diff --git a/server-cli/Cargo.toml b/server-cli/Cargo.toml
index 2f46bb8e13..96d761b3e3 100644
--- a/server-cli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/server-cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@ server = { package = "veloren-server", path = "../server", default-features = fa
 common = { package = "veloren-common", path = "../common" }
 
 tracing = { version = "0.1", default-features = false }
-tracing-subscriber = { version = "0.2.3", default-features = false, features = ["fmt", "chrono", "ansi", "smallvec"] }
+tracing-subscriber = { version = "0.2.3", default-features = false, features = ["env-filter", "fmt", "chrono", "ansi", "smallvec"] }
diff --git a/server-cli/Dockerfile b/server-cli/Dockerfile
index 319362c180..3cb85181f9 100644
--- a/server-cli/Dockerfile
+++ b/server-cli/Dockerfile
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@ COPY ./assets/common /opt/assets/common
 COPY ./assets/world /opt/assets/world
 
 WORKDIR /opt
-CMD [ "sh", "-c", "RUST_LOG=info,common=debug,common::net=info RUST_BACKTRACE=1 /opt/veloren-server-cli" ]
+CMD [ "sh", "-c", "RUST_BACKTRACE=1 /opt/veloren-server-cli" ]
diff --git a/server-cli/docker-compose.yml b/server-cli/docker-compose.yml
index 19b946f0f1..8c81a5c7ef 100644
--- a/server-cli/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/server-cli/docker-compose.yml
@@ -10,8 +10,10 @@ services:
     restart: on-failure:0
     volumes:
         - "./saves:/opt/saves"
+    environment:
+        - RUST_LOG=debug,common::net=info
   watchtower:
     image: containrrr/watchtower
     volumes:
       - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
-    command: --interval 30 --cleanup veloren-game-server-master
\ No newline at end of file
+    command: --interval 30 --cleanup veloren-game-server-master
diff --git a/server-cli/src/main.rs b/server-cli/src/main.rs
index 9e02da5b59..d790383a1e 100644
--- a/server-cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/server-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -4,18 +4,38 @@
 use common::clock::Clock;
 use server::{Event, Input, Server, ServerSettings};
 use std::time::Duration;
-use tracing::info;
+use tracing::{info, Level};
+use tracing_subscriber::{filter::LevelFilter, EnvFilter, FmtSubscriber};
 
 const TPS: u64 = 30;
+const RUST_LOG_ENV: &str = "RUST_LOG";
 
 #[allow(clippy::redundant_pattern_matching)] // TODO: Pending review in #587
 fn main() {
     // Init logging
-    if let Err(_) = std::env::var("RUST_LOG") {
-        std::env::set_var("RUST_LOG", "info");
-    }
+    let filter = match std::env::var_os(RUST_LOG_ENV).map(|s| s.into_string()) {
+        Some(Ok(env)) => {
+            let mut filter = EnvFilter::new("veloren_world::sim=info")
+                .add_directive("veloren_world::civ=info".parse().unwrap())
+                .add_directive(LevelFilter::INFO.into());
+            for s in env.split(',').into_iter() {
+                match s.parse() {
+                    Ok(d) => filter = filter.add_directive(d),
+                    Err(err) => println!("WARN ignoring log directive: `{}`: {}", s, err),
+                };
+            }
+            filter
+        },
+        _ => EnvFilter::from_env(RUST_LOG_ENV)
+            .add_directive("veloren_world::sim=info".parse().unwrap())
+            .add_directive("veloren_world::civ=info".parse().unwrap())
+            .add_directive(LevelFilter::INFO.into()),
+    };
 
-    tracing_subscriber::fmt::init();
+    FmtSubscriber::builder()
+        .with_max_level(Level::ERROR)
+        .with_env_filter(filter)
+        .init();
 
     info!("Starting server...");