diff --git a/config.sample.yaml b/config.sample.yaml
index 81c6c5e..cd01557 100644
--- a/config.sample.yaml
+++ b/config.sample.yaml
@@ -73,18 +73,19 @@ template:
 
 # Logging setup
 logging:
-  # Logging level
-  # Allowed levels are 'INFO', 'WARNING', 'ERROR', 'DEBUG' where DEBUG is most verbose
-  level: INFO
+
   # Configure logging to a file
   file_logging:
     # Whether logging to a file is enabled
     enabled: false
     # Logging level specific to file logging (optional)
-    level: WARN
+    level: DEBUG
     # The path to the file to log to. May be relative or absolute
     filepath: matrix-alertbot.log
   # Configure logging to the console output
   console_logging:
     # Whether logging to the console is enabled
     enabled: true
+    # Logging level specific to console (optional)
+    # Allowed levels are 'INFO', 'WARNING', 'ERROR', 'DEBUG' where DEBUG is most verbose
+    level: INFO
diff --git a/matrix_alertbot/config.py b/matrix_alertbot/config.py
index 3bfe269..450304c 100644
--- a/matrix_alertbot/config.py
+++ b/matrix_alertbot/config.py
@@ -67,8 +67,9 @@ class Config:
             "%(asctime)s | %(name)s [%(levelname)s] %(message)s"
         )
 
-        log_level = self._get_cfg(["logging", "level"], default="INFO")
-        logger.setLevel(log_level)
+        # this must be DEBUG to allow debug messages
+        # actual log levels are defined in the handlers below
+        logger.setLevel("DEBUG")
 
         file_logging_enabled = self._get_cfg(
             ["logging", "file_logging", "enabled"], default=False
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ class Config:
             ["logging", "file_logging", "filepath"], default="matrix-alertbot.log"
         )
         file_logging_log_level = self._get_cfg(
-            ["logging", "file_logging", "level"], required=False
+            ["logging", "file_logging", "level"], default="INFO"
         )
         if file_logging_enabled:
             file_handler = logging.FileHandler(file_logging_filepath)
@@ -90,7 +91,7 @@ class Config:
             ["logging", "console_logging", "enabled"], default=True
         )
         console_logging_log_level = self._get_cfg(
-            ["logging", "console_logging", "level"], required=False
+            ["logging", "console_logging", "level"], default="INFO"
         )
         if console_logging_enabled:
             console_handler = logging.StreamHandler(sys.stdout)
diff --git a/tests/resources/config/config.full.yml b/tests/resources/config/config.full.yml
index 15e8623..bb163d0 100644
--- a/tests/resources/config/config.full.yml
+++ b/tests/resources/config/config.full.yml
@@ -90,15 +90,14 @@ template:
 
 # Logging setup
 logging:
-  # Logging level
-  # Allowed levels are 'INFO', 'WARNING', 'ERROR', 'DEBUG' where DEBUG is most verbose
-  level: DEBUG
   # Configure logging to a file
   file_logging:
     # Whether logging to a file is enabled
     enabled: true
     # The path to the file to log to. May be relative or absolute
     filepath: fake.log
+    # Logging level specific to file (optional)
+    # Allowed levels are 'INFO', 'WARNING', 'ERROR', 'DEBUG' where DEBUG is most verbose
     level: INFO
   # Configure logging to the console output
   console_logging:
diff --git a/tests/test_config.py b/tests/test_config.py
index e30ab63..f7ed670 100644
--- a/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/test_config.py
@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@ class ConfigTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         fake_path_exists.assert_called_once_with("data/store")
         fake_mkdir.assert_called_once_with("data/store")
 
-        fake_logger.setLevel.assert_called_once_with("INFO")
+        fake_logger.setLevel.assert_called_once_with("DEBUG")
         fake_logger.addHandler.assert_called_once()
-        fake_logging.StreamHandler.return_value.setLevel("INFO")
+        fake_logging.StreamHandler.return_value.setLevel.assert_called_once_with("INFO")
         fake_logging.StreamHandler.assert_called_once_with(sys.stdout)
 
         self.assertEqual({"@fakes_user:matrix.example.com"}, config.user_ids)
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ class ConfigTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
         fake_logger.setLevel.assert_called_once_with("DEBUG")
         fake_logger.addHandler.assert_called_once()
-        fake_logging.FileHandler.return_value.setLevel("DEBUG")
+        fake_logging.FileHandler.return_value.setLevel.assert_called_once_with("INFO")
         fake_logging.FileHandler.assert_called_once_with("fake.log")
 
         self.assertEqual(
@@ -410,8 +410,8 @@ class ConfigTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
         self.assertEqual(2, fake_logger.addHandler.call_count)
         fake_logger.setLevel.assert_called_once_with("DEBUG")
-        fake_logging.FileHandler.return_value.setLevel.assert_called_with("WARN")
-        fake_logging.StreamHandler.return_value.setLevel.assert_called_with("ERROR")
+        fake_logging.FileHandler.return_value.setLevel.assert_called_once_with("WARN")
+        fake_logging.StreamHandler.return_value.setLevel.assert_called_once_with("ERROR")
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":