diff --git a/crates/ghostty-apprt-gtk/examples/demo.rs b/crates/ghostty-apprt-gtk/examples/demo.rs
index 4a067f8..4951d00 100644
--- a/crates/ghostty-apprt-gtk/examples/demo.rs
+++ b/crates/ghostty-apprt-gtk/examples/demo.rs
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ impl CoreApp for DemoApp {
 }
 
 fn main() {
-    env_logger::Builder::from_env(env_logger::Env::default().default_filter_or("info")).init();
+    env_logger::Builder::from_env(env_logger::Env::default().default_filter_or("error")).init();
 
     let core = Rc::new(DemoApp::default());
     let app = App::new(core);
diff --git a/crates/ghostty-core/src/global.rs b/crates/ghostty-core/src/global.rs
index 011fa96..083d5d2 100644
--- a/crates/ghostty-core/src/global.rs
+++ b/crates/ghostty-core/src/global.rs
@@ -359,16 +359,15 @@ impl log::Log for Logger {
 }
 
 fn init_logger(logging: Logging) {
-    // Our log level is always at least info in every build mode; debug
-    // builds (or RUST_LOG=debug) also show debug messages.
+    // Only show errors by default in every build mode. RUST_LOG can opt
+    // into more verbose logging when needed.
     let max = match std::env::var("RUST_LOG").ok().as_deref() {
         Some("trace") => log::LevelFilter::Trace,
         Some("debug") => log::LevelFilter::Debug,
         Some("warn") => log::LevelFilter::Warn,
         Some("error") => log::LevelFilter::Error,
         Some("info") => log::LevelFilter::Info,
-        _ if cfg!(debug_assertions) => log::LevelFilter::Debug,
-        _ => log::LevelFilter::Info,
+        _ => log::LevelFilter::Error,
     };
     let logger = Box::new(Logger {
         stderr: logging.stderr,
diff --git a/crates/ghostty-os/src/wasm/log.rs b/crates/ghostty-os/src/wasm/log.rs
index a05881d..4103041 100644
--- a/crates/ghostty-os/src/wasm/log.rs
+++ b/crates/ghostty-os/src/wasm/log.rs
@@ -62,15 +62,9 @@ impl Log for Logger {
 
 static LOGGER: Logger = Logger;
 
-/// Installs the logger. Zig's level: debug in Debug, warn in ReleaseSmall,
-/// info otherwise; here debug with `debug_assertions`, info otherwise.
+/// Installs the logger with errors only in every build mode.
 pub fn init() {
-    let level = if cfg!(debug_assertions) {
-        LevelFilter::Debug
-    } else {
-        LevelFilter::Info
-    };
     if ::log::set_logger(&LOGGER).is_ok() {
-        ::log::set_max_level(level);
+        ::log::set_max_level(LevelFilter::Error);
     }
 }