diff --git a/src/backend/main.py b/src/backend/main.py
index d71b0672..09702f13 100644
--- a/src/backend/main.py
+++ b/src/backend/main.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 from backend.server.server_args import parse_args
 from backend.server.static_config import get_model_list, get_node_join_command
 from parallax_utils.ascii_anime import display_parallax_run
-from parallax_utils.logging_config import get_logger
+from parallax_utils.logging_config import get_logger, set_log_level
 
 app = FastAPI()
 
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ async def serve_index():
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     args = parse_args()
+    set_log_level(args.log_level)
     logger.info(f"args: {args}")
     if args.log_level != "DEBUG":
         display_parallax_run()
diff --git a/src/parallax/launch.py b/src/parallax/launch.py
index 98b20ad3..72eded2f 100644
--- a/src/parallax/launch.py
+++ b/src/parallax/launch.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 from parallax.server.server_args import parse_args
 from parallax.utils.utils import get_current_device
 from parallax_utils.ascii_anime import display_parallax_join
-from parallax_utils.logging_config import get_logger
+from parallax_utils.logging_config import get_logger, set_log_level
 
 logger = get_logger("parallax.launch")
 
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
     executor = None
     try:
         args = parse_args()
+        set_log_level(args.log_level)
         logger.debug(f"args: {args}")
         args.recv_from_peer_addr = f"ipc://{tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile().name}"
         args.send_to_peer_addr = f"ipc://{tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile().name}"
diff --git a/src/parallax_utils/logging_config.py b/src/parallax_utils/logging_config.py
index 6dba33bb..f4b49c0e 100644
--- a/src/parallax_utils/logging_config.py
+++ b/src/parallax_utils/logging_config.py
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 """Logging configuration for Parallax."""
 
 import logging
-import os
 import sys
 import threading
 from typing import Optional
 
-__all__ = ["get_logger", "use_parallax_log_handler"]
+__all__ = ["get_logger", "use_parallax_log_handler", "set_log_level"]
 
 _init_lock = threading.Lock()
 _default_handler: logging.Handler | None = None
@@ -90,13 +89,18 @@ def _initialize_if_necessary():
         _default_handler.setFormatter(formatter)
 
         # root level from env or INFO
-        level_name = os.getenv("PARALLAX_LOGLEVEL", "INFO").upper()
-        logging.getLogger().setLevel(level_name)
+        logging.getLogger().setLevel("INFO")
 
         # Allow logs from our main packages by default
         _enable_default_handler(("parallax", "scheduling", "backend", "sglang"))
 
 
+def set_log_level(level_name: str):
+    """Set the root logger level."""
+    _initialize_if_necessary()
+    logging.getLogger().setLevel(level_name.upper())
+
+
 def get_logger(name: Optional[str] = None) -> logging.Logger:
     """
     Grab a logger with parallax’s default handler attached.