diff --git a/api/docs/public/cli.md b/api/docs/public/cli.md
index 4bfa26e879..27d33c4322 100644
--- a/api/docs/public/cli.md
+++ b/api/docs/public/cli.md
@@ -21,7 +21,14 @@ unraid-api start [--log-level <level>]
 Starts the Unraid API service.
 
 Options:
-- `--log-level`: Set logging level (trace|debug|info|warn|error)
+
+- `--log-level`: Set logging level (trace|debug|info|warn|error|fatal)
+
+Alternative: You can also set the log level using the `LOG_LEVEL` environment variable:
+
+```bash
+LOG_LEVEL=trace unraid-api start
+```
 
 ### Stop
 
@@ -36,11 +43,21 @@ Stops the Unraid API service.
 ### Restart
 
 ```bash
-unraid-api restart
+unraid-api restart [--log-level <level>]
 ```
 
 Restarts the Unraid API service.
 
+Options:
+
+- `--log-level`: Set logging level (trace|debug|info|warn|error|fatal)
+
+Alternative: You can also set the log level using the `LOG_LEVEL` environment variable:
+
+```bash
+LOG_LEVEL=trace unraid-api restart
+```
+
 ### Logs
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/api/src/unraid-api/cli/restart.command.ts b/api/src/unraid-api/cli/restart.command.ts
index c3668f44ff..da6005a68c 100644
--- a/api/src/unraid-api/cli/restart.command.ts
+++ b/api/src/unraid-api/cli/restart.command.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,23 @@
-import { Command, CommandRunner } from 'nest-commander';
+import { Command, CommandRunner, Option } from 'nest-commander';
 
-import { ECOSYSTEM_PATH } from '@app/environment.js';
+import type { LogLevel } from '@app/core/log.js';
+import { levels } from '@app/core/log.js';
+import { ECOSYSTEM_PATH, LOG_LEVEL } from '@app/environment.js';
 import { LogService } from '@app/unraid-api/cli/log.service.js';
 import { PM2Service } from '@app/unraid-api/cli/pm2.service.js';
 
+export interface LogLevelOptions {
+    logLevel?: LogLevel;
+}
+
+export function parseLogLevelOption(val: string, allowedLevels: string[] = [...levels]): LogLevel {
+    const normalized = val.toLowerCase() as LogLevel;
+    if (allowedLevels.includes(normalized)) {
+        return normalized;
+    }
+    throw new Error(`Invalid --log-level "${val}". Allowed: ${allowedLevels.join(', ')}`);
+}
+
 @Command({ name: 'restart', description: 'Restart the Unraid API' })
 export class RestartCommand extends CommandRunner {
     constructor(
@@ -13,11 +27,12 @@ export class RestartCommand extends CommandRunner {
         super();
     }
 
-    async run(): Promise<void> {
+    async run(_?: string[], options: LogLevelOptions = {}): Promise<void> {
         try {
             this.logger.info('Restarting the Unraid API...');
+            const env = { LOG_LEVEL: options.logLevel };
             const { stderr, stdout } = await this.pm2.run(
-                { tag: 'PM2 Restart', raw: true },
+                { tag: 'PM2 Restart', raw: true, extendEnv: true, env },
                 'restart',
                 ECOSYSTEM_PATH,
                 '--update-env'
@@ -40,4 +55,13 @@ export class RestartCommand extends CommandRunner {
             process.exit(1);
         }
     }
+
+    @Option({
+        flags: `--log-level <${levels.join('|')}>`,
+        description: 'log level to use',
+        defaultValue: LOG_LEVEL.toLowerCase(),
+    })
+    parseLogLevel(val: string): LogLevel {
+        return parseLogLevelOption(val);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/api/src/unraid-api/cli/start.command.ts b/api/src/unraid-api/cli/start.command.ts
index 33e2c4845d..74d512574b 100644
--- a/api/src/unraid-api/cli/start.command.ts
+++ b/api/src/unraid-api/cli/start.command.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 import { Command, CommandRunner, Option } from 'nest-commander';
 
 import type { LogLevel } from '@app/core/log.js';
+import type { LogLevelOptions } from '@app/unraid-api/cli/restart.command.js';
 import { levels } from '@app/core/log.js';
-import { ECOSYSTEM_PATH } from '@app/environment.js';
+import { ECOSYSTEM_PATH, LOG_LEVEL } from '@app/environment.js';
 import { LogService } from '@app/unraid-api/cli/log.service.js';
 import { PM2Service } from '@app/unraid-api/cli/pm2.service.js';
-
-interface StartCommandOptions {
-    'log-level'?: string;
-}
+import { parseLogLevelOption } from '@app/unraid-api/cli/restart.command.js';
 
 @Command({ name: 'start', description: 'Start the Unraid API' })
 export class StartCommand extends CommandRunner {
@@ -27,17 +25,12 @@ export class StartCommand extends CommandRunner {
         await this.pm2.run({ tag: 'PM2 Delete' }, 'delete', ECOSYSTEM_PATH);
     }
 
-    async run(_: string[], options: StartCommandOptions): Promise<void> {
+    async run(_: string[], options: LogLevelOptions): Promise<void> {
         this.logger.info('Starting the Unraid API');
         await this.cleanupPM2State();
-
-        const env: Record<string, string> = {};
-        if (options['log-level']) {
-            env.LOG_LEVEL = options['log-level'];
-        }
-
+        const env = { LOG_LEVEL: options.logLevel };
         const { stderr, stdout } = await this.pm2.run(
-            { tag: 'PM2 Start', env, raw: true },
+            { tag: 'PM2 Start', raw: true, extendEnv: true, env },
             'start',
             ECOSYSTEM_PATH,
             '--update-env'
@@ -54,9 +47,9 @@ export class StartCommand extends CommandRunner {
     @Option({
         flags: `--log-level <${levels.join('|')}>`,
         description: 'log level to use',
-        defaultValue: 'info',
+        defaultValue: LOG_LEVEL.toLowerCase(),
     })
     parseLogLevel(val: string): LogLevel {
-        return levels.includes(val as LogLevel) ? (val as LogLevel) : 'info';
+        return parseLogLevelOption(val);
     }
 }