diff --git a/tests/functional/kata-deploy/kata-deploy.bats b/tests/functional/kata-deploy/kata-deploy.bats
index 544806d137..052b3935c1 100644
--- a/tests/functional/kata-deploy/kata-deploy.bats
+++ b/tests/functional/kata-deploy/kata-deploy.bats
@@ -108,8 +108,11 @@ EOF
 	rm -f "${verification_yaml}"
 
 	echo ""
-	echo "::group::kata-deploy logs"
-	kubectl -n kube-system logs -l name=kata-deploy
+	echo "::group::kata-deploy logs (current)"
+	kubectl -n kube-system logs -l name=kata-deploy --all-containers --tail=-1 --timestamps || true
+	echo "::endgroup::"
+	echo "::group::kata-deploy logs (previous)"
+	kubectl -n kube-system logs -l name=kata-deploy --all-containers --previous --tail=-1 --timestamps 2>/dev/null || true
 	echo "::endgroup::"
 
 	echo ""
diff --git a/tests/gha-run-k8s-common.sh b/tests/gha-run-k8s-common.sh
index 54692cda67..0ad05ee48d 100644
--- a/tests/gha-run-k8s-common.sh
+++ b/tests/gha-run-k8s-common.sh
@@ -1105,14 +1105,17 @@ VERIFICATION_POD_EOF
 		kubectl -n kube-system describe pod -l "name=${pod_label_name}" || true
 		echo "::endgroup::"
 		echo "::group::kata-deploy logs (install timed out)"
-		kubectl -n kube-system logs -l "name=${pod_label_name}" --all-containers --previous 2>/dev/null || true
-		kubectl -n kube-system logs -l "name=${pod_label_name}" --all-containers 2>/dev/null || true
+		kubectl -n kube-system logs -l "name=${pod_label_name}" --all-containers --previous --tail=-1 --timestamps 2>/dev/null || true
+		kubectl -n kube-system logs -l "name=${pod_label_name}" --all-containers --tail=-1 --timestamps 2>/dev/null || true
 		echo "::endgroup::"
 		return 1
 	fi
 
-	echo "::group::kata-deploy logs"
-	kubectl_retry -n kube-system logs -l "name=${pod_label_name}"
+	echo "::group::kata-deploy logs (current)"
+	kubectl_retry -n kube-system logs -l "name=${pod_label_name}" --all-containers --tail=-1 --timestamps || true
+	echo "::endgroup::"
+	echo "::group::kata-deploy logs (previous)"
+	kubectl_retry -n kube-system logs -l "name=${pod_label_name}" --all-containers --previous --tail=-1 --timestamps 2>/dev/null || true
 	echo "::endgroup::"
 
 	echo "::group::Runtime classes"
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/templates/kata-deploy.yaml b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/templates/kata-deploy.yaml
index 4d7d2de7c5..e1a2614a64 100644
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/templates/kata-deploy.yaml
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/templates/kata-deploy.yaml
@@ -141,7 +141,17 @@ spec:
       - name: kube-kata
         image: {{ include "kata-deploy.image" . }}
         imagePullPolicy: {{ .Values.imagePullPolicy }}
-        command: ["/usr/bin/kata-deploy", "install"]
+        {{- $logLevel := .Values.logLevel | default "" | trim -}}
+        {{- if and (not $logLevel) .Values.debug -}}
+        {{- $logLevel = "debug" -}}
+        {{- end }}
+        command:
+        - /usr/bin/kata-deploy
+        {{- if $logLevel }}
+        - --log-level
+        - {{ $logLevel | quote }}
+        {{- end }}
+        - install
         env:
         - name: NODE_NAME
           valueFrom:
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/values.yaml b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/values.yaml
index 6841625aff..4b8ec918c3 100644
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/values.yaml
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/helm-chart/kata-deploy/values.yaml
@@ -101,6 +101,12 @@ resources:
 
 debug: false
 
+# Optional CLI log level override for kata-deploy.
+# Supported values: error, warn, info, debug, trace
+# When empty, debug:true implies --log-level debug; otherwise kata-deploy falls
+# back to DEBUG env var behavior.
+logLevel: ""
+
 # Health probes for the kata-deploy DaemonSet.
 # The binary runs an HTTP health server exposing /healthz (liveness) and /readyz (readiness).
 # /healthz returns 200 as soon as the server starts (process is alive).