diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 09d540960..0e269aff6 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ unreleased
 
 - optional support for BLE MIDI 1.0 profile as a GATT server
 - command line option to set real-time priority for IO threads
+- command line option to filter log messages based on severity
 - allow to select individual extended controls in ALSA plug-in
 - codec-specific delay adjustment with ALSA control and persistency
 - fix for SBC codec and audio scaling on big-endian platforms
diff --git a/doc/bluealsa-aplay.1.rst b/doc/bluealsa-aplay.1.rst
index 4cb21a5f9..ced2bccfc 100644
--- a/doc/bluealsa-aplay.1.rst
+++ b/doc/bluealsa-aplay.1.rst
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ bluealsa-aplay
 a simple bluealsa player
 ------------------------
 
-:Date: September 2023
+:Date: February 2024
 :Manual section: 1
 :Manual group: General Commands Manual
 :Version: $VERSION$
@@ -41,6 +41,22 @@ OPTIONS
     Send output to system logger (``syslogd(8)``).
     By default, log output is sent to stderr.
 
+--loglevel=LEVEL
+    Set the priority level threshold for log messages. Only messages of the
+    given level or higher are logged. The *LEVELs* are, in decreasing order:
+
+    - **error** - error conditions
+    - **warning** - warning conditions
+    - **info** - informational messages
+
+    If **bluealsa-aplay** was built with debug enabled, then an additional,
+    lowest, level is  available:
+
+    - **debug** - debug messages
+
+    If this option is not given then the default is to use the lowest level
+    (i.e., all messages are logged).
+
 -v, --verbose
     Make the output more verbose.
 
diff --git a/doc/bluealsa.8.rst b/doc/bluealsa.8.rst
index 7f9f12066..b99700a22 100644
--- a/doc/bluealsa.8.rst
+++ b/doc/bluealsa.8.rst
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ bluealsa
 Bluetooth Audio ALSA Backend
 ----------------------------
 
-:Date: January 2024
+:Date: February 2024
 :Manual section: 8
 :Manual group: System Manager's Manual
 :Version: $VERSION$
@@ -37,6 +37,22 @@ OPTIONS
     Send output to system logger (``syslogd(8)``).
     By default, log output is sent to stderr.
 
+--loglevel=LEVEL
+    Set the priority level threshold for log messages. Only messages of the
+    given level or higher are logged. The *LEVELs* are, in decreasing order:
+
+    - **error**   - error conditions
+    - **warning** - warning conditions
+    - **info** - informational messages
+
+    If **bluealsa** was built with debug enabled, then an additional, lowest,
+    level is  available:
+
+    - **debug** - debug messages
+
+    If this option is not given then the default is to use the lowest level
+    (i.e., all messages are logged).
+
 -B NAME, --dbus=NAME
     BlueALSA D-Bus service name suffix.
     Without this option, **bluealsa** registers itself as an "org.bluealsa"
diff --git a/misc/bash-completion/bluealsa b/misc/bash-completion/bluealsa
index ebc6f2dea..7f166976e 100644
--- a/misc/bash-completion/bluealsa
+++ b/misc/bash-completion/bluealsa
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ _bluealsa() {
 			readarray -t COMPREPLY < <(compgen -P "$prefix" -W "${list[*]}" -- "$cur")
 			return
 			;;
-		--sbc-quality|--aac-latm-version|--mp3-algorithm|--mp3-vbr-quality|--ldac-quality)
+		--loglevel|--sbc-quality|--aac-latm-version|--mp3-algorithm|--mp3-vbr-quality|--ldac-quality)
 			readarray -t list < <(_bluealsa_enum_values "$1" "$prev")
 			readarray -t COMPREPLY < <(compgen -W "${list[*]}" -- "$cur")
 			return
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ _bluealsa_aplay() {
 			__ltrim_colon_completions "$cur"
 			return
 			;;
-		--volume)
+		--loglevel|--volume)
 			readarray -t list < <(_bluealsa_enum_values "$1" "$prev")
 			readarray -t COMPREPLY < <(compgen -W "${list[*]}" -- "$cur")
 			return
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 7c8d69051..96db47380 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <strings.h>
+#include <syslog.h>
 #include <time.h>
 
 #include <gio/gio.h>
@@ -150,6 +151,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 		{ "help", no_argument, NULL, 'h' },
 		{ "version", no_argument, NULL, 'V' },
 		{ "syslog", no_argument, NULL, 'S' },
+		{ "loglevel", required_argument, NULL, 23 },
 		{ "dbus", required_argument, NULL, 'B' },
 		{ "device", required_argument, NULL, 'i' },
 		{ "profile", required_argument, NULL, 'p' },
@@ -203,6 +205,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 					"  -h, --help\t\t\tprint this help and exit\n"
 					"  -V, --version\t\t\tprint version and exit\n"
 					"  -S, --syslog\t\t\tsend output to syslog\n"
+					"  --loglevel=LEVEL\t\tminimum message priority\n"
 					"  -B, --dbus=NAME\t\tD-Bus service name suffix\n"
 					"  -i, --device=hciX\t\tHCI device(s) to use\n"
 					"  -p, --profile=NAME\t\tset enabled BT profiles\n"
@@ -287,6 +290,28 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 		case 'S' /* --syslog */ :
 			break;
 
+		case 23 /* --loglevel=LEVEL */ : {
+
+			static const nv_entry_t values[] = {
+				{ "error", .v.ui = LOG_ERR },
+				{ "warning", .v.ui = LOG_WARNING },
+				{ "info", .v.ui = LOG_INFO },
+#if DEBUG
+				{ "debug", .v.ui = LOG_DEBUG },
+#endif
+				{ 0 },
+			};
+
+			const nv_entry_t *entry;
+			if ((entry = nv_find(values, optarg)) == NULL) {
+				error("Invalid loglevel {%s}: %s", nv_join_names(values), optarg);
+				return EXIT_FAILURE;
+			}
+
+			log_set_min_priority(entry->v.ui);
+			break;
+		}
+
 		case 'B' /* --dbus=NAME */ :
 			snprintf(dbus_service, sizeof(dbus_service), BLUEALSA_SERVICE ".%s", optarg);
 			if (!g_dbus_is_name(dbus_service)) {
diff --git a/src/shared/log.c b/src/shared/log.c
index 0895e23c7..bb0fdb99c 100644
--- a/src/shared/log.c
+++ b/src/shared/log.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * BlueALSA - log.c
- * Copyright (c) 2016-2023 Arkadiusz Bokowy
+ * Copyright (c) 2016-2024 Arkadiusz Bokowy
  *
  * This file is a part of bluez-alsa.
  *
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@
  */
 
 #include "shared/log.h"
-/* IWYU pragma: no_include "config.h" */
+
+#if HAVE_CONFIG_H
+# include <config.h>
+#endif
 
 #include <pthread.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
@@ -36,6 +39,8 @@
 static char *_ident = NULL;
 /* if true, system logging is enabled */
 static bool _syslog = false;
+/* minimum priority to be logged */
+static int _priority_limit = LOG_DEBUG;
 
 #if DEBUG_TIME
 
@@ -59,6 +64,10 @@ void log_open(const char *ident, bool syslog) {
 
 }
 
+void log_set_min_priority(int priority) {
+	_priority_limit = priority;
+}
+
 static const char *priority2str[] = {
 	[LOG_EMERG] = "X",
 	[LOG_ALERT] = "A",
@@ -122,6 +131,8 @@ static void vlog(int priority, const char *format, va_list ap) {
 }
 
 void log_message(int priority, const char *format, ...) {
+	if (priority > _priority_limit)
+		return;
 	va_list ap;
 	va_start(ap, format);
 	vlog(priority, format, ap);
diff --git a/src/shared/log.h b/src/shared/log.h
index 4ac0ab01f..e9a792ab7 100644
--- a/src/shared/log.h
+++ b/src/shared/log.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * BlueALSA - log.h
- * Copyright (c) 2016-2022 Arkadiusz Bokowy
+ * Copyright (c) 2016-2024 Arkadiusz Bokowy
  *
  * This file is a part of bluez-alsa.
  *
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "defs.h"
 
 void log_open(const char *ident, bool syslog);
+void log_set_min_priority(int priority);
 void log_message(int priority, const char *format, ...) __attribute__ ((format(printf, 2, 3)));
 
 #if DEBUG
diff --git a/test/test-utils-aplay.c b/test/test-utils-aplay.c
index 052579481..32c78de2a 100644
--- a/test/test-utils-aplay.c
+++ b/test/test-utils-aplay.c
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ CK_START_TEST(test_play_all) {
 
 	struct spawn_process sp_ba_aplay;
 	ck_assert_int_ne(spawn_bluealsa_aplay(&sp_ba_aplay,
+				"--loglevel=debug",
 				"--profile-a2dp",
 				"--pcm=null",
 				"-v", "-v",
diff --git a/utils/aplay/aplay.c b/utils/aplay/aplay.c
index e420a9a36..213c0d64b 100644
--- a/utils/aplay/aplay.c
+++ b/utils/aplay/aplay.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <syslog.h>
 #include <sys/param.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
@@ -1010,6 +1011,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 		{ "help", no_argument, NULL, 'h' },
 		{ "version", no_argument, NULL, 'V' },
 		{ "syslog", no_argument, NULL, 'S' },
+		{ "loglevel", required_argument, NULL, 9 },
 		{ "verbose", no_argument, NULL, 'v' },
 		{ "list-devices", no_argument, NULL, 'l' },
 		{ "list-pcms", no_argument, NULL, 'L' },
@@ -1043,6 +1045,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 					"  -h, --help\t\t\tprint this help and exit\n"
 					"  -V, --version\t\t\tprint version and exit\n"
 					"  -S, --syslog\t\t\tsend output to syslog\n"
+					"  --loglevel=LEVEL\t\tminimum message priority\n"
 					"  -v, --verbose\t\t\tmake output more verbose\n"
 					"  -l, --list-devices\t\tlist available BT audio devices\n"
 					"  -L, --list-pcms\t\tlist available BT audio PCMs\n"
@@ -1091,6 +1094,28 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 		case 'v' /* --verbose */ :
 			break;
 
+		case 9 /* --loglevel=LEVEL */ : {
+
+			static const nv_entry_t values[] = {
+				{ "error", .v.ui = LOG_ERR },
+				{ "warning", .v.ui = LOG_WARNING },
+				{ "info", .v.ui = LOG_INFO },
+#if DEBUG
+				{ "debug", .v.ui = LOG_DEBUG },
+#endif
+				{ 0 },
+			};
+
+			const nv_entry_t *entry;
+			if ((entry = nv_find(values, optarg)) == NULL) {
+				error("Invalid loglevel {%s}: %s", nv_join_names(values), optarg);
+				return EXIT_FAILURE;
+			}
+
+			log_set_min_priority(entry->v.ui);
+			break;
+		}
+
 		case 'l' /* --list-devices */ :
 			list_bt_devices = true;
 			break;