diff --git a/src/ngx_http_lua_kong_log.c b/src/ngx_http_lua_kong_log.c
index 8ba12828..f0027d55 100644
--- a/src/ngx_http_lua_kong_log.c
+++ b/src/ngx_http_lua_kong_log.c
@@ -63,6 +63,11 @@ ngx_http_lua_kong_ffi_set_dynamic_log_level(int log_level, int timeout)
         return NGX_ERROR;
     }
 
+    /* adhere to nginx conventions */
+    if (log_level == NGX_LOG_DEBUG) {
+        log_level = NGX_LOG_DEBUG_ALL;
+    }
+
     g_dynamic_log_level = log_level;
     g_dynamic_log_level_timeout_at = (time_t)ngx_time() + (time_t)timeout;
 
@@ -87,5 +92,11 @@ ngx_http_lua_kong_get_dynamic_log_level(ngx_uint_t current_log_level)
 int
 ngx_http_lua_kong_ffi_get_dynamic_log_level(int current_log_level)
 {
-    return ngx_http_lua_kong_get_dynamic_log_level(current_log_level);
+    int log_level = ngx_http_lua_kong_get_dynamic_log_level(current_log_level);
+
+    if (log_level == NGX_LOG_DEBUG_ALL) {
+        log_level = NGX_LOG_DEBUG;
+    }
+
+    return log_level;
 }
diff --git a/t/008-log.t b/t/008-log.t
index 98bc1003..9e80bd46 100644
--- a/t/008-log.t
+++ b/t/008-log.t
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use Test::Nginx::Socket::Lua;
 #master_process_enabled(1);
 log_level('warn');
 
-plan tests => repeat_each() * (blocks() * 4) + 8;
+plan tests => repeat_each() * (blocks() * 4) + 6;
 
 #no_diff();
 #no_long_string();
@@ -938,3 +938,27 @@ GET /test
 ]
 --- no_log eval
 "you can't see me init_worker"
+
+
+=== TEST 25: debug log level for nginx error.log
+--- http_config
+    lua_package_path "../lua-resty-core/lib/?.lua;lualib/?.lua;;";
+--- config
+    location = /test_nginx_debug_log {
+
+        error_log logs/error.log crit;
+
+        content_by_lua_block {
+            local log = require("resty.kong.log")
+            log.set_log_level(ngx.DEBUG, 10)
+            assert(log.get_log_level(ngx.WARN) == ngx.DEBUG)
+            ngx.exit(403)
+        }
+    }
+--- request
+GET /test_nginx_debug_log
+--- error_code: 403
+--- error_log eval
+[
+   qr/\[debug\] .*: .* http finalize request: 403, "\/test_nginx_debug_log\?" a:1, c:1/,
+]