diff --git a/defmt/src/export/mod.rs b/defmt/src/export/mod.rs
index c0cd7be3..88e4ac2c 100644
--- a/defmt/src/export/mod.rs
+++ b/defmt/src/export/mod.rs
@@ -209,20 +209,28 @@ pub fn display(val: &dyn core::fmt::Display) {
 }
 
 #[inline(never)]
-pub unsafe fn acquire_and_header(s: &Str) {
-    acquire();
-    istr(s);
-    timestamp(make_formatter());
+#[must_use]
+pub unsafe fn check_acquire_and_header(s: &Str) -> bool {
+    if s.level_above_global_log_level() {
+        acquire();
+        istr(s);
+        timestamp(make_formatter());
+        true
+    } else {
+        false
+    }
 }
 
 #[inline(never)]
 pub fn acquire_header_and_release(s: &Str) {
-    // safety: will be released a few lines further down
-    unsafe { acquire() };
-    istr(s);
-    timestamp(make_formatter());
-    // safety: acquire() was called a few lines above
-    unsafe { release() };
+    if s.level_above_global_log_level() {
+        // safety: will be released a few lines further down
+        unsafe { acquire() };
+        istr(s);
+        timestamp(make_formatter());
+        // safety: acquire() was called a few lines above
+        unsafe { release() };
+    }
 }
 
 struct FmtWrite;
diff --git a/defmt/src/formatter.rs b/defmt/src/formatter.rs
index d153a7bc..60e14c8a 100644
--- a/defmt/src/formatter.rs
+++ b/defmt/src/formatter.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use crate::{get_global_log_level, IdRanges, LogLevel};
 use core::marker::PhantomData;
 
 /// Handle to a defmt logger.
@@ -14,3 +15,24 @@ pub struct Str {
     /// 16-bit address
     pub(crate) address: u16,
 }
+
+impl Str {
+    /// If the interned string is a log message, returns whether its level is above the global log level.
+    /// If the interned string is not a log message, returns `false`.
+    /// See [`set_global_log_level`] to change the log level
+    pub(crate) fn level_above_global_log_level(&self) -> bool {
+        let ranges = IdRanges::get();
+        if self.address >= ranges.trace.start && self.address < ranges.error.end {
+            let min_id = match get_global_log_level() {
+                LogLevel::Trace => ranges.trace.start,
+                LogLevel::Debug => ranges.debug.start,
+                LogLevel::Info => ranges.info.start,
+                LogLevel::Warn => ranges.warn.start,
+                LogLevel::Error => ranges.error.start,
+            };
+            self.address >= min_id
+        } else {
+            false
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/defmt/src/lib.rs b/defmt/src/lib.rs
index abffdf8f..7d36eb15 100644
--- a/defmt/src/lib.rs
+++ b/defmt/src/lib.rs
@@ -415,6 +415,40 @@ pub fn flush() {
     }
 }
 
+/// Log Level of a defmt message
+/// Use `set_global_log_level` to set the global log level used to filter messages at runtime.
+/// Note: Use the environment variable `DEFMT_LOG` to disable certain log levels already at compile time
+#[repr(u8)]
+pub enum LogLevel {
+    /// Trace level
+    Trace = 0,
+    /// Debug level
+    Debug = 1,
+    /// Info level
+    Info = 2,
+    /// Warn level
+    Warn = 3,
+    /// Error level
+    Error = 4,
+}
+
+static LOG_LEVEL: core::sync::atomic::AtomicU8 =
+    core::sync::atomic::AtomicU8::new(LogLevel::Trace as u8);
+
+/// Sets the global log level used to filter messages at runtime.
+/// Messages below the passed level will never reach the defmt `global_logger`
+/// Note: Use the environment variable `DEFMT_LOG` to disable certain log levels already at compile time
+pub fn set_global_log_level(min_level: LogLevel) {
+    LOG_LEVEL.store(min_level as u8, core::sync::atomic::Ordering::Relaxed);
+}
+
+/// Gets the global log level used to filter messages at runtime.
+/// Messages below the returned level will never reach the defmt `global_logger`
+pub fn get_global_log_level() -> LogLevel {
+    let level = LOG_LEVEL.load(core::sync::atomic::Ordering::Relaxed);
+    unsafe { core::mem::transmute(level) }
+}
+
 #[cfg(not(feature = "unstable-test"))]
 #[doc(hidden)]
 pub struct IdRanges {
diff --git a/macros/src/function_like/log.rs b/macros/src/function_like/log.rs
index 7507177b..f69ca002 100644
--- a/macros/src/function_like/log.rs
+++ b/macros/src/function_like/log.rs
@@ -48,10 +48,11 @@ pub(crate) fn expand_parsed(level: Level, args: Args) -> TokenStream2 {
         } else {
             quote!(
                 // safety: will be released a few lines further down
-                unsafe { defmt::export::acquire_and_header(&#header); };
-                #(#exprs;)*
-                // safety: acquire() was called a few lines above
-                unsafe { defmt::export::release() }
+                if( unsafe { defmt::export::check_acquire_and_header(&#header) }) {
+                    #(#exprs;)*
+                    // safety: acquire() was called a few lines above
+                    unsafe { defmt::export::release() }
+                }
             )
         };
 
diff --git a/macros/src/function_like/println.rs b/macros/src/function_like/println.rs
index b6385831..9c1f8305 100644
--- a/macros/src/function_like/println.rs
+++ b/macros/src/function_like/println.rs
@@ -42,10 +42,11 @@ pub(crate) fn expand_parsed(args: Args) -> TokenStream2 {
     } else {
         quote!(
             // safety: will be released a few lines further down
-            unsafe { defmt::export::acquire_and_header(&#header); };
-            #(#exprs;)*
-            // safety: acquire() was called a few lines above
-            unsafe { defmt::export::release() }
+            if (unsafe { defmt::export::check_acquire_and_header(&#header) }){
+                #(#exprs;)*
+                // safety: acquire() was called a few lines above
+                unsafe { defmt::export::release() }
+            }
         )
     };
     quote!({