diff --git a/docs/howto/basics/command_line.md b/docs/howto/basics/command_line.md
index 0c345146d..fe1143309 100644
--- a/docs/howto/basics/command_line.md
+++ b/docs/howto/basics/command_line.md
@@ -56,21 +56,36 @@ In both case, the app you specify must have an asynchronous connector.
 
 ## Logging
 
-Three different options allow you to control how the command-line tool should log
-events:
+Several options allow you to control how the command-line tool should log events:
 
-- Verbosity controls the log level (you'll see message of this level and above):
+- **Verbosity** controls the log level (you'll see messages of this level and above):
 
-  | Flags | Environment equivalent    | Log level |
-  | ----- | ------------------------- | --------- |
-  |       | PROCRASTINATE_VERBOSITY=0 | `warning` |
-  | -v    | PROCRASTINATE_VERBOSITY=1 | `info`    |
-  | -vv   | PROCRASTINATE_VERBOSITY=2 | `debug`   |
+  | Flags          | Environment equivalent  | Log level |
+  | -------------- | ----------------------- | --------- |
+  |                | PROCRASTINATE_VERBOSE=0 | `info`    |
+  | -v (or higher) | PROCRASTINATE_VERBOSE=1 | `debug`   |
 
-- Log format: `--log-format=` / `PROCRASTINATE_LOG_FORMAT=` lets you control how
+  Note: Values beyond 1 have no additional effect.
+
+- **Log level** allows explicit control over the logging level (mutually exclusive with `-v`):
+
+  `--log-level=LEVEL` / `PROCRASTINATE_LOG_LEVEL=LEVEL` where `LEVEL` is one of:
+  `debug`, `info`, `warning`, `error`, or `critical`.
+
+  This option provides access to log levels not available through `-v` flags,
+  such as `warning`, `error`, and `critical`. You cannot use `--log-level` and
+  `-v` together.
+
+  Examples:
+  ```console
+  $ procrastinate --log-level=warning worker
+  $ PROCRASTINATE_LOG_LEVEL=error procrastinate worker
+  ```
+
+- **Log format**: `--log-format=` / `PROCRASTINATE_LOG_FORMAT=` lets you control how
   the log line will be formatted. It uses `%`-style placeholders by default.
 
-- Log format style: `--log-format-style=` / `PROCRASTINATE_LOG_FORMAT_STYLE=`
+- **Log format style**: `--log-format-style=` / `PROCRASTINATE_LOG_FORMAT_STYLE=`
   lets you choose different styles for the log-format, such as `{` or `$`.
 
 For more information on log formats, refer to the [Python documentation](https://docs.python.org/3/library/logging.html?highlight=logging#logrecord-attributes)
diff --git a/procrastinate/cli.py b/procrastinate/cli.py
index 7fb43364f..8fff5cb8e 100644
--- a/procrastinate/cli.py
+++ b/procrastinate/cli.py
@@ -31,8 +31,19 @@ def get_log_level(verbosity: int) -> int:
 Style = Union[Literal["%"], Literal["{"], Literal["$"]]
 
 
-def configure_logging(verbosity: int, format: str, style: Style) -> None:
-    level = get_log_level(verbosity=verbosity)
+def configure_logging(
+    verbosity: int | None = None,
+    log_level: str | None = None,
+    format: str = logging.BASIC_FORMAT,
+    style: Style = "%",
+) -> None:
+    if log_level is not None:
+        level = getattr(logging, log_level.upper())
+    elif verbosity is not None:
+        level = get_log_level(verbosity=verbosity)
+    else:
+        level = logging.INFO
+
     logging.basicConfig(level=level, format=format, style=style)
     level_name = logging.getLevelName(level)
     logger.debug(
@@ -176,18 +187,22 @@ def add_cli_features(parser: argparse.ArgumentParser):
     Add features to the parser to make it more CLI-friendly.
     This is not necessary when the parser is used as a subparser.
     """
-    add_argument(
-        parser,
+    log_group = parser.add_argument_group("Logging")
+
+    # Create mutually exclusive group for verbosity control
+    verbosity_group = log_group.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
+    verbosity_group.add_argument(
         "-v",
         "--verbose",
         default=0,
         action="count",
-        help="Use multiple times to increase verbosity",
-        envvar="VERBOSE",
-        envvar_help="set to desired verbosity level",
-        envvar_type=int,
+        help=f"Increase verbosity (0=info, 1+=debug) (env: {ENV_PREFIX}_VERBOSE)",
+    )
+    verbosity_group.add_argument(
+        "--log-level",
+        choices=["debug", "info", "warning", "error", "critical"],
+        help=f"Set log level explicitly (env: {ENV_PREFIX}_LOG_LEVEL)",
     )
-    log_group = parser.add_argument_group("Logging")
     add_argument(
         log_group,
         "--log-format",
@@ -517,11 +532,42 @@ async def cli(args):
     add_cli_features(parser)
     parsed = vars(parser.parse_args(args))
 
-    configure_logging(
-        verbosity=parsed.pop("verbose"),
-        format=parsed.pop("log_format"),
-        style=parsed.pop("log_format_style"),
-    )
+    # Determine log level from either --log-level or --verbose (mutually exclusive)
+    log_level = parsed.pop("log_level", None)
+    verbosity = parsed.pop("verbose")
+
+    # If --log-level was not specified on command line, check environment variable
+    if log_level is None:
+        log_level_env = os.environ.get(f"{ENV_PREFIX}_LOG_LEVEL")
+        if log_level_env and log_level_env.lower() in [
+            "debug",
+            "info",
+            "warning",
+            "error",
+            "critical",
+        ]:
+            log_level = log_level_env.lower()
+
+    # If --log-level is set (from CLI or env), use it; otherwise use --verbose
+    if log_level is not None:
+        configure_logging(
+            log_level=log_level,
+            format=parsed.pop("log_format"),
+            style=parsed.pop("log_format_style"),
+        )
+    else:
+        # If no -v flags were used on command line, check environment variable
+        if verbosity == 0:
+            verbose_value = os.environ.get(f"{ENV_PREFIX}_VERBOSE")
+            if verbose_value and verbose_value != "":
+                verbosity = int(verbose_value)
+
+        configure_logging(
+            verbosity=verbosity,
+            format=parsed.pop("log_format"),
+            style=parsed.pop("log_format_style"),
+        )
+
     await execute_command(parsed)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_cli.py b/tests/unit/test_cli.py
index 38a03a314..5ec5d88e1 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_cli.py
@@ -34,6 +34,162 @@ def test_configure_logging(mocker, caplog):
     assert records[0].value == "DEBUG"
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "log_level_name, expected_level",
+    [
+        ("debug", logging.DEBUG),
+        ("info", logging.INFO),
+        ("warning", logging.WARNING),
+        ("error", logging.ERROR),
+        ("critical", logging.CRITICAL),
+    ],
+)
+def test_configure_logging_with_log_level(
+    mocker, caplog, log_level_name, expected_level
+):
+    config = mocker.patch("logging.basicConfig")
+
+    caplog.set_level("DEBUG")
+
+    cli.configure_logging(log_level=log_level_name)
+
+    config.assert_called_once_with(
+        level=expected_level, format=logging.BASIC_FORMAT, style="%"
+    )
+    records = [record for record in caplog.records if record.action == "set_log_level"]
+    assert len(records) == 1
+    assert records[0].value == logging.getLevelName(expected_level)
+
+
+def test_configure_logging_default_level(mocker, caplog):
+    """Test that when no verbosity or log_level is set, default is INFO."""
+    config = mocker.patch("logging.basicConfig")
+
+    caplog.set_level("DEBUG")
+
+    cli.configure_logging()
+
+    config.assert_called_once_with(
+        level=logging.INFO, format=logging.BASIC_FORMAT, style="%"
+    )
+    records = [record for record in caplog.records if record.action == "set_log_level"]
+    assert len(records) == 1
+    assert records[0].value == "INFO"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "verbose_env, cli_flags, expected",
+    [
+        (None, [], 0),  # Default is 0
+        ("1", [], 1),  # PROCRASTINATE_VERBOSE works
+        ("0", ["-v"], 1),  # CLI flag overrides env=0
+        ("2", ["-v"], 1),  # CLI flag overrides env=2
+        (None, ["-v"], 1),  # -v gives verbosity 1
+        (None, ["-vv"], 2),  # -vv gives verbosity 2 (clamped to debug in get_log_level)
+    ],
+)
+async def test_verbose_env_vars(monkeypatch, mocker, verbose_env, cli_flags, expected):
+    """Test that PROCRASTINATE_VERBOSE works and command line flags override environment variables."""
+    # Clear any existing values
+    monkeypatch.delenv("PROCRASTINATE_VERBOSE", raising=False)
+
+    # Set the env var if provided
+    if verbose_env is not None:
+        monkeypatch.setenv("PROCRASTINATE_VERBOSE", verbose_env)
+
+    # Mock execute_command to capture the verbosity value
+    captured_verbosity = None
+
+    async def mock_execute_command(parsed):
+        # Don't actually execute, just return
+        pass
+
+    original_configure_logging = cli.configure_logging
+
+    def mock_configure_logging(**kwargs):
+        nonlocal captured_verbosity
+        captured_verbosity = kwargs.get("verbosity")
+        # Call original to ensure it works
+        original_configure_logging(**kwargs)
+
+    mocker.patch("procrastinate.cli.execute_command", side_effect=mock_execute_command)
+    mocker.patch(
+        "procrastinate.cli.configure_logging", side_effect=mock_configure_logging
+    )
+
+    # Run cli with the provided flags
+    args = [*cli_flags, "--app=", "defer", "test"]
+    await cli.cli(args)
+
+    assert captured_verbosity == expected
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "log_level_env, cli_flags, expected_level",
+    [
+        (None, ["--log-level", "warning"], "warning"),  # CLI --log-level works
+        (None, ["--log-level", "error"], "error"),  # CLI --log-level=error works
+        (
+            None,
+            ["--log-level", "critical"],
+            "critical",
+        ),  # CLI --log-level=critical works
+        ("warning", [], "warning"),  # PROCRASTINATE_LOG_LEVEL works
+        ("error", [], "error"),  # PROCRASTINATE_LOG_LEVEL=error works
+        ("warning", ["--log-level", "error"], "error"),  # CLI overrides env
+    ],
+)
+async def test_log_level_option(
+    monkeypatch, mocker, log_level_env, cli_flags, expected_level
+):
+    """Test that --log-level and PROCRASTINATE_LOG_LEVEL work correctly."""
+    # Clear any existing values
+    monkeypatch.delenv("PROCRASTINATE_LOG_LEVEL", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.delenv("PROCRASTINATE_VERBOSE", raising=False)
+
+    # Set the env var if provided
+    if log_level_env is not None:
+        monkeypatch.setenv("PROCRASTINATE_LOG_LEVEL", log_level_env)
+
+    # Mock execute_command to capture the log level
+    captured_log_level = None
+
+    async def mock_execute_command(parsed):
+        pass
+
+    original_configure_logging = cli.configure_logging
+
+    def mock_configure_logging(**kwargs):
+        nonlocal captured_log_level
+        captured_log_level = kwargs.get("log_level")
+        original_configure_logging(**kwargs)
+
+    mocker.patch("procrastinate.cli.execute_command", side_effect=mock_execute_command)
+    mocker.patch(
+        "procrastinate.cli.configure_logging", side_effect=mock_configure_logging
+    )
+
+    # Run cli with the provided flags
+    args = [*cli_flags, "--app=", "defer", "test"]
+    await cli.cli(args)
+
+    assert captured_log_level == expected_level
+
+
+async def test_log_level_and_verbose_mutually_exclusive(monkeypatch):
+    """Test that --log-level and --verbose are mutually exclusive."""
+    monkeypatch.delenv("PROCRASTINATE_LOG_LEVEL", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.delenv("PROCRASTINATE_VERBOSE", raising=False)
+
+    parser = cli.create_parser()
+    cli.add_arguments(parser)
+    cli.add_cli_features(parser)
+
+    # This should raise an error because they're mutually exclusive
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
+        parser.parse_args(["--app=", "-v", "--log-level", "warning", "defer", "test"])
+
+
 def test_main(mocker):
     mock = mocker.patch("procrastinate.cli.cli", new=mocker.AsyncMock())
     cli.main()