diff --git a/hotsos/core/config.py b/hotsos/core/config.py
index 8875e0c15..236cc779a 100644
--- a/hotsos/core/config.py
+++ b/hotsos/core/config.py
@@ -119,11 +119,11 @@ def __init__(self):
                                         "you want to run a single scenario. "
                                         "Useful for testing/debugging"),
                            default_value='', value_type=str))
-        self.add(ConfigOpt(name='log_levels',
-                           description=("Log levels for "
+        self.add(ConfigOpt(name='debug_log_levels',
+                           description=("Debug mode log levels for "
                                         "submodules/dependencies"),
                            default_value={'propertree': 'WARNING',
-                                          'searchkit': 'INFO'},
+                                          'searchkit': 'DEBUG'},
                            value_type=dict))
 
     @property
diff --git a/hotsos/core/log.py b/hotsos/core/log.py
index 668903cde..6a8ea7e53 100644
--- a/hotsos/core/log.py
+++ b/hotsos/core/log.py
@@ -48,11 +48,17 @@ def setup_deps_loggers(self):
                 logger.removeHandler(logger.handlers[0])
 
             logger.addHandler(self._handler)
-            level = HotSOSConfig.log_levels.get(dep, 'WARNING')
-            logger.setLevel(level=level)
+            if HotSOSConfig.debug_mode:
+                level = HotSOSConfig.debug_log_levels.get(dep, 'WARNING')
+                logger.setLevel(level=level)
+
+    def start(self, level=None):
+        if level is None and HotSOSConfig.debug_mode:
+            level = logging.DEBUG
+
+        if level is not None:
+            log.setLevel(level)
 
-    def start(self, level=logging.DEBUG):
-        log.setLevel(level)
         if log.hasHandlers():
             return
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/utils.py b/tests/unit/utils.py
index f522c13f2..6db4b948e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/utils.py
+++ b/tests/unit/utils.py
@@ -424,7 +424,9 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
                               'plugin_tmp_dir': None,
                               'use_all_logs': True,
                               'machine_readable': True,
-                              'debug_mode': True}
+                              'debug_mode': True,
+                              'debug_log_levels': {'propertree': 'WARNING',
+                                                   'searchkit': 'INFO'}}
 
     def part_output_to_actual(self, output):
         actual = {}
@@ -446,7 +448,7 @@ def setUp(self):
             HotSOSConfig.plugin_tmp_dir = self.plugin_tmp_dir
 
         if os.environ.get('TESTS_LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG', 'no') == 'yes':
-            LoggingManager().start(level=logging.DEBUG)
+            LoggingManager().start()
         else:
             LoggingManager().start(level=logging.WARNING)