diff --git a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/event/LoggingReceiveSpec.scala b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/event/LoggingReceiveSpec.scala
index c6b41095d1..7985b3bab4 100644
--- a/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/event/LoggingReceiveSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-tests/src/test/scala/akka/event/LoggingReceiveSpec.scala
@@ -25,7 +25,10 @@ object LoggingReceiveSpec {
 class LoggingReceiveSpec extends WordSpec with BeforeAndAfterAll {
 
   import LoggingReceiveSpec._
-  val config = ConfigFactory.parseMap(Map("akka.logLevel" -> "DEBUG").asJava).withFallback(AkkaSpec.testConf)
+  val config = ConfigFactory.parseString("""
+    akka.loglevel=DEBUG
+    akka.actor.serialize-messages = off # debug noise from serialization
+    """).withFallback(AkkaSpec.testConf)
   val appLogging = ActorSystem("logging", ConfigFactory.parseMap(Map("akka.actor.debug.receive" -> true).asJava).withFallback(config))
   val appAuto = ActorSystem("autoreceive", ConfigFactory.parseMap(Map("akka.actor.debug.autoreceive" -> true).asJava).withFallback(config))
   val appLifecycle = ActorSystem("lifecycle", ConfigFactory.parseMap(Map("akka.actor.debug.lifecycle" -> true).asJava).withFallback(config))
diff --git a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/LoggingReceive.scala b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/LoggingReceive.scala
index ac3e9d6fe1..4ed7ec66fa 100644
--- a/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/LoggingReceive.scala
+++ b/akka-actor/src/main/scala/akka/event/LoggingReceive.scala
@@ -51,12 +51,14 @@ class LoggingReceive(source: Option[AnyRef], r: Receive, label: Option[String])(
   def this(source: Option[AnyRef], r: Receive)(implicit context: ActorContext) = this(source, r, None)
   def isDefinedAt(o: Any): Boolean = {
     val handled = r.isDefinedAt(o)
-    val (str, clazz) = LogSource.fromAnyRef(source getOrElse context.asInstanceOf[ActorCell].actor)
-    context.system.eventStream.publish(Debug(str, clazz, "received " + (if (handled) "handled" else "unhandled") + " message " + o
-      + (label match {
-        case Some(l) ⇒ " in state " + l
-        case _       ⇒ ""
-      })))
+    if (context.system.eventStream.logLevel >= Logging.DebugLevel) {
+      val (str, clazz) = LogSource.fromAnyRef(source getOrElse context.asInstanceOf[ActorCell].actor)
+      context.system.eventStream.publish(Debug(str, clazz, "received " + (if (handled) "handled" else "unhandled") + " message " + o
+        + (label match {
+          case Some(l) ⇒ " in state " + l
+          case _       ⇒ ""
+        })))
+    }
     handled
   }
   def apply(o: Any): Unit = r(o)