diff --git a/cmd/charger.go b/cmd/charger.go
index 6d4a66104a..9df2cbc00c 100644
--- a/cmd/charger.go
+++ b/cmd/charger.go
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ func runCharger(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		log.FATAL.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	setLogLevel(cmd)
+
 	// setup environment
 	if err := configureEnvironment(cmd, conf); err != nil {
 		log.FATAL.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/cmd/charger_ramp.go b/cmd/charger_ramp.go
index 6a51ab04d0..bf90222908 100644
--- a/cmd/charger_ramp.go
+++ b/cmd/charger_ramp.go
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ func runChargerRamp(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		log.FATAL.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	setLogLevel(cmd)
+
 	// setup environment
 	if err := configureEnvironment(cmd, conf); err != nil {
 		log.FATAL.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/cmd/discuss.go b/cmd/discuss.go
index 473ea7d317..c6f36ee453 100644
--- a/cmd/discuss.go
+++ b/cmd/discuss.go
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ func runDiscuss(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 
 	cfgErr := loadConfigFile(&conf)
 
+	setLogLevel(cmd)
+
 	file, pathErr := filepath.Abs(cfgFile)
 	if pathErr != nil {
 		file = cfgFile
diff --git a/cmd/dump.go b/cmd/dump.go
index 1a4eae537c..eda9f9e314 100644
--- a/cmd/dump.go
+++ b/cmd/dump.go
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ func runDump(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 	// load config
 	err := loadConfigFile(&conf)
 
+	setLogLevel(cmd)
+
 	// setup environment
 	if err == nil {
 		err = configureEnvironment(cmd, conf)
diff --git a/cmd/flags.go b/cmd/flags.go
index 7adaea1632..b543e1479f 100644
--- a/cmd/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/flags.go
@@ -36,20 +36,20 @@ const (
 	flagDelay  = "delay"
 )
 
-func bind(cmd *cobra.Command, flag, vpr string) {
-	if err := viper.BindPFlag(vpr, cmd.Flags().Lookup(flag)); err != nil {
+func bind(cmd *cobra.Command, flag string) {
+	if err := viper.BindPFlag(flag, cmd.Flags().Lookup(flag)); err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 }
 
-func bindP(cmd *cobra.Command, flag, vpr string) {
-	if err := viper.BindPFlag(vpr, cmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup(flag)); err != nil {
+func bindP(cmd *cobra.Command, flag string) {
+	if err := viper.BindPFlag(flag, cmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup(flag)); err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 }
 
 func selectByName(cmd *cobra.Command, conf *[]qualifiedConfig) error {
-	flag := cmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup(flagName)
+	flag := cmd.Flags().Lookup(flagName)
 	if !flag.Changed {
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/helper.go b/cmd/helper.go
index ee35bb7afa..7cf2d43861 100644
--- a/cmd/helper.go
+++ b/cmd/helper.go
@@ -11,8 +11,20 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/evcc-io/evcc/cmd/shutdown"
+	"github.com/evcc-io/evcc/util"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 )
 
+// setLogLevel sets log level from config overwritten by command line
+// https://github.com/spf13/viper/issues/1444
+func setLogLevel(cmd *cobra.Command) {
+	if flag := cmd.Flags().Lookup("log"); viper.GetString("log") == "" || flag.Changed {
+		viper.Set("log", flag.Value.String())
+	}
+	util.LogLevel(viper.GetString("log"), viper.GetStringMapString("levels"))
+}
+
 // unwrap converts a wrapped error into slice of strings
 func unwrap(err error) (res []string) {
 	for err != nil {
diff --git a/cmd/meter.go b/cmd/meter.go
index 0953b29356..486197cf0c 100644
--- a/cmd/meter.go
+++ b/cmd/meter.go
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ func runMeter(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		log.FATAL.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	setLogLevel(cmd)
+
 	// setup environment
 	if err := configureEnvironment(cmd, conf); err != nil {
 		log.FATAL.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 3023f3ebf3..6dbf4df6db 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -53,13 +53,13 @@ func init() {
 
 	// config file options
 	rootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringP("log", "l", "info", "Log level (fatal, error, warn, info, debug, trace)")
-	bindP(rootCmd, "log", "log")
+	bindP(rootCmd, "log")
 
 	rootCmd.Flags().Bool("metrics", false, "Expose metrics")
-	bind(rootCmd, "metrics", "metrics")
+	bind(rootCmd, "metrics")
 
 	rootCmd.Flags().Bool("profile", false, "Expose pprof profiles")
-	bind(rootCmd, "profile", "profile")
+	bind(rootCmd, "profile")
 }
 
 // initConfig reads in config file and ENV variables if set
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func runRoot(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		err = cfgErr
 	}
 
-	util.LogLevel(viper.GetString("log"), viper.GetStringMapString("levels"))
+	setLogLevel(cmd)
 
 	// network config
 	if viper.GetString("uri") != "" {
diff --git a/cmd/token.go b/cmd/token.go
index 9346f8373a..36f4b10a46 100644
--- a/cmd/token.go
+++ b/cmd/token.go
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ func runToken(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		log.FATAL.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	setLogLevel(cmd)
+
 	var vehicleConf qualifiedConfig
 	if len(conf.Vehicles) == 1 {
 		vehicleConf = conf.Vehicles[0]
diff --git a/cmd/vehicle.go b/cmd/vehicle.go
index 52cac5624f..b9dfa8fd08 100644
--- a/cmd/vehicle.go
+++ b/cmd/vehicle.go
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ func runVehicle(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		fatal(err)
 	}
 
+	setLogLevel(cmd)
+
 	// setup environment
 	if err := configureEnvironment(cmd, conf); err != nil {
 		fatal(err)