diff --git a/src/core/main.c b/src/core/main.c
index e15355dcdc..792b316c61 100644
--- a/src/core/main.c
+++ b/src/core/main.c
@@ -293,26 +293,6 @@ static int parse_proc_cmdline_item(const char *key, const char *value) {
                 if (in_initrd())
                         return set_default_unit(value);
 
-        } else if (streq(key, "systemd.log_target") && value) {
-
-                if (log_set_target_from_string(value) < 0)
-                        log_warning("Failed to parse log target %s. Ignoring.", value);
-
-        } else if (streq(key, "systemd.log_level") && value) {
-
-                if (log_set_max_level_from_string(value) < 0)
-                        log_warning("Failed to parse log level %s. Ignoring.", value);
-
-        } else if (streq(key, "systemd.log_color") && value) {
-
-                if (log_show_color_from_string(value) < 0)
-                        log_warning("Failed to parse log color setting %s. Ignoring.", value);
-
-        } else if (streq(key, "systemd.log_location") && value) {
-
-                if (log_show_location_from_string(value) < 0)
-                        log_warning("Failed to parse log location setting %s. Ignoring.", value);
-
         } else if (streq(key, "systemd.dump_core") && value) {
 
                 r = parse_boolean(value);
@@ -388,7 +368,8 @@ static int parse_proc_cmdline_item(const char *key, const char *value) {
 
         } else if (streq(key, "debug") && !value) {
 
-                log_set_max_level(LOG_DEBUG);
+                /* Note that log_parse_environment() handles 'debug'
+                 * too, and sets the log level to LOG_DEBUG. */
 
                 if (detect_container(NULL) > 0)
                         log_set_target(LOG_TARGET_CONSOLE);
@@ -963,37 +944,6 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 return -EINVAL;
         }
 
-        if (detect_container(NULL) > 0) {
-                char **a;
-
-                /* All /proc/cmdline arguments the kernel didn't
-                 * understand it passed to us. We're not really
-                 * interested in that usually since /proc/cmdline is
-                 * more interesting and complete. With one exception:
-                 * if we are run in a container /proc/cmdline is not
-                 * relevant for the container, hence we rely on argv[]
-                 * instead. */
-
-                for (a = argv; a < argv + argc; a++) {
-                        _cleanup_free_ char *w;
-                        char *value;
-
-                        w = strdup(*a);
-                        if (!w)
-                                return log_oom();
-
-                        value = strchr(w, '=');
-                        if (value)
-                                *(value++) = 0;
-
-                        r = parse_proc_cmdline_item(w, value);
-                        if (r < 0) {
-                                log_error("Failed on cmdline argument %s: %s", *a, strerror(-r));
-                                return r;
-                        }
-                }
-        }
-
         return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1455,6 +1405,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 if (parse_proc_cmdline(parse_proc_cmdline_item) < 0)
                         goto finish;
 
+        /* Note that this also parses bits from the kernel command
+         * line, including "debug". */
         log_parse_environment();
 
         if (parse_argv(argc, argv) < 0)
diff --git a/src/shared/log.c b/src/shared/log.c
index 2bac998bcd..b730ac921a 100644
--- a/src/shared/log.c
+++ b/src/shared/log.c
@@ -871,27 +871,47 @@ int log_set_max_level_from_string(const char *e) {
         return 0;
 }
 
+static int parse_proc_cmdline_item(const char *key, const char *value) {
+
+        /*
+         * The systemd.log_xyz= settings are parsed by all tools, and
+         * so is "debug".
+         *
+         * However, "quiet" is only parsed by PID 1!
+         */
+
+        if (streq(key, "debug") && !value)
+                log_set_max_level(LOG_DEBUG);
+
+        else if (streq(key, "systemd.log_target") && value) {
+
+                if (log_set_target_from_string(value) < 0)
+                        log_warning("Failed to parse log target '%s'. Ignoring.", value);
+
+        } else if (streq(key, "systemd.log_level") && value) {
+
+                if (log_set_max_level_from_string(value) < 0)
+                        log_warning("Failed to parse log level '%s'. Ignoring.", value);
+
+        } else if (streq(key, "systemd.log_color") && value) {
+
+                if (log_show_color_from_string(value) < 0)
+                        log_warning("Failed to parse log color setting '%s'. Ignoring.", value);
+
+        } else if (streq(key, "systemd.log_location") && value) {
+
+                if (log_show_location_from_string(value) < 0)
+                        log_warning("Failed to parse log location setting '%s'. Ignoring.", value);
+        }
+
+        return 0;
+}
+
 void log_parse_environment(void) {
         _cleanup_free_ char *line = NULL;
         const char *e;
-        int r;
 
-        r = proc_cmdline(&line);
-        if (r < 0)
-                log_warning("Failed to read /proc/cmdline. Ignoring: %s", strerror(-r));
-        else if (r > 0) {
-                const char *word, *state;
-                size_t l;
-
-                FOREACH_WORD_QUOTED(word, l, line, state) {
-                        if (l == 5 && startswith(word, "debug")) {
-                                log_set_max_level(LOG_DEBUG);
-                                break;
-                        }
-                }
-                if (!isempty(state))
-                        log_warning("Trailing garbage and the end of kernel commandline, ignoring.");
-        }
+        parse_proc_cmdline(parse_proc_cmdline_item);
 
         e = secure_getenv("SYSTEMD_LOG_TARGET");
         if (e && log_set_target_from_string(e) < 0)