diff --git a/src/platforms/common/px4_log.c b/src/platforms/common/px4_log.c
index 0ee4c2a6ad..a2c61ab297 100644
--- a/src/platforms/common/px4_log.c
+++ b/src/platforms/common/px4_log.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #include <px4_log.h>
 
-__EXPORT unsigned int __px4_log_level_current = PX4_LOG_LEVEL_AT_RUN_TIME;
+__EXPORT int __px4_log_level_current = PX4_LOG_LEVEL_AT_RUN_TIME;
 
 __EXPORT const char *__px4_log_level_str[_PX4_LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG+1] = { "INFO", "PANIC", "ERROR", "WARN", "DEBUG" };
diff --git a/src/platforms/px4_log.h b/src/platforms/px4_log.h
index d52582f15e..05278131c8 100644
--- a/src/platforms/px4_log.h
+++ b/src/platforms/px4_log.h
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ __EXPORT extern uint64_t hrt_absolute_time(void);
 #define _PX4_LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG		4
 
 __EXPORT extern const char *__px4_log_level_str[5];
-__EXPORT extern unsigned int __px4_log_level_current;
+__EXPORT extern int __px4_log_level_current;
 
 // __px4_log_level_current will be initialized to PX4_LOG_LEVEL_AT_RUN_TIME
 #define PX4_LOG_LEVEL_AT_RUN_TIME	_PX4_LOG_LEVEL_WARN