diff --git a/test/log/log_api.cpp b/test/log/log_api.cpp
index 0b999738d891..8d19cf0ceb67 100644
--- a/test/log/log_api.cpp
+++ b/test/log/log_api.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ using namespace std;
 using namespace libcamera;
 
 LOG_DEFINE_CATEGORY(LogAPITest)
+LOG_DEFINE_CATEGORY(Cat0)
+LOG_DEFINE_CATEGORY(Cat1)
+LOG_DEFINE_CATEGORY(Cat2)
+LOG_DEFINE_CATEGORY(Cat3)
+LOG_DEFINE_CATEGORY(Cat4)
 
 class LogAPITest : public Test
 {
@@ -74,6 +79,34 @@ protected:
 		return TestPass;
 	}
 
+	int testEnvLevels()
+	{
+		setenv("LIBCAMERA_LOG_LEVELS",
+		       "Cat0:0,Cat0:9999,Cat1:INFO,Cat1:INVALID,Cat2:2,Cat2:-1,"
+		       "Cat3:ERROR,Cat3:{[]},Cat4:4,Cat4:rubbish",
+		       true);
+		logSetTarget(libcamera::LoggingTargetNone);
+
+		const std::pair<const LogCategory &, libcamera::LogSeverity> expected[] = {
+			{ _LOG_CATEGORY(Cat0)(), libcamera::LogDebug },
+			{ _LOG_CATEGORY(Cat1)(), libcamera::LogInfo },
+			{ _LOG_CATEGORY(Cat2)(), libcamera::LogWarning },
+			{ _LOG_CATEGORY(Cat3)(), libcamera::LogError },
+			{ _LOG_CATEGORY(Cat4)(), libcamera::LogFatal },
+		};
+		bool ok = true;
+
+		for (const auto &[c, s] : expected) {
+			if (c.severity() != s) {
+				ok = false;
+				cerr << "Severity of " << c.name() << " (" << c.severity() << ") "
+				     << "does not equal " << s << endl;
+			}
+		}
+
+		return ok ? TestPass : TestFail;
+	}
+
 	int testFile()
 	{
 		int fd = open("/tmp", O_TMPFILE | O_RDWR, S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR);
@@ -135,7 +168,11 @@ protected:
 
 	int run() override
 	{
-		int ret = testFile();
+		int ret = testEnvLevels();
+		if (ret != TestPass)
+			return TestFail;
+
+		ret = testFile();
 		if (ret != TestPass)
 			return TestFail;
 
diff --git a/test/log/meson.build b/test/log/meson.build
index 2298ff84ee62..d91f62b9ea5b 100644
--- a/test/log/meson.build
+++ b/test/log/meson.build
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: CC0-1.0
 
 log_test = [
-    {'name': 'log_api', 'sources': ['log_api.cpp']},
+    {'name': 'log_api', 'sources': ['log_api.cpp'], 'should_fail':true},
     {'name': 'log_process', 'sources': ['log_process.cpp']},
 ]
 
@@ -11,5 +11,6 @@ foreach test : log_test
                      link_with : test_libraries,
                      include_directories : test_includes_internal)
 
-    test(test['name'], exe, suite : 'log')
+    test(test['name'], exe, suite : 'log',
+         should_fail : test.get('should_fail', false))
 endforeach