diff --git a/src/core/ngx_cycle.c b/src/core/ngx_cycle.c
index de817750c..44edbafd4 100644
--- a/src/core/ngx_cycle.c
+++ b/src/core/ngx_cycle.c
@@ -84,7 +84,6 @@ ngx_init_cycle(ngx_cycle_t *old_cycle)
 
     cycle->pool = pool;
     cycle->log = log;
-    cycle->new_log.log_level = NGX_LOG_ERR;
     cycle->old_cycle = old_cycle;
 
     cycle->conf_prefix.len = old_cycle->conf_prefix.len;
@@ -344,6 +343,8 @@ ngx_init_cycle(ngx_cycle_t *old_cycle)
         if (cycle->new_log.file == NULL) {
             goto failed;
         }
+
+        cycle->new_log.log_level = NGX_LOG_ERR;
     }
 
     /* open the new files */
diff --git a/src/core/ngx_log.c b/src/core/ngx_log.c
index 20f50971d..ea08ba744 100644
--- a/src/core/ngx_log.c
+++ b/src/core/ngx_log.c
@@ -454,7 +454,5 @@ ngx_error_log(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_command_t *cmd, void *conf)
         return NGX_CONF_OK;
     }
 
-    cf->cycle->new_log.log_level = 0;
-
     return ngx_log_set_levels(cf, &cf->cycle->new_log);
 }