diff --git a/cake/libs/configure.php b/cake/libs/configure.php
index ab424c3edfc..4e0ca6f5ce5 100644
--- a/cake/libs/configure.php
+++ b/cake/libs/configure.php
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class Configure extends Object {
  * @var integer
  * @access public
  */
-	var $debug = null;
+	var $debug = 0;
 
 /**
  * Returns a singleton instance of the Configure class.
@@ -106,24 +106,30 @@ function write($config, $value = null) {
 		}
 
 		if (isset($config['debug'])) {
+			$reporting = 0;
 			if ($_this->debug) {
-				error_reporting(E_ALL & ~E_DEPRECATED);
-
+				if (!class_exists('Debugger')) {
+					require LIBS . 'debugger.php';
+				}
+				$reporting = E_ALL & ~E_DEPRECATED;
 				if (function_exists('ini_set')) {
 					ini_set('display_errors', 1);
 				}
+			} elseif (function_exists('ini_set')) {
+				ini_set('display_errors', 0);
+			}
 
-				if (!class_exists('Debugger')) {
-					require LIBS . 'debugger.php';
-				}
+			if (isset($_this->log) && $_this->log) {
 				if (!class_exists('CakeLog')) {
 					require LIBS . 'cake_log.php';
 				}
-				Configure::write('log', LOG_NOTICE);
-			} else {
-				error_reporting(0);
-				Configure::write('log', LOG_NOTICE);
+				if (is_integer($_this->log) && !$_this->debug) {
+					$reporting = $_this->log;
+				} else {
+					$reporting = E_ALL & ~E_DEPRECATED;
+				}
 			}
+			error_reporting($reporting);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -143,13 +149,6 @@ function read($var = 'debug') {
 		$_this =& Configure::getInstance();
 
 		if ($var === 'debug') {
-			if (!isset($_this->debug)) {
-				if (defined('DEBUG')) {
-					$_this->debug = DEBUG;
-				} else {
-					$_this->debug = 0;
-				}
-			}
 			return $_this->debug;
 		}
 
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/libs/configure.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/libs/configure.test.php
index 528f7195704..c2ece8a6a49 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/libs/configure.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/libs/configure.test.php
@@ -144,6 +144,8 @@ function testWrite() {
  * @return void
  **/
 	function testSetErrorReportingLevel() {
+		Configure::write('log', false);
+
 		Configure::write('debug', 0);
 		$result = ini_get('error_reporting');
 		$this->assertEqual($result, 0);
@@ -160,6 +162,28 @@ function testSetErrorReportingLevel() {
 		$this->assertEqual($result, 0);
 	}
 
+/**
+ * test that log and debug configure values interact well.
+ *
+ * @return void
+ **/
+	function testInteractionOfDebugAndLog() {
+		Configure::write('log', false);
+
+		Configure::write('debug', 0);
+		$this->assertEqual(ini_get('error_reporting'), 0);
+		$this->assertEqual(ini_get('display_errors'), 0);
+
+		Configure::write('log', E_WARNING);
+		Configure::write('debug', 0);
+		$this->assertEqual(ini_get('error_reporting'), E_WARNING);
+		$this->assertEqual(ini_get('display_errors'), 0);
+
+		Configure::write('debug', 2);
+		$this->assertEqual(ini_get('error_reporting'), E_ALL & ~E_DEPRECATED);
+		$this->assertEqual(ini_get('display_errors'), 1);
+	}
+
 /**
  * testDelete method
  *