diff --git a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Actions.pm b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Actions.pm
index be1483a5b..e442a7b67 100644
--- a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Actions.pm
+++ b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Actions.pm
@@ -117,6 +117,27 @@ sub merge_levels ($$) {
     my $subparts = @subparts;
 
     my $target   = $subparts[0];
+
+    push @subparts, '' while @subparts < 3;   #Avoid undefined values
+
+    my $level = $supparts[1];
+    my $tag   = $supparts[2];
+
+    if ( @supparts == 3 ) {
+	return "$target:none!:$tag"   if $level eq 'none!';
+	return "$target:$level:$tag"  if $level =~ /!$/;
+	return $subordinate           if $subparts >= 2;
+	return "$target:$level:$tag";
+    }
+
+    if ( @supparts == 2 ) {
+	return "$target:none!"        if $level eq 'none!';
+	return "$target:$level"       if ($level =~ /!$/) || ($subparts < 2);
+    }
+
+    $subordinate;
+}
+
 #
 # Try to find a macro file -- RETURNS false if the file doesn't exist or MACRO if it does.
 # If the file exists, the macro is entered into the 'targets' table and the fully-qualified
@@ -195,27 +216,6 @@ sub merge_macro_column( $$ ) {
     }
 }
 
-
-    push @subparts, '' while @subparts < 3;   #Avoid undefined values
-
-    my $level = $supparts[1];
-    my $tag   = $supparts[2];
-
-    if ( @supparts == 3 ) {
-	return "$target:none!:$tag"   if $level eq 'none!';
-	return "$target:$level:$tag"  if $level =~ /!$/;
-	return $subordinate           if $subparts >= 2;
-	return "$target:$level:$tag";
-    }
-
-    if ( @supparts == 2 ) {
-	return "$target:none!"        if $level eq 'none!';
-	return "$target:$level"       if ($level =~ /!$/) || ($subparts < 2);
-    }
-
-    $subordinate;
-}
-
 #
 # Get Macro Name -- strips away trailing /* and :* from the first column in a rule, macro or action.
 #
diff --git a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
index 84b35b152..f7485ecd4 100644
--- a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
+++ b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
@@ -1274,6 +1274,10 @@ sub log_rule_limit( $$$$$$$$ ) {
 
     my $prefix;
 
+    $level = validate_level $level;
+
+    return 1 if $level eq '';
+    
     unless ( $predicates =~ /-m limit / ) {
 	$limit = $globals{LOGLIMIT} unless $limit && $limit ne '-';
 	$predicates .= $limit if $limit;
diff --git a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Config.pm b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
index 2a72d3613..bf85b0001 100644
--- a/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
+++ b/Shorewall-perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
@@ -948,7 +948,7 @@ my %validlevels = ( debug   => 7,
 		    ULOG    => 'ULOG' );
 
 #
-# Validate a log level -- Drop the trailing '!' that some fools think is important.
+# Validate a log level -- Drop the trailing '!' and translate to numeric value if appropriate"
 #
 sub validate_level( $ ) {
     my $level = $_[0];