diff --git a/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/config.go b/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/config.go
index 648b40435d..b2590c88e6 100644
--- a/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/config.go
+++ b/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/config.go
@@ -521,7 +521,9 @@ func (h hypervisor) defaultBridges() uint32 {
 }
 
 func (h hypervisor) defaultHypervisorLoglevel() uint32 {
-	if h.HypervisorLoglevel > maxHypervisorLoglevel {
+	if h.HypervisorLoglevel == 0 {
+		return defaultHypervisorLoglevel
+	} else if h.HypervisorLoglevel > maxHypervisorLoglevel {
 		return maxHypervisorLoglevel
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/config_test.go b/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/config_test.go
index 714cba9c77..b7e8b049d0 100644
--- a/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/config_test.go
+++ b/src/runtime/pkg/katautils/config_test.go
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ func createAllRuntimeConfigFiles(dir, hypervisor string) (testConfig testRuntime
 		GuestHookPath:         defaultGuestHookPath,
 		VhostUserStorePath:    defaultVhostUserStorePath,
 		SharedFS:              sharedFS,
+		HypervisorLoglevel:    defaultHypervisorLoglevel,
 		VirtioFSDaemon:        virtioFSdaemon,
 		VirtioFSCache:         defaultVirtioFSCacheMode,
 		PFlash:                []string{},