diff --git a/hw/kdrive/ephyr/ephyrinit.c b/hw/kdrive/ephyr/ephyrinit.c
index 881bc2ea9..767fccd0f 100644
--- a/hw/kdrive/ephyr/ephyrinit.c
+++ b/hw/kdrive/ephyr/ephyrinit.c
@@ -289,10 +289,8 @@ ddxProcessArgument(int argc, char **argv, int i)
     }
     else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-verbosity")) {
         if (i + 1 < argc && argv[i + 1][0] != '-') {
-            int verbosity = atoi(argv[i + 1]);
-
-            LogSetParameter(XLOG_VERBOSITY, verbosity);
-            EPHYR_LOG("set verbosiry to %d\n", verbosity);
+            xorgLogVerbosity = atoi(argv[i + 1]);
+            EPHYR_LOG("set verbosiry to %d\n", xorgLogVerbosity);
             return 2;
         }
         else {
diff --git a/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Init.c b/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Init.c
index 3a524f664..5e419f9bd 100644
--- a/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Init.c
+++ b/hw/xfree86/common/xf86Init.c
@@ -868,7 +868,7 @@ void
 xf86SetVerbosity(int verb)
 {
     xf86Verbose = verb;
-    LogSetParameter(XLOG_VERBOSITY, verb);
+    xorgLogVerbosity = verb;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/hw/xwayland/xwayland.c b/hw/xwayland/xwayland.c
index 556ddfb9d..783dd6226 100644
--- a/hw/xwayland/xwayland.c
+++ b/hw/xwayland/xwayland.c
@@ -234,11 +234,11 @@ ddxProcessArgument(int argc, char *argv[], int i)
             val = strtol(argv[i], &end, 0);
             if (*end == '\0') {
                 verbosity = val;
-                LogSetParameter(XLOG_VERBOSITY, verbosity);
+                xorgLogVerbosity = verbosity;
                 return 2;
             }
         }
-        LogSetParameter(XLOG_VERBOSITY, ++verbosity);
+        xorgLogVerbosity = ++verbosity;
         return 1;
     }
     else if (strcmp(argv[i], "-version") == 0) {
diff --git a/hw/xwin/InitOutput.c b/hw/xwin/InitOutput.c
index 948c22c68..0fe63b9f5 100644
--- a/hw/xwin/InitOutput.c
+++ b/hw/xwin/InitOutput.c
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@ OsVendorInit(void)
         g_pszLogFile = LogInit(g_pszLogFile, ".old");
 
     }
-    LogSetParameter(XLOG_VERBOSITY, g_iLogVerbose);
+    xorgLogVerbosity = g_iLogVerbose;
     LogSetParameter(XLOG_FILE_VERBOSITY, g_iLogVerbose);
 
     /* Log the version information */
diff --git a/os/log.c b/os/log.c
index 28497ba8f..00c588f71 100644
--- a/os/log.c
+++ b/os/log.c
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 
 static int logFileFd = -1;
 static Bool logSync = FALSE;
-static int logVerbosity = DEFAULT_LOG_VERBOSITY;
+int xorgLogVerbosity = DEFAULT_LOG_VERBOSITY;
 static int logFileVerbosity = DEFAULT_LOG_FILE_VERBOSITY;
 
 /* Buffer to information logged before the log file is opened. */
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ LogSetParameter(LogParameter param, int value)
         logSync = value ? TRUE : FALSE;
         return TRUE;
     case XLOG_VERBOSITY:
-        logVerbosity = value;
+        xorgLogVerbosity = value;
         return TRUE;
     case XLOG_FILE_VERBOSITY:
         logFileVerbosity = value;
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ LogSWrite(int verb, const char *buf, size_t len, Bool end_line)
     static Bool newline = TRUE;
     int ret;
 
-    if (verb < 0 || logVerbosity >= verb)
+    if (verb < 0 || xorgLogVerbosity >= verb)
         ret = write(2, buf, len);
 
     if (verb < 0 || logFileVerbosity >= verb) {
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ LogMessageTypeVerbString(MessageType type, int verb)
     if (type == X_ERROR)
         verb = 0;
 
-    if (logVerbosity < verb && logFileVerbosity < verb)
+    if (xorgLogVerbosity < verb && logFileVerbosity < verb)
         return NULL;
 
     switch (type) {
diff --git a/os/log_priv.h b/os/log_priv.h
index 682aa4e25..cf81e0db4 100644
--- a/os/log_priv.h
+++ b/os/log_priv.h
@@ -68,4 +68,12 @@ int LogSetParameter(LogParameter param, int value);
 #define DebugF(...)             /* */
 #endif
 
+/**
+ * @brief console log verbosity (stderr)
+ *
+ * The verbosity level of logging to console. All messages with verbosity
+ * level below this one will be written to stderr
+ */
+extern int xorgLogVerbosity;
+
 #endif /* __XORG_OS_LOGGING_H */
diff --git a/test/signal-logging.c b/test/signal-logging.c
index 11cdcadb5..e0122e601 100644
--- a/test/signal-logging.c
+++ b/test/signal-logging.c
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ number_formatting(void)
                                 -0x7FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF, /* Maximum 64-bit signed number */
     } ;
 
-    LogSetParameter(XLOG_VERBOSITY, -1);
+    xorgLogVerbosity = -1;
 
     for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(unsigned_tests); i++)
         assert(check_number_format_test(unsigned_tests[i]));
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ static void logging_format(void)
     uintptr_t ptr;
     char *fname = NULL;
 
-    LogSetParameter(XLOG_VERBOSITY, -1);
+    xorgLogVerbosity = -1;
 
     /* set up buf to contain ".....end" */
     memset(buf, '.', sizeof(buf));