diff --git a/cluster/examples/kubernetes/ceph/operator-openshift.yaml b/cluster/examples/kubernetes/ceph/operator-openshift.yaml
index def4b86c2..3ebcdf1ae 100644
--- a/cluster/examples/kubernetes/ceph/operator-openshift.yaml
+++ b/cluster/examples/kubernetes/ceph/operator-openshift.yaml
@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ metadata:
   # should be in the namespace of the operator
   namespace: rook-ceph # namespace:operator
 data:
+  # The logging level for the operator: INFO | DEBUG
+  ROOK_LOG_LEVEL: "INFO"
+
   # Enable the CSI driver.
   # To run the non-default version of the CSI driver, see the override-able image properties in operator.yaml
   ROOK_CSI_ENABLE_CEPHFS: "true"
@@ -456,9 +459,6 @@ spec:
             # - name: DISCOVER_AGENT_POD_LABELS
             #   value: "key1=value1,key2=value2"
 
-            # The logging level for the operator: INFO | DEBUG
-            - name: ROOK_LOG_LEVEL
-              value: "INFO"
             # The duration between discovering devices in the rook-discover daemonset.
             - name: ROOK_DISCOVER_DEVICES_INTERVAL
               value: "60m"
diff --git a/cluster/examples/kubernetes/ceph/operator.yaml b/cluster/examples/kubernetes/ceph/operator.yaml
index 53dd56381..7754c9347 100644
--- a/cluster/examples/kubernetes/ceph/operator.yaml
+++ b/cluster/examples/kubernetes/ceph/operator.yaml
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ metadata:
   # should be in the namespace of the operator
   namespace: rook-ceph # namespace:operator
 data:
+  # The logging level for the operator: INFO | DEBUG
+  ROOK_LOG_LEVEL: "INFO"
+
   # Enable the CSI driver.
   # To run the non-default version of the CSI driver, see the override-able image properties in operator.yaml
   ROOK_CSI_ENABLE_CEPHFS: "true"
@@ -399,10 +402,6 @@ spec:
             # - name: DISCOVER_AGENT_POD_LABELS
             #   value: "key1=value1,key2=value2"
 
-            # The logging level for the operator: INFO | DEBUG
-            - name: ROOK_LOG_LEVEL
-              value: "INFO"
-
             # The duration between discovering devices in the rook-discover daemonset.
             - name: ROOK_DISCOVER_DEVICES_INTERVAL
               value: "60m"
diff --git a/pkg/operator/ceph/operator.go b/pkg/operator/ceph/operator.go
index 09b811d15..62b601d07 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/ceph/operator.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/ceph/operator.go
@@ -48,15 +48,15 @@ const (
 	provisionerNameLegacy = "rook.io/block"
 )
 
-var logger = capnslog.NewPackageLogger("github.com/rook/rook", "operator")
-
-// The supported configurations for the volume provisioner
-var provisionerConfigs = map[string]string{
-	provisionerName:       flexvolume.FlexvolumeVendor,
-	provisionerNameLegacy: flexvolume.FlexvolumeVendorLegacy,
-}
-
 var (
+	logger = capnslog.NewPackageLogger("github.com/rook/rook", "operator")
+
+	// The supported configurations for the volume provisioner
+	provisionerConfigs = map[string]string{
+		provisionerName:       flexvolume.FlexvolumeVendor,
+		provisionerNameLegacy: flexvolume.FlexvolumeVendorLegacy,
+	}
+
 	// ImmediateRetryResult Return this for a immediate retry of the reconciliation loop with the same request object.
 	ImmediateRetryResult = reconcile.Result{Requeue: true}
 )
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ func New(context *clusterd.Context, volumeAttachmentWrapper attachment.Attachmen
 	}
 	operatorConfigCallbacks := []func() error{
 		o.updateDrivers,
+		o.updateOperatorLogLevel,
 	}
 	addCallbacks := []func() error{
 		o.startDrivers,
@@ -101,6 +102,22 @@ func (o *Operator) cleanup(stopCh chan struct{}) {
 	o.clusterController.StopWatch()
 }
 
+func (o *Operator) updateOperatorLogLevel() error {
+	rookLogLevel, err := k8sutil.GetOperatorSetting(o.context.Clientset, opcontroller.OperatorSettingConfigMapName, "ROOK_LOG_LEVEL", "INFO")
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Warningf("failed to load ROOK_LOG_LEVEL. Defaulting to INFO. %v", err)
+		rookLogLevel = "INFO"
+	}
+
+	logLevel, err := capnslog.ParseLevel(rookLogLevel)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to load ROOK_LOG_LEVEL %q.", rookLogLevel)
+	}
+
+	capnslog.SetGlobalLogLevel(logLevel)
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Run the operator instance
 func (o *Operator) Run() error {