diff --git a/dane/dane_test.go b/dane/dane_test.go
index 42dad3e..df416d9 100644
--- a/dane/dane_test.go
+++ b/dane/dane_test.go
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import (
 	"crypto/x509/pkix"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"log/slog"
 	"math/big"
 	"net"
 	"reflect"
@@ -36,7 +35,6 @@ func tcheckf(t *testing.T, err error, format string, args ...any) {
 
 // Test dialing and DANE TLS verification.
 func TestDial(t *testing.T) {
-	mlog.SetConfig(map[string]slog.Level{"": mlog.LevelDebug})
 	log := mlog.New("dane", nil)
 
 	// Create fake CA/trusted-anchor certificate.
diff --git a/dmarcdb/eval_test.go b/dmarcdb/eval_test.go
index bb963c1..e2c5eb8 100644
--- a/dmarcdb/eval_test.go
+++ b/dmarcdb/eval_test.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/xml"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
-	"log/slog"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"reflect"
@@ -157,8 +156,6 @@ func TestEvaluations(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSendReports(t *testing.T) {
-	mlog.SetConfig(map[string]slog.Level{"": slog.LevelDebug})
-
 	os.RemoveAll("../testdata/dmarcdb/data")
 	mox.Context = ctxbg
 	mox.ConfigStaticPath = filepath.FromSlash("../testdata/dmarcdb/mox.conf")
diff --git a/localserve.go b/localserve.go
index 5e19c3f..d10ca5c 100644
--- a/localserve.go
+++ b/localserve.go
@@ -120,11 +120,14 @@ during those commands instead of during "data".
 		existingConfig = true
 	}
 
-	if level, ok := mlog.Levels[loglevel]; loglevel != "" && ok {
-		mox.Conf.Log[""] = level
-		mlog.SetConfig(mox.Conf.Log)
-	} else if loglevel != "" && !ok {
-		log.Fatal("unknown loglevel", slog.String("loglevel", loglevel))
+	// For new configs, we keep the "info" loglevel set by writeLocalConfig until after
+	// initializing database files, to prevent lots of schema upgrade logging.
+	fallbackLevel := mox.Conf.Static.LogLevel
+	if fallbackLevel == "" {
+		fallbackLevel = "debug"
+	}
+	if existingConfig {
+		loadLoglevel(log, fallbackLevel)
 	}
 
 	// Initialize receivedid.
@@ -158,6 +161,9 @@ during those commands instead of during "data".
 	if err := start(mtastsdbRefresher, sendDMARCReports, sendTLSReports, skipForkExec); err != nil {
 		log.Fatalx("starting mox", err)
 	}
+
+	loadLoglevel(log, fallbackLevel)
+
 	golog.Printf("mox, version %s, %s %s/%s", moxvar.Version, runtime.Version(), runtime.GOOS, runtime.GOARCH)
 	golog.Print("")
 	golog.Printf("the default user is mox@localhost, with password moxmoxmox")
@@ -471,6 +477,9 @@ func writeLocalConfig(log mlog.Log, dir, ip string) (rerr error) {
 	err = localLoadConfig(log, dir)
 	xcheck(err, "loading config")
 
+	// Info so we don't log lots about initializing database.
+	loadLoglevel(log, "info")
+
 	// Set password on account.
 	a, _, err := store.OpenEmail(log, "mox@localhost")
 	xcheck(err, "opening account to set password")
@@ -484,6 +493,19 @@ func writeLocalConfig(log mlog.Log, dir, ip string) (rerr error) {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func loadLoglevel(log mlog.Log, fallback string) {
+	ll := loglevel
+	if ll == "" {
+		ll = fallback
+	}
+	if level, ok := mlog.Levels[ll]; ok {
+		mox.Conf.Log[""] = level
+		mlog.SetConfig(mox.Conf.Log)
+	} else {
+		log.Fatal("unknown loglevel", slog.String("loglevel", loglevel))
+	}
+}
+
 func localLoadConfig(log mlog.Log, dir string) error {
 	mox.ConfigStaticPath = filepath.Join(dir, "mox.conf")
 	mox.ConfigDynamicPath = filepath.Join(dir, "domains.conf")
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index f80802f..69be656 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ func usage(l []cmd, unlisted bool) {
 	os.Exit(2)
 }
 
-var loglevel string
+var loglevel string // Empty will be interpreted as info, except by localserve.
 var pedantic bool
 
 // subcommands that are not "serve" should use this function to load the config, it
@@ -424,10 +424,14 @@ var pedantic bool
 // loglevels from the config file and it does not load files like TLS keys/certs.
 func mustLoadConfig() {
 	mox.MustLoadConfig(false, false)
-	if level, ok := mlog.Levels[loglevel]; loglevel != "" && ok {
+	ll := loglevel
+	if ll == "" {
+		ll = "info"
+	}
+	if level, ok := mlog.Levels[ll]; ok {
 		mox.Conf.Log[""] = level
 		mlog.SetConfig(mox.Conf.Log)
-	} else if loglevel != "" && !ok {
+	} else {
 		log.Fatal("unknown loglevel", slog.String("loglevel", loglevel))
 	}
 	if pedantic {
@@ -486,10 +490,16 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	mox.ConfigDynamicPath = filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(mox.ConfigStaticPath), "domains.conf")
-	if level, ok := mlog.Levels[loglevel]; ok && loglevel != "" {
+	ll := loglevel
+	if ll == "" {
+		ll = "info"
+	}
+	if level, ok := mlog.Levels[ll]; ok {
 		mox.Conf.Log[""] = level
 		mlog.SetConfig(mox.Conf.Log)
 		// note: SetConfig may be called again when subcommands loads config.
+	} else {
+		log.Fatalf("unknown loglevel %q", loglevel)
 	}
 
 	var partial []cmd
diff --git a/mlog/log.go b/mlog/log.go
index 0c2f685..3434e49 100644
--- a/mlog/log.go
+++ b/mlog/log.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ var lowestLevel atomic.Int32                     // For quick initial check.
 var config atomic.Pointer[map[string]slog.Level] // For secondary complete check for match.
 
 func init() {
-	SetConfig(map[string]slog.Level{"": LevelInfo})
+	SetConfig(map[string]slog.Level{"": LevelDebug})
 }
 
 // SetConfig atomically sets the new log levels used by all Log instances.
diff --git a/mtasts/mtasts_test.go b/mtasts/mtasts_test.go
index 8a3aa62..d0f3558 100644
--- a/mtasts/mtasts_test.go
+++ b/mtasts/mtasts_test.go
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"io"
 	golog "log"
-	"log/slog"
 	"math/big"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
@@ -26,7 +25,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestLookup(t *testing.T) {
-	mlog.SetConfig(map[string]slog.Level{"": mlog.LevelDebug})
 	log := mlog.New("mtasts", nil)
 
 	resolver := dns.MockResolver{
diff --git a/smtpclient/client_test.go b/smtpclient/client_test.go
index bba0e5f..8b61fcb 100644
--- a/smtpclient/client_test.go
+++ b/smtpclient/client_test.go
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ func TestClient(t *testing.T) {
 	log := mlog.New("smtpclient", nil)
 
 	mlog.SetConfig(map[string]slog.Level{"": mlog.LevelTrace})
+	defer mlog.SetConfig(map[string]slog.Level{"": mlog.LevelDebug})
 
 	type options struct {
 		// Server behaviour.
diff --git a/smtpserver/server_test.go b/smtpserver/server_test.go
index 0d051bf..70b12be 100644
--- a/smtpserver/server_test.go
+++ b/smtpserver/server_test.go
@@ -1119,6 +1119,7 @@ func TestRatelimitConnectionrate(t *testing.T) {
 	// We'll be creating 300 connections, no TLS and reduce noise.
 	ts.tlsmode = smtpclient.TLSSkip
 	mlog.SetConfig(map[string]slog.Level{"": mlog.LevelInfo})
+	defer mlog.SetConfig(map[string]slog.Level{"": mlog.LevelDebug})
 
 	// We may be passing a window boundary during this tests. The limit is 300/minute.
 	// So make twice that many connections and hope the tests don't take too long.
diff --git a/tlsrptsend/send_test.go b/tlsrptsend/send_test.go
index 988e723..bccc08f 100644
--- a/tlsrptsend/send_test.go
+++ b/tlsrptsend/send_test.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
-	"log/slog"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"reflect"
@@ -40,8 +39,6 @@ func tcompare(t *testing.T, got, expect any) {
 }
 
 func TestSendReports(t *testing.T) {
-	mlog.SetConfig(map[string]slog.Level{"": mlog.LevelDebug})
-
 	os.RemoveAll("../testdata/tlsrptsend/data")
 	mox.Context = ctxbg
 	mox.ConfigStaticPath = filepath.FromSlash("../testdata/tlsrptsend/mox.conf")