diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/Logging.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/Logging.scala
index 437901a7c8..df47093499 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/Logging.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/Logging.scala
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ trait LoggingBus extends ActorEventBus {
 
   import Logging._
 
-  private val guard = new ReentrantGuard //Switch to ReentrantReadWrite
+  private val guard = new ReentrantGuard
   private var loggers = Seq.empty[ActorRef]
-  private var _logLevel: LogLevel = _
+  @volatile private var _logLevel: LogLevel = _
 
   /**
    * Query currently set log level. See object Logging for more information.
@@ -52,16 +52,17 @@ trait LoggingBus extends ActorEventBus {
    * subscriptions!
    */
   def setLogLevel(level: LogLevel): Unit = guard.withGuard {
+    val logLvl = _logLevel // saves (2 * AllLogLevel.size - 1) volatile reads (because of the loops below)
     for {
       l ← AllLogLevels
       // subscribe if previously ignored and now requested
-      if l > _logLevel && l <= level
+      if l > logLvl && l <= level
       log ← loggers
     } subscribe(log, classFor(l))
     for {
       l ← AllLogLevels
       // unsubscribe if previously registered and now ignored
-      if l <= _logLevel && l > level
+      if l <= logLvl && l > level
       log ← loggers
     } unsubscribe(log, classFor(l))
     _logLevel = level
diff --git a/akka-bench-jmh/src/main/scala/akka/event/LogLevelAccessBenchmark.scala b/akka-bench-jmh/src/main/scala/akka/event/LogLevelAccessBenchmark.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7bd8c7ae36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/akka-bench-jmh/src/main/scala/akka/event/LogLevelAccessBenchmark.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (C) 2014 Typesafe Inc. <http://www.typesafe.com>
+ */
+package akka.event
+
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit
+
+import akka.event.Logging.LogLevel
+import org.openjdk.jmh.annotations._
+
+@Fork(3)
+@State(Scope.Benchmark)
+@BenchmarkMode(Array(Mode.Throughput))
+@Warmup(iterations = 10)
+@Measurement(iterations = 20, timeUnit = TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)
+class LogLevelAccessBenchmark {
+
+  /*
+  volatile logLevel, guard on loggers
+  20 readers, 2 writers
+    a.e.LogLevelAccessBenchmark.g                        thrpt        60  1862566.204    37860.541   ops/ms
+    a.e.LogLevelAccessBenchmark.g:readLogLevel           thrpt        60  1860031.729    37834.335   ops/ms
+    a.e.LogLevelAccessBenchmark.g:writeLogLevel_1        thrpt        60     1289.452       45.403   ops/ms
+    a.e.LogLevelAccessBenchmark.g:writeLogLevel_2        thrpt        60     1245.023       51.071   ops/ms
+   */
+
+  val NoopBus = new LoggingBus {
+    override def subscribe(subscriber: Subscriber, to: Classifier): Boolean = true
+    override def publish(event: Event): Unit = ()
+    override def unsubscribe(subscriber: Subscriber, from: Classifier): Boolean = true
+    override def unsubscribe(subscriber: Subscriber): Unit = ()
+  }
+
+  var log: BusLogging = akka.event.Logging(NoopBus, "").asInstanceOf[BusLogging]
+
+  @Benchmark
+  @GroupThreads(20)
+  @Group("g")
+  def readLogLevel(): LogLevel =
+    log.bus.logLevel
+
+  @Benchmark
+  @Group("g")
+  def setLogLevel_1(): Unit =
+    log.bus.setLogLevel(Logging.ErrorLevel)
+
+  @Benchmark
+  @Group("g")
+  def setLogLevel_2(): Unit =
+    log.bus.setLogLevel(Logging.DebugLevel)
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file