diff --git a/src/helper/command.c b/src/helper/command.c
index 9c29ceff8..4cce57f75 100644
--- a/src/helper/command.c
+++ b/src/helper/command.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ extern struct command_context *global_cmd_ctx;
  * Do nothing in case we are not at debug level 3 */
 static void script_debug(Jim_Interp *interp, unsigned int argc, Jim_Obj * const *argv)
 {
-	if (debug_level < LOG_LVL_DEBUG)
+	if (!LOG_LEVEL_IS(LOG_LVL_DEBUG))
 		return;
 
 	char *dbg = alloc_printf("command -");
diff --git a/src/helper/log.c b/src/helper/log.c
index d8c4e09ac..2dada3540 100644
--- a/src/helper/log.c
+++ b/src/helper/log.c
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ static void log_puts(enum log_levels level,
 	if (f)
 		file = f + 1;
 
-	if (debug_level >= LOG_LVL_DEBUG) {
+	if (LOG_LEVEL_IS(LOG_LVL_DEBUG)) {
 		/* print with count and time information */
 		int64_t t = timeval_ms() - start;
 #ifdef _DEBUG_FREE_SPACE_
diff --git a/src/helper/log.h b/src/helper/log.h
index ac24f8e83..474d082ed 100644
--- a/src/helper/log.h
+++ b/src/helper/log.h
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ extern int debug_level;
 
 #define LOG_DEBUG_IO(expr ...) \
 	do { \
-		if (debug_level >= LOG_LVL_DEBUG_IO) \
+		if (LOG_LEVEL_IS(LOG_LVL_DEBUG_IO)) \
 			log_printf_lf(LOG_LVL_DEBUG, \
 				__FILE__, __LINE__, __func__, \
 				expr); \
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ extern int debug_level;
 
 #define LOG_DEBUG(expr ...) \
 	do { \
-		if (debug_level >= LOG_LVL_DEBUG) \
+		if (LOG_LEVEL_IS(LOG_LVL_DEBUG)) \
 			log_printf_lf(LOG_LVL_DEBUG, \
 				__FILE__, __LINE__, __func__, \
 				expr); \
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ extern int debug_level;
 #define LOG_CUSTOM_LEVEL(level, expr ...) \
 	do { \
 		enum log_levels _level = level; \
-		if (debug_level >= _level) \
+		if (LOG_LEVEL_IS(_level)) \
 			log_printf_lf(_level, \
 				__FILE__, __LINE__, __func__, \
 				expr); \
diff --git a/src/jtag/core.c b/src/jtag/core.c
index 479d2efe5..3261e6079 100644
--- a/src/jtag/core.c
+++ b/src/jtag/core.c
@@ -967,7 +967,7 @@ int default_interface_jtag_execute_queue(void)
 	struct jtag_command *cmd = jtag_command_queue_get();
 	int result = adapter_driver->jtag_ops->execute_queue(cmd);
 
-	while (debug_level >= LOG_LVL_DEBUG_IO && cmd) {
+	while (LOG_LEVEL_IS(LOG_LVL_DEBUG_IO) && cmd) {
 		switch (cmd->type) {
 		case JTAG_SCAN:
 			LOG_DEBUG_IO("JTAG %s SCAN to %s",
diff --git a/src/rtos/ecos.c b/src/rtos/ecos.c
index 7b993c6f2..41159bf09 100644
--- a/src/rtos/ecos.c
+++ b/src/rtos/ecos.c
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ static int ecos_check_app_info(struct rtos *rtos, struct ecos_params *param)
 		return -1;
 
 	if (param->flush_common) {
-		if (debug_level >= LOG_LVL_DEBUG) {
+		if (LOG_LEVEL_IS(LOG_LVL_DEBUG)) {
 			for (unsigned int idx = 0; idx < ARRAY_SIZE(ecos_symbol_list); idx++) {
 				LOG_DEBUG("eCos: %s 0x%016" PRIX64 " %s",
 					rtos->symbols[idx].optional ? "OPTIONAL" : "        ",
diff --git a/src/svf/svf.c b/src/svf/svf.c
index 001ffa263..7491ad651 100644
--- a/src/svf/svf.c
+++ b/src/svf/svf.c
@@ -1620,7 +1620,7 @@ static int svf_run_command(struct command_context *cmd_ctx, char *cmd_str)
 			LOG_USER("(Above Padding command skipped, as per -tap argument)");
 	}
 
-	if (debug_level >= LOG_LVL_DEBUG) {
+	if (LOG_LEVEL_IS(LOG_LVL_DEBUG)) {
 		/* for convenient debugging, execute tap if possible */
 		if ((svf_buffer_index > 0) &&
 				(((command != STATE) && (command != RUNTEST)) ||
diff --git a/src/target/arc.c b/src/target/arc.c
index 638e22099..629f79aa0 100644
--- a/src/target/arc.c
+++ b/src/target/arc.c
@@ -769,7 +769,7 @@ static int arc_exit_debug(struct target *target)
 	target->state = TARGET_HALTED;
 	CHECK_RETVAL(target_call_event_callbacks(target, TARGET_EVENT_HALTED));
 
-	if (debug_level >= LOG_LVL_DEBUG) {
+	if (LOG_LEVEL_IS(LOG_LVL_DEBUG)) {
 		LOG_TARGET_DEBUG(target, "core stopped (halted) debug-reg: 0x%08" PRIx32, value);
 		CHECK_RETVAL(arc_jtag_read_aux_reg_one(&arc->jtag_info, AUX_STATUS32_REG, &value));
 		LOG_TARGET_DEBUG(target, "core STATUS32: 0x%08" PRIx32, value);
@@ -824,7 +824,7 @@ static int arc_halt(struct target *target)
 	CHECK_RETVAL(target_call_event_callbacks(target, TARGET_EVENT_HALTED));
 
 	/* some more debug information */
-	if (debug_level >= LOG_LVL_DEBUG) {
+	if (LOG_LEVEL_IS(LOG_LVL_DEBUG)) {
 		LOG_TARGET_DEBUG(target, "core stopped (halted) DEGUB-REG: 0x%08" PRIx32, value);
 		CHECK_RETVAL(arc_get_register_value(target, "status32", &value));
 		LOG_TARGET_DEBUG(target, "core STATUS32: 0x%08" PRIx32, value);
@@ -1148,7 +1148,7 @@ static int arc_arch_state(struct target *target)
 {
 	uint32_t pc_value;
 
-	if (debug_level < LOG_LVL_DEBUG)
+	if (!LOG_LEVEL_IS(LOG_LVL_DEBUG))
 		return ERROR_OK;
 
 	CHECK_RETVAL(arc_get_register_value(target, "pc", &pc_value));
diff --git a/src/target/arm720t.c b/src/target/arm720t.c
index 7098aa472..3f7686fb7 100644
--- a/src/target/arm720t.c
+++ b/src/target/arm720t.c
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ static int arm720t_soft_reset_halt(struct target *target)
 				return retval;
 		} else
 			break;
-		if (debug_level >= 3)
+		if (LOG_LEVEL_IS(LOG_LVL_DEBUG))
 			alive_sleep(100);
 		else
 			keep_alive();
diff --git a/src/target/arm7_9_common.c b/src/target/arm7_9_common.c
index c4bedcd85..06e76ac0d 100644
--- a/src/target/arm7_9_common.c
+++ b/src/target/arm7_9_common.c
@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ int arm7_9_execute_sys_speed(struct target *target)
 		if ((buf_get_u32(dbg_stat->value, EICE_DBG_STATUS_DBGACK, 1))
 				&& (buf_get_u32(dbg_stat->value, EICE_DBG_STATUS_SYSCOMP, 1)))
 			break;
-		if (debug_level >= 3)
+		if (LOG_LEVEL_IS(LOG_LVL_DEBUG))
 			alive_sleep(100);
 		else
 			keep_alive();
@@ -1088,7 +1088,7 @@ int arm7_9_soft_reset_halt(struct target *target)
 		retval = jtag_execute_queue();
 		if (retval != ERROR_OK)
 			return retval;
-		if (debug_level >= 3)
+		if (LOG_LEVEL_IS(LOG_LVL_DEBUG))
 			alive_sleep(100);
 		else
 			keep_alive();
diff --git a/src/target/arm920t.c b/src/target/arm920t.c
index 67c212e0b..441e42305 100644
--- a/src/target/arm920t.c
+++ b/src/target/arm920t.c
@@ -746,7 +746,7 @@ int arm920t_soft_reset_halt(struct target *target)
 				return retval;
 		} else
 			break;
-		if (debug_level >= 3) {
+		if (LOG_LEVEL_IS(LOG_LVL_DEBUG)) {
 			/* do not eat all CPU, time out after 1 se*/
 			alive_sleep(100);
 		} else
diff --git a/src/target/arm926ejs.c b/src/target/arm926ejs.c
index 0b77981ae..98fe6bf68 100644
--- a/src/target/arm926ejs.c
+++ b/src/target/arm926ejs.c
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ int arm926ejs_soft_reset_halt(struct target *target)
 				return retval;
 		} else
 			break;
-		if (debug_level >= 1) {
+		if (LOG_LEVEL_IS(LOG_LVL_WARNING)) {
 			/* do not eat all CPU, time out after 1 se*/
 			alive_sleep(100);
 		} else
diff --git a/src/target/xscale.c b/src/target/xscale.c
index 613c8d20a..712db4ee2 100644
--- a/src/target/xscale.c
+++ b/src/target/xscale.c
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ static int xscale_read_tx(struct target *target, int consume)
 		}
 		if (!((!(field0_in & 1)) && consume))
 			goto done;
-		if (debug_level >= 3) {
+		if (LOG_LEVEL_IS(LOG_LVL_DEBUG)) {
 			LOG_DEBUG("waiting 100ms");
 			alive_sleep(100);	/* avoid flooding the logs */
 		} else
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ static int xscale_write_rx(struct target *target)
 		}
 		if (!(field0_in & 1))
 			goto done;
-		if (debug_level >= 3) {
+		if (LOG_LEVEL_IS(LOG_LVL_DEBUG)) {
 			LOG_DEBUG("waiting 100ms");
 			alive_sleep(100);	/* avoid flooding the logs */
 		} else