diff --git a/cmd/s3-gw/app_settings.go b/cmd/s3-gw/app_settings.go
index 3ae47a6b..c4624e2b 100644
--- a/cmd/s3-gw/app_settings.go
+++ b/cmd/s3-gw/app_settings.go
@@ -979,7 +979,7 @@ func newJournaldLogger(lvl zapcore.Level) *Logger {
 
 	encoder := zapjournald.NewPartialEncoder(zapcore.NewConsoleEncoder(c.EncoderConfig), zapjournald.SyslogFields)
 
-	core := zapjournald.NewCore(zap.NewAtomicLevelAt(lvl), encoder, &journald.Journal{}, zapjournald.SyslogFields)
+	core := zapjournald.NewCore(c.Level, encoder, &journald.Journal{}, zapjournald.SyslogFields)
 	coreWithContext := core.With([]zapcore.Field{
 		zapjournald.SyslogFacility(zapjournald.LogDaemon),
 		zapjournald.SyslogIdentifier(),