diff --git a/rcl/src/rcl/logging.c b/rcl/src/rcl/logging.c
index c1aebc75e..d25d4c2fe 100644
--- a/rcl/src/rcl/logging.c
+++ b/rcl/src/rcl/logging.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ extern "C"
 #include "rcl/macros.h"
 #include "rcutils/logging.h"
 #include "rcutils/time.h"
+#include "rmw/rmw.h"
 
 #define RCL_LOGGING_MAX_OUTPUT_FUNCS (4)
 
@@ -76,6 +77,14 @@ rcl_logging_configure_with_output_handler(
   if (log_levels) {
     default_level = (int)log_levels->default_logger_level;
     rcutils_logging_set_default_logger_level(default_level);
+    if (RCUTILS_LOG_SEVERITY_UNSET != default_level) {
+      rmw_ret_t rmw_status = rmw_set_log_severity((rmw_log_severity_t)default_level);
+      if (RMW_RET_UNSUPPORTED == rmw_status) {
+        RCUTILS_SAFE_FWRITE_TO_STDERR("rmw_set_log_severity not supported by rmw implementation\n");
+      } else if (RMW_RET_OK != rmw_status) {
+        return RCL_RET_ERROR;
+      }
+    }
 
     for (size_t i = 0; i < log_levels->num_logger_settings; ++i) {
       rcutils_ret_t rcutils_status = rcutils_logging_set_logger_level(
diff --git a/rcl/test/rcl/test_logging.cpp b/rcl/test/rcl/test_logging.cpp
index 1ce2eda91..16cb9ce7e 100644
--- a/rcl/test/rcl/test_logging.cpp
+++ b/rcl/test/rcl/test_logging.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 
 #include "rcutils/logging_macros.h"
 
+#include "rmw/rmw.h"
+
 #include "../mocking_utils/patch.hpp"
 
 // Define dummy comparison operators for rcutils_allocator_t type
@@ -195,6 +197,41 @@ TEST(TestLogging, test_failing_logger_level_configure) {
   }
 }
 
+TEST(TestLogging, test_failing_rmw_set_log_severity) {
+  const char * argv[] = {
+    "test_logging", RCL_ROS_ARGS_FLAG,
+    RCL_LOG_LEVEL_FLAG, "debug"};
+  const int argc = sizeof(argv) / sizeof(argv[0]);
+  rcl_allocator_t default_allocator = rcl_get_default_allocator();
+  rcl_arguments_t global_arguments = rcl_get_zero_initialized_arguments();
+  ASSERT_EQ(RCL_RET_OK, rcl_parse_arguments(argc, argv, default_allocator, &global_arguments)) <<
+    rcl_get_error_string().str;
+  OSRF_TESTING_TOOLS_CPP_SCOPE_EXIT(
+  {
+    EXPECT_EQ(RCL_RET_OK, rcl_arguments_fini(&global_arguments)) << rcl_get_error_string().str;
+  });
+
+  {
+    auto mock = mocking_utils::patch_to_fail(
+      "lib:rcl", rmw_set_log_severity, "failed", RMW_RET_ERROR);
+    EXPECT_EQ(RCL_RET_ERROR, rcl_logging_configure(&global_arguments, &default_allocator));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(rcl_error_is_set());
+    rcl_reset_error();
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(RCL_RET_OK, rcl_logging_fini()) << rcl_get_error_string().str;
+  }
+
+  {
+    auto mock = mocking_utils::patch_to_fail(
+      "lib:rcl", rmw_set_log_severity, "not supported", RMW_RET_UNSUPPORTED);
+    EXPECT_EQ(RCL_RET_OK, rcl_logging_configure(&global_arguments, &default_allocator));
+    EXPECT_TRUE(rcl_error_is_set());
+    rcl_reset_error();
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(RCL_RET_OK, rcl_logging_fini()) << rcl_get_error_string().str;
+  }
+}
+
 TEST(TestLogging, test_failing_external_logging) {
   const char * argv[] = {
     "test_logging", RCL_ROS_ARGS_FLAG,