diff --git a/crates/trusted-server-adapter-axum/src/main.rs b/crates/trusted-server-adapter-axum/src/main.rs
index 960982176..66d592e0b 100644
--- a/crates/trusted-server-adapter-axum/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/trusted-server-adapter-axum/src/main.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,28 @@
 use edgezero_adapter_axum::dev_server::{AxumDevServer, AxumDevServerConfig};
 use edgezero_core::app::Hooks as _;
+use log::LevelFilter;
 use trusted_server_adapter_axum::app::TrustedServerApp;
 
+/// Environment variable that sets the maximum log level.
+const LOG_LEVEL_ENV: &str = "RUST_LOG";
+
+/// Log level used when `RUST_LOG` is unset or unrecognized.
+const DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL: LevelFilter = LevelFilter::Info;
+
 #[allow(clippy::print_stderr)]
 fn main() {
-    if let Err(e) = simple_logger::SimpleLogger::new().init() {
+    // `var_os` keeps a set but non-UTF-8 value visible, so it is rejected
+    // with a warning instead of silently falling back.
+    let configured_level =
+        std::env::var_os(LOG_LEVEL_ENV).map(|value| value.to_string_lossy().into_owned());
+    let level = parse_log_level(configured_level.as_deref()).unwrap_or_else(|value| {
+        eprintln!(
+            "warning: {LOG_LEVEL_ENV}={value:?} is not a single log level; using {}",
+            DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL.as_str().to_ascii_lowercase()
+        );
+        DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL
+    });
+    if let Err(e) = simple_logger::SimpleLogger::new().with_level(level).init() {
         eprintln!("warning: logger init failed: {e}");
     }
 
@@ -27,6 +45,26 @@ fn main() {
     }
 }
 
+/// Parses an optional `RUST_LOG` value into the logger's maximum level.
+///
+/// Absent and blank values resolve to [`DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL`]. Any other value
+/// must be a single level name (`trace`, `debug`, `info`, `warn`, `error`, or
+/// `off`), matched case-insensitively after trimming whitespace. The quiet
+/// default keeps trace-level payload and consent-string logging out of
+/// standard output unless an operator explicitly asks for it.
+///
+/// # Errors
+///
+/// Returns the trimmed value when it is not a single level name, such as the
+/// per-module filter `trusted_server=trace`, so the caller can warn before
+/// falling back to [`DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL`].
+fn parse_log_level(configured: Option<&str>) -> Result<LevelFilter, &str> {
+    match configured.map(str::trim) {
+        None | Some("") => Ok(DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL),
+        Some(trimmed) => trimmed.parse().map_err(|_| trimmed),
+    }
+}
+
 /// Read a port number from the `PORT` environment variable.
 ///
 /// Returns `None` when the variable is unset. Exits non-zero if the value
@@ -46,6 +84,65 @@ fn port_from_env() -> Option<u16> {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
     #[test]
     fn crate_compiles() {}
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_log_level_defaults_to_info_when_unset_or_blank() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_log_level(None),
+            Ok(LevelFilter::Info),
+            "should default to info when RUST_LOG is unset"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_log_level(Some("")),
+            Ok(LevelFilter::Info),
+            "should treat an empty value as unset"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_log_level(Some("  ")),
+            Ok(LevelFilter::Info),
+            "should treat a whitespace-only value as unset"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_log_level_honors_explicit_levels() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_log_level(Some("info")),
+            Ok(LevelFilter::Info),
+            "should suppress trace when RUST_LOG is info"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_log_level(Some("trace")),
+            Ok(LevelFilter::Trace),
+            "should enable trace when RUST_LOG is trace"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_log_level(Some(" DEBUG ")),
+            Ok(LevelFilter::Debug),
+            "should accept case-insensitive levels with surrounding whitespace"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_log_level(Some("off")),
+            Ok(LevelFilter::Off),
+            "should allow disabling logging"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_log_level_rejects_unrecognized_values() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_log_level(Some("trace,hyper=info")),
+            Err("trace,hyper=info"),
+            "should reject module-filter syntax it does not support"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_log_level(Some(" verbose ")),
+            Err("verbose"),
+            "should reject an unknown level name and return it trimmed"
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/docs/guide/axum-dev.md b/docs/guide/axum-dev.md
index a98acbb06..82c18cd5d 100644
--- a/docs/guide/axum-dev.md
+++ b/docs/guide/axum-dev.md
@@ -45,6 +45,21 @@ rewrite its origin URL to the Axum listener, and remove the original URL. The
 exit trap stops the Axum process and stub origin, then removes the temporary
 config, local-push output, bodies, headers, and logs.
 
+## Logging
+
+Axum logs to standard output at `info` by default. Set `RUST_LOG` to a single
+level (`trace`, `debug`, `info`, `warn`, `error`, or `off`) to change it, for
+example `RUST_LOG=debug cargo run -p trusted-server-adapter-axum`.
+Unrecognized values, including per-module filters such as
+`trusted_server=debug`, fall back to `info` and print a warning to standard
+error at startup.
+
+The `trace` level can log auction payloads and TCF consent strings, for example
+the `adserver_mock` mediation request, and the full Prebid Server response
+(including its `ext.debug` echo of the resolved request) when a provider sets
+`profile_config.debug = true`. Enable it only for short local debugging
+sessions.
+
 ## Runtime boundaries
 
 Axum implements the read-only `/_ts/admin/eids` diagnostic. EC record lookup
diff --git a/docs/guide/testing.md b/docs/guide/testing.md
index bff414f7c..86c025908 100644
--- a/docs/guide/testing.md
+++ b/docs/guide/testing.md
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ Show captured output and serialize a focused test when ordering or shared test
 state matters:
 
 ```bash
-RUST_LOG=debug cargo test-axum test_name -- --nocapture --test-threads=1
+cargo test-axum test_name -- --nocapture --test-threads=1
 cargo test-fastly test_name -- --nocapture --test-threads=1
 ```