace
+        - name: LOG_LEVEL
+          valueFrom:
+            configMapKeyRef:
+              name: rest-api-server-config
+              key: log.level
         - name: WORKSPACES_NAMESPACE
           valueFrom:
             fieldRef:
diff --git a/server/hack/deploy.sh b/server/hack/deploy.sh
index 02674d7b..ff3fb1c4 100755
--- a/server/hack/deploy.sh
+++ b/server/hack/deploy.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ ROOT_DIR="$(realpath "${DIR}"/../..)"
 KUBECLI=${KUBECLI:-kubectl}
 KUSTOMIZE=${KUSTOMIZE:-kustomize}
 YQ=${YQ:-yq}
+SERVER_LOG_LEVEL=${SERVER_LOG_LEVEL:-0}
 
 # retrieve toolchain-host namespace
 #
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ ${KUSTOMIZE} edit set namespace "$1"
 ${KUSTOMIZE} edit set image workspaces/rest-api="$2"
 ${KUSTOMIZE} edit add configmap rest-api-server-config \
         --behavior=replace \
+        --from-literal=log.level="${SERVER_LOG_LEVEL}" \
         --from-literal=kubesaw.namespace="${toolchain_host}"
 
 # apply config
diff --git a/server/main.go b/server/main.go
index 3d690150..9bd92389 100644
--- a/server/main.go
+++ b/server/main.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log/slog"
 	"os"
+	"strconv"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
@@ -16,18 +17,17 @@ import (
 )
 
 const DefaultAddr string = ":8080"
+const EnvLogLevel = "LOG_LEVEL"
 
 func main() {
-	l := slog.Default()
-
-	if err := run(); err != nil {
+	l := constructLog()
+	if err := run(l); err != nil {
 		l.Error("error configuring and running the server", "error", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 }
 
-func run() error {
-	l := slog.Default()
+func run(l *slog.Logger) error {
 	log.SetLogger(logr.FromSlogHandler(l.Handler()))
 
 	// fetch configuration
@@ -110,3 +110,23 @@ func run() error {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+// constructLog constructs a new instance of the logger
+func constructLog() *slog.Logger {
+	logLevel := getLogLevel()
+
+	handler := slog.NewJSONHandler(os.Stdout, &slog.HandlerOptions{
+		Level: logLevel,
+	})
+	return slog.New(handler)
+}
+
+// getLogLevel fetches the log level from the appropriate environment variable
+func getLogLevel() slog.Level {
+	env := os.Getenv(EnvLogLevel)
+	level, err := strconv.Atoi(env)
+	if err != nil {
+		return slog.LevelError
+	}
+	return slog.Level(level)
+}