diff --git a/lib/log4js.js b/lib/log4js.js
index 298bd16..6ef64db 100644
--- a/lib/log4js.js
+++ b/lib/log4js.js
@@ -265,7 +265,10 @@ function LoggingEvent (categoryName, level, message, exception, logger) {
  */
 function Logger (name, level) {
     this.category = name || DEFAULT_CATEGORY;
-    this.level = Level.toLevel(level, levels.TRACE);
+
+    if (! this.level) {
+        this.__proto__.level = levels.TRACE;
+    }
 }
 sys.inherits(Logger, events.EventEmitter);
 
@@ -273,6 +276,10 @@ Logger.prototype.setLevel = function(level) {
     this.level = Level.toLevel(level, levels.TRACE);
 };
 
+Logger.prototype.removeLevel = function() {
+    delete this.level;
+};
+
 Logger.prototype.log = function(logLevel, message, exception) {
     var loggingEvent = new LoggingEvent(this.category, logLevel, message, exception, this);
     this.emit("log", loggingEvent);
@@ -297,6 +304,10 @@ Logger.prototype.isLevelEnabled = function(otherLevel) {
     }
 );
 
+function setGlobalLogLevel(level) {
+    Logger.prototype.level = Level.toLevel(level, levels.TRACE);
+}
+
 /**
  * Get the default logger instance.
  * @return {Logger} instance of default logger
@@ -661,6 +672,7 @@ module.exports = function (fileSystem, standardOutput, configPaths) {
 	configure: configure,
 	
 	levels: levels,
+	setGlobalLogLevel: setGlobalLogLevel,
 
 	consoleAppender: consoleAppender,
 	fileAppender: fileAppender,
diff --git a/test/test-global-log-level.js b/test/test-global-log-level.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8616597
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-global-log-level.js
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+var vows = require('vows'),
+assert = require('assert');
+
+vows.describe('log4js global loglevel').addBatch({
+    'global loglevel' : {
+        topic: function() {
+            var log4js = require('../lib/log4js')();
+            return log4js;
+        },
+
+        'set global loglevel on creation': function(log4js) {
+            var log1 = log4js.getLogger('log1');
+            var level = 'OFF';
+            if (log1.level.toString() == level) {
+                level = 'TRACE';
+            }
+            assert.notEqual(log1.level.toString(), level);
+
+            log4js.setGlobalLogLevel(level);
+            assert.equal(log1.level.toString(), level);
+
+            var log2 = log4js.getLogger('log2');
+            assert.equal(log2.level.toString(), level);
+        },
+
+        'global change loglevel': function(log4js) {
+            var log1 = log4js.getLogger('log1');
+            var log2 = log4js.getLogger('log2');
+            var level = 'OFF';
+            if (log1.level.toString() == level) {
+                level = 'TRACE';
+            }
+            assert.notEqual(log1.level.toString(), level);
+
+            log4js.setGlobalLogLevel(level);
+            assert.equal(log1.level.toString(), level);
+            assert.equal(log2.level.toString(), level);
+        },
+
+        'override loglevel': function(log4js) {
+            var log1 = log4js.getLogger('log1');
+            var log2 = log4js.getLogger('log2');
+            var level = 'OFF';
+            if (log1.level.toString() == level) {
+                level = 'TRACE';
+            }
+            assert.notEqual(log1.level.toString(), level);
+
+            var oldLevel = log1.level.toString();
+            assert.equal(log2.level.toString(), oldLevel);
+
+            log2.setLevel(level);
+            assert.equal(log1.level.toString(), oldLevel);
+            assert.equal(log2.level.toString(), level);
+            assert.notEqual(oldLevel, level);
+
+            log2.removeLevel();
+            assert.equal(log1.level.toString(), oldLevel);
+            assert.equal(log2.level.toString(), oldLevel);
+        },
+
+        'preload loglevevl': function(log4js) {
+            var log1 = log4js.getLogger('log1');
+            var level = 'OFF';
+            if (log1.level.toString() == level) {
+                level = 'TRACE';
+            }
+            assert.notEqual(log1.level.toString(), level);
+
+            var oldLevel = log1.level.toString();
+            log4js.getLogger('log2').setLevel(level);
+
+            assert.equal(log1.level.toString(), oldLevel);
+
+            // get again same logger but as different variable
+            var log2 = log4js.getLogger('log2');
+            assert.equal(log2.level.toString(), level);
+            assert.notEqual(oldLevel, level);
+
+            log2.removeLevel();
+            assert.equal(log1.level.toString(), oldLevel);
+            assert.equal(log2.level.toString(), oldLevel);
+        }
+    }
+}).export(module);