diff --git a/rb/lib/selenium/webdriver.rb b/rb/lib/selenium/webdriver.rb
index 62901a0f6d724..8240da9273903 100644
--- a/rb/lib/selenium/webdriver.rb
+++ b/rb/lib/selenium/webdriver.rb
@@ -95,7 +95,8 @@ def self.for(*args)
     #
 
     def self.logger(**opts)
-      @logger ||= WebDriver::Logger.new('Selenium', **opts)
+      level = $DEBUG || ENV.key?('DEBUG') ? :debug : :info
+      @logger ||= WebDriver::Logger.new('Selenium', default_level: level, **opts)
     end
   end # WebDriver
 end # Selenium
diff --git a/rb/lib/selenium/webdriver/common/logger.rb b/rb/lib/selenium/webdriver/common/logger.rb
index 9d0384f841251..cd5cb7b1982b4 100644
--- a/rb/lib/selenium/webdriver/common/logger.rb
+++ b/rb/lib/selenium/webdriver/common/logger.rb
@@ -48,8 +48,10 @@ class Logger
       #
       # @param [String] progname Allow child projects to use Selenium's Logger pattern
       #
-      def initialize(progname = 'Selenium', ignored: nil, allowed: nil)
-        @logger = create_logger(progname)
+      def initialize(progname = 'Selenium', default_level: nil, ignored: nil, allowed: nil)
+        default_level ||= $DEBUG || ENV.key?('DEBUG') ? :debug : :warn
+
+        @logger = create_logger(progname, level: default_level)
         @ignored = Array(ignored)
         @allowed = Array(allowed)
         @first_warning = false
@@ -174,10 +176,10 @@ def deprecate(old, new = nil, id: [], reference: '', &block)
 
       private
 
-      def create_logger(name)
+      def create_logger(name, level:)
         logger = ::Logger.new($stdout)
         logger.progname = name
-        logger.level = default_level
+        logger.level = level
         logger.formatter = proc do |severity, time, progname, msg|
           "#{time.strftime('%F %T')} #{severity} #{progname} #{msg}\n"
         end
@@ -185,10 +187,6 @@ def create_logger(name)
         logger
       end
 
-      def default_level
-        $DEBUG || ENV.key?('DEBUG') ? :debug : :info
-      end
-
       def discard_or_log(level, message, id)
         id = Array(id)
         return if (@ignored & id).any?
diff --git a/rb/spec/unit/selenium/webdriver/common/logger_spec.rb b/rb/spec/unit/selenium/webdriver/common/logger_spec.rb
index 46262745ad59e..f65cbd2ea4f50 100644
--- a/rb/spec/unit/selenium/webdriver/common/logger_spec.rb
+++ b/rb/spec/unit/selenium/webdriver/common/logger_spec.rb
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 module Selenium
   module WebDriver
     describe Logger do
-      subject(:logger) { described_class.new('Selenium', ignored: [:logger_info]) }
+      subject(:logger) { described_class.new('Selenium', default_level: :info, ignored: [:logger_info]) }
 
       around do |example|
         debug = $DEBUG
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ module WebDriver
 
         it 'logs at debug level if $DEBUG is set to true' do
           $DEBUG = true
+          logger = described_class.new('Selenium')
+          $DEBUG = nil
           expect(logger.level).to eq(0)
           expect(logger).to be_debug
         end
@@ -104,7 +106,8 @@ module WebDriver
 
       describe '#info' do
         it 'logs info on first info but not second' do
-          logger = described_class.new('Selenium')
+          logger = described_class.new('Selenium', default_level: :info)
+
           expect { logger.info('first') }.to output(/:logger_info/).to_stdout_from_any_process
           expect { logger.info('second') }.not_to output(/:logger_info/).to_stdout_from_any_process
         end