diff --git a/awx/main/tasks/receptor.py b/awx/main/tasks/receptor.py
index ed89bb9e04..7573196905 100644
--- a/awx/main/tasks/receptor.py
+++ b/awx/main/tasks/receptor.py
@@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ class AWXReceptorJob:
 #
 RECEPTOR_CONFIG_STARTER = (
     {'local-only': None},
-    {'log-level': 'info'},
+    {'log-level': settings.RECEPTOR_LOG_LEVEL},
     {'node': {'firewallrules': [{'action': 'reject', 'tonode': settings.CLUSTER_HOST_ID, 'toservice': 'control'}]}},
     {'control-service': {'service': 'control', 'filename': '/var/run/receptor/receptor.sock', 'permissions': '0660'}},
     {'work-command': {'worktype': 'local', 'command': 'ansible-runner', 'params': 'worker', 'allowruntimeparams': True}},
diff --git a/awx/settings/defaults.py b/awx/settings/defaults.py
index ff22d194de..ba82132ad4 100644
--- a/awx/settings/defaults.py
+++ b/awx/settings/defaults.py
@@ -964,6 +964,9 @@ AWX_RUNNER_KEEPALIVE_SECONDS = 0
 # Delete completed work units in receptor
 RECEPTOR_RELEASE_WORK = True
 
+# K8S only. Use receptor_log_level on AWX spec to set this properly
+RECEPTOR_LOG_LEVEL = 'info'
+
 MIDDLEWARE = [
     'django_guid.middleware.guid_middleware',
     'awx.main.middleware.SettingsCacheMiddleware',