diff --git a/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c b/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c
index 71af79a4d..d67eae42c 100644
--- a/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c
+++ b/app/iscsi_tgt/iscsi_tgt.c
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 				usage(argv[0]);
 				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 			}
+			print_level = SPDK_LOG_DEBUG;
 #ifndef DEBUG
 			fprintf(stderr, "%s must be built with CONFIG_DEBUG=y for -t flag\n",
 				argv[0]);
diff --git a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_main.c b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_main.c
index 80593b321..0ea716b3a 100644
--- a/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_main.c
+++ b/app/nvmf_tgt/nvmf_main.c
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 				usage();
 				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 			}
+			print_level = SPDK_LOG_DEBUG;
 #ifndef DEBUG
 			fprintf(stderr, "%s must be rebuilt with CONFIG_DEBUG=y for -t flag.\n",
 				argv[0]);
diff --git a/app/vhost/vhost.c b/app/vhost/vhost.c
index aa07af7ff..9c7f06c8a 100644
--- a/app/vhost/vhost.c
+++ b/app/vhost/vhost.c
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 				usage(argv[0]);
 				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 			}
+			print_level = SPDK_LOG_DEBUG;
 #ifndef DEBUG
 			fprintf(stderr, "%s must be rebuilt with CONFIG_DEBUG=y for -t flag.\n",
 				argv[0]);
diff --git a/examples/nvme/identify/identify.c b/examples/nvme/identify/identify.c
index ce4ed962d..8a6c612f0 100644
--- a/examples/nvme/identify/identify.c
+++ b/examples/nvme/identify/identify.c
@@ -1025,6 +1025,7 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 				usage(argv[0]);
 				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 			}
+			spdk_log_set_print_level(SPDK_LOG_DEBUG);
 #ifndef DEBUG
 			fprintf(stderr, "%s must be rebuilt with CONFIG_DEBUG=y for -t flag.\n",
 				argv[0]);
diff --git a/test/lib/nvme/aer/aer.c b/test/lib/nvme/aer/aer.c
index 50a511ab4..8f6f9eb76 100644
--- a/test/lib/nvme/aer/aer.c
+++ b/test/lib/nvme/aer/aer.c
@@ -245,6 +245,7 @@ parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 				usage(argv[0]);
 				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 			}
+			spdk_log_set_print_level(SPDK_LOG_DEBUG);
 #ifndef DEBUG
 			fprintf(stderr, "%s must be rebuilt with CONFIG_DEBUG=y for -t flag.\n",
 				argv[0]);