diff --git a/src/libcamera/base/global_configuration.cpp b/src/libcamera/base/global_configuration.cpp
index 96088b36..b45fd341 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/base/global_configuration.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/base/global_configuration.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,13 @@ LOG_DEFINE_CATEGORY(Configuration)
  * The configuration file is a YAML file and the configuration itself is stored
  * under `configuration' top-level item.
  *
+ * Example configuration file content:
+ * \code{.yaml}
+ * configuration:
+ *   log:
+ *     levels: 'IPAManager:DEBUG'
+ * \endcode
+ *
  * The configuration file is looked up in user's home directory first and if it
  * is not found then in system-wide configuration directories. If multiple
  * configuration files exist then only the first one found is used and no
@@ -57,6 +64,11 @@ const std::vector<std::filesystem::path>
 		std::filesystem::path("/etc/libcamera/configuration.yaml"),
 	};
 
+/*
+ * Care is needed here to not log anything before the configuration is
+ * loaded otherwise the logger would be initialized with empty configuration.
+ */
+
 void GlobalConfiguration::load()
 {
 	std::filesystem::path userConfigurationDirectory;
@@ -87,10 +99,15 @@ void GlobalConfiguration::load()
 
 bool GlobalConfiguration::loadFile(const std::filesystem::path &fileName)
 {
+	/*
+	 * initialized_ must be set to true before any logging is called!
+	 */
+
 	File file(fileName);
 	if (!file.exists()) {
 		return false;
 	}
+	initialized_ = true;
 
 	if (!file.open(File::OpenModeFlag::ReadOnly)) {
 		LOG(Configuration, Warning)
@@ -105,7 +122,6 @@ bool GlobalConfiguration::loadFile(const std::filesystem::path &fileName)
 		return true;
 	}
 	configuration_ = std::move(root);
-	initialized_ = true;
 	LOG(Configuration, Info) << "Configuration file " << fileName << "loaded";
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/src/libcamera/base/log.cpp b/src/libcamera/base/log.cpp
index c8045ef7..0564306d 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/base/log.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/base/log.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <string>
 #include <syslog.h>
 #include <time.h>
 #include <unordered_set>
@@ -25,6 +26,8 @@
 #include <libcamera/base/thread.h>
 #include <libcamera/base/utils.h>
 
+#include "libcamera/internal/global_configuration.h"
+
 /**
  * \file base/log.h
  * \brief Logging infrastructure
@@ -626,8 +629,13 @@ void Logger::parseLogFile()
 void Logger::parseLogLevels()
 {
 	const char *debug = utils::secure_getenv("LIBCAMERA_LOG_LEVELS");
-	if (!debug)
-		return;
+	if (!debug) {
+		const std::optional<std::string> confDebug =
+			GlobalConfiguration::configuration()["log"]["levels"].get<std::string>();
+		if (!confDebug.has_value())
+			return;
+		debug = confDebug.value().c_str();
+	}
 
 	for (const char *pair = debug; *debug != '\0'; pair = debug) {
 		const char *comma = strchrnul(debug, ',');
diff --git a/src/libcamera/camera_manager.cpp b/src/libcamera/camera_manager.cpp
index 355f3ada..cff8e80c 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/camera_manager.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/camera_manager.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 #include "libcamera/internal/camera.h"
 #include "libcamera/internal/device_enumerator.h"
+#include "libcamera/internal/global_configuration.h"
 #include "libcamera/internal/pipeline_handler.h"
 
 /**
@@ -37,6 +38,14 @@ LOG_DEFINE_CATEGORY(Camera)
 CameraManager::Private::Private()
 	: initialized_(false)
 {
+	/*
+	 * This is needed to initialize global configuration
+	 * before any logging is called.  Actually, IPAManager
+	 * constructor is called before this, so the configuration
+	 * call is superfluous here, but the initialization belongs
+	 * here.
+	 */
+	GlobalConfiguration::configuration();
 }
 
 int CameraManager::Private::start()
diff --git a/src/libcamera/ipa_manager.cpp b/src/libcamera/ipa_manager.cpp
index 7a4515d9..5104b930 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/ipa_manager.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/ipa_manager.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include <libcamera/base/log.h>
 #include <libcamera/base/utils.h>
 
+#include "libcamera/internal/global_configuration.h"
 #include "libcamera/internal/ipa_module.h"
 #include "libcamera/internal/ipa_proxy.h"
 #include "libcamera/internal/pipeline_handler.h"
@@ -105,6 +106,17 @@ IPAManager *IPAManager::self_ = nullptr;
  */
 IPAManager::IPAManager()
 {
+	/*
+	 * Make sure configuration is loaded early.
+	 * Otherwise there would be problems with mutual
+	 * configuration-logging dependencies.
+	 *
+	 * This is needed to be here in addition to CameraManager constructor
+	 * because logging is called before CameraManager constructor body is
+	 * executed.
+	 */
+	GlobalConfiguration::configuration();
+
 	if (self_)
 		LOG(IPAManager, Fatal)
 			<< "Multiple IPAManager objects are not allowed";