diff --git a/core/log/context.go b/core/log/context.go
index 569109fdb..5b844f99d 100644
--- a/core/log/context.go
+++ b/core/log/context.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func GetLoggerFromContextOrDiscard(ctx context.Context) *log.Entry {
 	if !ok {
 		logger = log.NewEntry(&log.Logger{
 			Out:   io.Discard,
-			Level: 0,
+			Level: log.PanicLevel,
 		}).WithContext(ctx)
 	}
 	return logger
diff --git a/e2e/kics_test.go b/e2e/kics_test.go
index c934a21a4..a2b35ef6b 100644
--- a/e2e/kics_test.go
+++ b/e2e/kics_test.go
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
 	"github.com/onsi/gomega"
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 
+	"github.com/openclarity/vmclarity/core/log"
 	"github.com/openclarity/vmclarity/scanner"
 	scannercommon "github.com/openclarity/vmclarity/scanner/common"
 	"github.com/openclarity/vmclarity/scanner/families"
@@ -51,6 +53,10 @@ var _ = ginkgo.Describe("Running KICS scan", func() {
 				ginkgo.Skip("KICS plugin image not provided")
 			}
 
+			log.InitLogger(logrus.ErrorLevel.String(), ginkgo.GinkgoWriter)
+			logger := logrus.WithContext(ctx)
+			specCtx := log.SetLoggerForContext(ctx, logger)
+
 			input, err := filepath.Abs("./testdata")
 			gomega.Expect(err).NotTo(gomega.HaveOccurred())
 			notifier := &Notifier{}
@@ -74,7 +80,7 @@ var _ = ginkgo.Describe("Running KICS scan", func() {
 						},
 					},
 				},
-			}).Run(ctx, notifier)
+			}).Run(specCtx, notifier)
 			gomega.Expect(errs).To(gomega.BeEmpty())
 
 			gomega.Eventually(func() bool {
@@ -106,6 +112,10 @@ var _ = ginkgo.Describe("Running a KICS scan", func() {
 				ginkgo.Skip("KICS plugin image not provided")
 			}
 
+			log.InitLogger(logrus.ErrorLevel.String(), ginkgo.GinkgoWriter)
+			logger := logrus.WithContext(ctx)
+			specCtx := log.SetLoggerForContext(ctx, logger)
+
 			input, err := filepath.Abs("./testdata")
 			gomega.Expect(err).NotTo(gomega.HaveOccurred())
 			notifier := &Notifier{}
@@ -129,7 +139,7 @@ var _ = ginkgo.Describe("Running a KICS scan", func() {
 						},
 					},
 				},
-			}).Run(ctx, notifier)
+			}).Run(specCtx, notifier)
 			gomega.Expect(errs).To(gomega.BeEmpty())
 
 			gomega.Eventually(func() bool {
diff --git a/e2e/suite_test.go b/e2e/suite_test.go
index 7cb2dd1dc..ba0d37ba5 100644
--- a/e2e/suite_test.go
+++ b/e2e/suite_test.go
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ import (
 	uibackendclient "github.com/openclarity/vmclarity/uibackend/client"
 )
 
+const DefaultLogLevel = logrus.DebugLevel
+
 var (
 	testEnv types.Environment
 	cfg     *config.Config
@@ -52,7 +54,7 @@ func beforeSuite(ctx context.Context) {
 	var err error
 
 	ginkgo.By("initializing test environment")
-	log.InitLogger(logrus.DebugLevel.String(), ginkgo.GinkgoWriter)
+	log.InitLogger(DefaultLogLevel.String(), ginkgo.GinkgoWriter)
 	logger := logrus.WithContext(ctx)
 	ctx = log.SetLoggerForContext(ctx, logger)
 
diff --git a/plugins/sdk-go/plugin/config.go b/plugins/sdk-go/plugin/config.go
index 818a0f085..69f47a311 100644
--- a/plugins/sdk-go/plugin/config.go
+++ b/plugins/sdk-go/plugin/config.go
@@ -16,23 +16,24 @@
 package plugin
 
 import (
+	"log/slog"
 	"os"
 )
 
 const (
 	EnvLogLevel     = "PLUGIN_SERVER_LOG_LEVEL"
-	DefaultLogLevel = "info"
+	DefaultLogLevel = slog.LevelError
 
 	EnvListenAddress     = "PLUGIN_SERVER_LISTEN_ADDRESS"
 	DefaultListenAddress = "http://0.0.0.0:8080"
 )
 
-func getLogLevel() string {
+func GetLogLevel() string {
 	if logLevel := os.Getenv(EnvLogLevel); logLevel != "" {
 		return logLevel
 	}
 
-	return DefaultLogLevel
+	return DefaultLogLevel.String()
 }
 
 func getListenAddress() string {
diff --git a/plugins/sdk-go/plugin/logger.go b/plugins/sdk-go/plugin/logger.go
index 87c05ba0c..e1ef15e2d 100644
--- a/plugins/sdk-go/plugin/logger.go
+++ b/plugins/sdk-go/plugin/logger.go
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ var logger *slog.Logger
 
 func init() {
 	var logLevel slog.Level
-	if err := logLevel.UnmarshalText([]byte(getLogLevel())); err != nil {
-		logLevel = slog.LevelInfo
+	if err := logLevel.UnmarshalText([]byte(GetLogLevel())); err != nil {
+		logLevel = DefaultLogLevel
 	}
 
 	logger = slog.New(slog.NewJSONHandler(os.Stdout, &slog.HandlerOptions{
diff --git a/plugins/sdk-python/plugin/server/config.py b/plugins/sdk-python/plugin/server/config.py
index d989ce83f..53781ef48 100644
--- a/plugins/sdk-python/plugin/server/config.py
+++ b/plugins/sdk-python/plugin/server/config.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 from urllib.parse import urlparse
 
 ENV_LOG_LEVEL = "PLUGIN_SERVER_LOG_LEVEL"
-DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL = "info"
+DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL = logging.ERROR
 
 ENV_LISTEN_ADDRESS = "PLUGIN_SERVER_LISTEN_ADDRESS"
 DEFAULT_LISTEN_ADDRESS = "http://0.0.0.0:8080"
diff --git a/plugins/sdk-python/plugin/server/server.py b/plugins/sdk-python/plugin/server/server.py
index 58e4e5f45..451168f7f 100644
--- a/plugins/sdk-python/plugin/server/server.py
+++ b/plugins/sdk-python/plugin/server/server.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 # Init logger
 _logger = logging.getLogger('plugin.scanner')
+_logger.setLevel(_config.get_log_level())
 _logger.addHandler(logging.StreamHandler(sys.stdout))
 
 
diff --git a/plugins/store/kics/main.go b/plugins/store/kics/main.go
index 8a0754610..cdf04bca6 100644
--- a/plugins/store/kics/main.go
+++ b/plugins/store/kics/main.go
@@ -70,6 +70,10 @@ func (s *Scanner) SetStatus(newStatus *types.Status) {
 func (s *Scanner) Start(config types.Config) {
 	go func() {
 		logger := plugin.GetLogger()
+		err := printer.LogLevel(plugin.GetLogLevel(), false) //nolint:forbidigo
+		if err != nil {
+			logger.Error("Failed to set log level", slog.Any("error", err))
+		}
 
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Duration(config.TimeoutSeconds)*time.Second)
 		s.cancel = cancel