diff --git a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
index 79aea823c..f18158774 100644
--- a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
+++ b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
@@ -462,6 +462,7 @@ sub new_chain($$)
     $ch{log}  = 1 if $globals{LOGRULENUMBERS};
     $ch{rules} = [];
     $ch{table} = $table;
+    $ch{loglevel} = '';
     $chain_table{$table}{$chain} = \%ch;
     \%ch;
 }
diff --git a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Policy.pm b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Policy.pm
index 0b29974b6..f9240decd 100644
--- a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Policy.pm
+++ b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Policy.pm
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ sub validate_policy()
 	    push @policy_chains, ( $chainref );
 	}
 
-	$chainref->{loglevel}  = $loglevel  if $loglevel;
+	$chainref->{loglevel}  = $loglevel  if defined $loglevel && $loglevel ne '';
 	$chainref->{synparams} = $synparams if $synparams;
 	$chainref->{default}   = $default   if $default;
 
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ sub policy_rules( $$$$ ) {
 
     add_rule $chainref, "-j $default" if $default && $default ne 'none';
 
-    log_rule $loglevel , $chainref , $target , '' if $loglevel;
+    log_rule $loglevel , $chainref , $target , '' if $loglevel ne '';
 
     fatal_error "Null target in policy_rules()" unless $target;
 
diff --git a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Rules.pm b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Rules.pm
index 3081d720a..0956c6d58 100644
--- a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Rules.pm
+++ b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Rules.pm
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ sub setup_syn_flood_chains() {
 	    my $synchainref = new_chain 'filter' , syn_chain $chainref->{name};
 	    add_rule $synchainref , "-m limit --limit $limit ${burst}-j RETURN";
 	    log_rule_limit $level , $synchainref , $chainref->{name} , 'DROP', '-m limit --limit 5/min --limit-burst 5' , '' , 'add' , ''
-		if defined $level && $level ne '';
+		if $level ne '';
 	    add_rule $synchainref, '-j DROP';
 	}
     }
@@ -1171,7 +1171,7 @@ sub process_rule ( $$$$$$$$$ ) {
 				if ( ( ( my $policy ) = $policychainref->{policy} ) ne 'NONE' ) {
 				    if ( $optimize > 0 ) {
 					my $loglevel = $policychainref->{loglevel};
-					if ( defined $loglevel && $loglevel ne '' ) {
+					if ( $loglevel ne '' ) {
 					    next if $target eq "${policy}:$loglevel}";
 					} else {
 					    next if $action eq $policy;
@@ -1191,7 +1191,7 @@ sub process_rule ( $$$$$$$$$ ) {
 			if ( ( ( my $policy ) = $policychainref->{policy} ) ne 'NONE' ) {
 			    if ( $optimize > 0 ) {
 				my $loglevel = $policychainref->{loglevel};
-				if ( defined $loglevel && $loglevel ne '') {
+				if ( $loglevel ne '') {
 				    next if $target eq "${policy}:$loglevel}";
 				} else {
 				    next if $action eq $policy;
@@ -1212,7 +1212,7 @@ sub process_rule ( $$$$$$$$$ ) {
 		if ( ( ( my $policy ) = $policychainref->{policy} ) ne 'NONE' ) {
 		    if ( $optimize > 0 ) {
 			my $loglevel = $policychainref->{loglevel};
-			if ( defined $loglevel && $loglevel ne '' ) {
+			if ( $loglevel ne '' ) {
 			    next if $target eq "${policy}:$loglevel}";
 			} else {
 			    next if $action eq $policy;