diff --git a/logger.go b/logger.go
index c224f4790..945f256c6 100644
--- a/logger.go
+++ b/logger.go
@@ -90,17 +90,7 @@ func (log *logger) With(fields ...Field) Logger {
 }
 
 func (log *logger) Check(lvl Level, msg string) *CheckedMessage {
-	switch lvl {
-	case PanicLevel, FatalLevel:
-		// Panic and Fatal should always cause a panic/exit, even if the level
-		// is disabled.
-		break
-	default:
-		if lvl < log.Level() {
-			return nil
-		}
-	}
-	return NewCheckedMessage(log, lvl, msg)
+	return log.Meta.Check(log, lvl, msg)
 }
 
 func (log *logger) Log(lvl Level, msg string, fields ...Field) {
@@ -142,7 +132,7 @@ func (log *logger) DFatal(msg string, fields ...Field) {
 }
 
 func (log *logger) log(lvl Level, msg string, fields []Field) {
-	if !(lvl >= log.Level()) {
+	if !log.Meta.Enabled(lvl) {
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/meta.go b/meta.go
index 21cf58e1c..5e716acbf 100644
--- a/meta.go
+++ b/meta.go
@@ -74,3 +74,24 @@ func (m Meta) Clone() Meta {
 	m.Encoder = m.Encoder.Clone()
 	return m
 }
+
+// Enabled returns true if logging a message at a particular level is enabled.
+func (m Meta) Enabled(lvl Level) bool {
+	return lvl >= m.Level()
+}
+
+// Check returns a CheckedMessage logging the given message is Enabled, nil
+// otherwise.
+func (m Meta) Check(log Logger, lvl Level, msg string) *CheckedMessage {
+	switch lvl {
+	case PanicLevel, FatalLevel:
+		// Panic and Fatal should always cause a panic/exit, even if the level
+		// is disabled.
+		break
+	default:
+		if !m.Enabled(lvl) {
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+	return NewCheckedMessage(log, lvl, msg)
+}
diff --git a/spy/logger.go b/spy/logger.go
index 4ad0b11e0..e4e172f08 100644
--- a/spy/logger.go
+++ b/spy/logger.go
@@ -94,17 +94,7 @@ func (l *Logger) With(fields ...zap.Field) zap.Logger {
 
 // Check returns a CheckedMessage if logging a particular message would succeed.
 func (l *Logger) Check(lvl zap.Level, msg string) *zap.CheckedMessage {
-	switch lvl {
-	case zap.PanicLevel, zap.FatalLevel:
-		// Panic and Fatal should always cause a panic/exit, even if the level
-		// is disabled.
-		break
-	default:
-		if !(lvl >= l.Level()) {
-			return nil
-		}
-	}
-	return zap.NewCheckedMessage(l, lvl, msg)
+	return l.Meta.Check(l, lvl, msg)
 }
 
 // Log writes a message at the specified level.
@@ -155,17 +145,9 @@ func (l *Logger) DFatal(msg string, fields ...zap.Field) {
 }
 
 func (l *Logger) log(lvl zap.Level, msg string, fields []zap.Field) {
-	switch lvl {
-	case zap.PanicLevel, zap.FatalLevel:
-		// Panic and Fatal should always cause a panic/exit, even if the level
-		// is disabled.
-		break
-	default:
-		if !(lvl >= l.Level()) {
-			return
-		}
+	if l.Meta.Enabled(lvl) {
+		l.sink.WriteLog(lvl, msg, l.allFields(fields))
 	}
-	l.sink.WriteLog(lvl, msg, l.allFields(fields))
 }
 
 func (l *Logger) allFields(added []zap.Field) []zap.Field {
diff --git a/zbark/debark.go b/zbark/debark.go
index 8ad7f7fa0..e1455708b 100644
--- a/zbark/debark.go
+++ b/zbark/debark.go
@@ -37,14 +37,14 @@ func Debarkify(bl bark.Logger, lvl zap.Level) zap.Logger {
 		return wrapper.zl
 	}
 	return &zapper{
-		lvl: lvl,
-		bl:  bl,
+		Meta: zap.MakeMeta(nil, lvl),
+		bl:   bl,
 	}
 }
 
 type zapper struct {
-	lvl zap.Level
-	bl  bark.Logger
+	zap.Meta
+	bl bark.Logger
 }
 
 func (z *zapper) DFatal(msg string, fields ...zap.Field) {
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func (z *zapper) Log(l zap.Level, msg string, fields ...zap.Field) {
 	switch l {
 	case zap.PanicLevel, zap.FatalLevel:
 	default:
-		if l < z.lvl {
+		if !z.Meta.Enabled(l) {
 			return
 		}
 	}
@@ -81,34 +81,16 @@ func (z *zapper) Log(l zap.Level, msg string, fields ...zap.Field) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (z *zapper) Level() zap.Level {
-	return z.lvl
-}
-
-// Change the level of this logger, as well as all its ancestors and
-// descendants. This makes it easy to change the log level at runtime
-// without restarting your application.
-func (z *zapper) SetLevel(l zap.Level) {
-	z.lvl = l
-}
-
 // Create a child logger, and optionally add some context to that logger.
 func (z *zapper) With(fields ...zap.Field) zap.Logger {
 	return &zapper{
-		lvl: z.lvl,
-		bl:  z.bl.WithFields(zapToBark(fields)),
+		Meta: z.Meta,
+		bl:   z.bl.WithFields(zapToBark(fields)),
 	}
 }
 
 func (z *zapper) Check(l zap.Level, msg string) *zap.CheckedMessage {
-	switch l {
-	case zap.PanicLevel, zap.FatalLevel:
-	default:
-		if l < z.lvl {
-			return nil
-		}
-	}
-	return zap.NewCheckedMessage(z, l, msg)
+	return z.Meta.Check(z, l, msg)
 }
 
 func (z *zapper) Debug(msg string, fields ...zap.Field) {
diff --git a/zbark/debark_test.go b/zbark/debark_test.go
index 71fcf97d1..87ca067f6 100644
--- a/zbark/debark_test.go
+++ b/zbark/debark_test.go
@@ -92,14 +92,6 @@ var levels = []zap.Level{
 	zap.ErrorLevel,
 }
 
-func TestDebark_Levels(t *testing.T) {
-	logger, _ := newDebark(zap.DebugLevel)
-	for _, l := range append(levels, zap.PanicLevel, zap.FatalLevel) {
-		logger.SetLevel(l)
-		assert.Equal(t, l, logger.Level())
-	}
-}
-
 func TestDebark_Check(t *testing.T) {
 	logger, buf := newDebark(zap.DebugLevel)
 	for _, l := range append(levels, zap.PanicLevel, zap.FatalLevel) {
diff --git a/zwrap/sample_test.go b/zwrap/sample_test.go
index a21f01b82..580d6bfb9 100644
--- a/zwrap/sample_test.go
+++ b/zwrap/sample_test.go
@@ -181,8 +181,7 @@ func TestSamplerCheckPanicFatal(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 		}
 
-		expected := buildExpectation(level, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4)
-		assert.Equal(t, expected, sink.Logs(), "Unexpected output when sampling with Check.")
+		assert.Equal(t, []spy.Log(nil), sink.Logs(), "Unexpected output when sampling with Check.")
 	}
 }