diff --git a/ffmpeg.c b/ffmpeg.c
index 5542d6457b..bb0b577c45 100644
--- a/ffmpeg.c
+++ b/ffmpeg.c
@@ -2084,7 +2084,7 @@ static void opt_me_threshold(const char *arg)
 static void opt_verbose(const char *arg)
 {
     verbose = atoi(arg);
-    av_log_set_level(atoi(arg));
+    av_log_level = atoi(arg);
 }
 
 static void opt_frame_rate(const char *arg)
@@ -3676,7 +3676,7 @@ static int opt_default(const char *opt, const char *arg){
 #endif
 
     if(avctx_opts->debug)
-        av_log_set_level(AV_LOG_DEBUG);
+        av_log_level = AV_LOG_DEBUG;
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/ffplay.c b/ffplay.c
index 830bfc6eb5..feaae38bc1 100644
--- a/ffplay.c
+++ b/ffplay.c
@@ -2385,7 +2385,7 @@ void opt_seek(const char *arg)
 
 static void opt_debug(const char *arg)
 {
-    av_log_set_level(99);
+    av_log_level = 99;
     debug = atoi(arg);
 }
 
diff --git a/libavcodec/utils.c b/libavcodec/utils.c
index 61b0297723..a9917fd933 100644
--- a/libavcodec/utils.c
+++ b/libavcodec/utils.c
@@ -1102,7 +1102,7 @@ void avcodec_string(char *buf, int buf_size, AVCodecContext *enc, int encode)
             snprintf(buf + strlen(buf), buf_size - strlen(buf),
                      ", %dx%d",
                      enc->width, enc->height);
-            if(av_log_get_level() >= AV_LOG_DEBUG){
+            if(av_log_level >= AV_LOG_DEBUG){
                 int g= ff_gcd(enc->time_base.num, enc->time_base.den);
                 snprintf(buf + strlen(buf), buf_size - strlen(buf),
                      ", %d/%d",