diff --git a/ros2bag/ros2bag/verb/play.py b/ros2bag/ros2bag/verb/play.py
index 5c4e0218d4..c3b84121e9 100644
--- a/ros2bag/ros2bag/verb/play.py
+++ b/ros2bag/ros2bag/verb/play.py
@@ -145,6 +145,10 @@ def add_arguments(self, parser, cli_name):  # noqa: D102
                  'By default, if loaned message can be used, messages are published as loaned '
                  'message. It can help to reduce the number of data copies, so there is a greater '
                  'benefit for sending big data.')
+        parser.add_argument(
+            '--log-level', type=str, default='info',
+            choices=['debug', 'info', 'warn', 'error', 'fatal'],
+            help='Logging level.')
 
     def get_playback_until_from_arg_group(self, playback_until_sec, playback_until_nsec) -> int:
         nano_scale = 1000 * 1000 * 1000
@@ -202,7 +206,7 @@ def main(self, *, args):  # noqa: D102
         play_options.wait_acked_timeout = args.wait_for_all_acked
         play_options.disable_loan_message = args.disable_loan_message
 
-        player = Player()
+        player = Player(args.log_level)
         try:
             player.play(storage_options, play_options)
         except KeyboardInterrupt:
diff --git a/ros2bag/ros2bag/verb/record.py b/ros2bag/ros2bag/verb/record.py
index 60599d5197..9932ba7aa1 100644
--- a/ros2bag/ros2bag/verb/record.py
+++ b/ros2bag/ros2bag/verb/record.py
@@ -143,6 +143,10 @@ def add_arguments(self, parser, cli_name):  # noqa: D102
             '--snapshot-mode', action='store_true',
             help='Enable snapshot mode. Messages will not be written to the bagfile until '
                  'the "/rosbag2_recorder/snapshot" service is called.')
+        parser.add_argument(
+            '--log-level', type=str, default='info',
+            choices=['debug', 'info', 'warn', 'error', 'fatal'],
+            help='Logging level.')
 
         # Storage configuration
         add_writer_storage_plugin_extensions(parser)
@@ -255,7 +259,7 @@ def main(self, *, args):  # noqa: D102
         record_options.ignore_leaf_topics = args.ignore_leaf_topics
         record_options.use_sim_time = args.use_sim_time
 
-        recorder = Recorder()
+        recorder = Recorder(args.log_level)
 
         try:
             recorder.record(storage_options, record_options, args.node_name)
diff --git a/rosbag2_py/src/rosbag2_py/_transport.cpp b/rosbag2_py/src/rosbag2_py/_transport.cpp
index 0a8a68f0ca..574519ac41 100644
--- a/rosbag2_py/src/rosbag2_py/_transport.cpp
+++ b/rosbag2_py/src/rosbag2_py/_transport.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 // limitations under the License.
 
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <csignal>
 #include <chrono>
 #include <memory>
@@ -37,6 +38,36 @@ typedef std::unordered_map<std::string, rclcpp::QoS> QoSMap;
 namespace
 {
 
+class Arguments
+{
+public:
+  explicit Arguments(const std::vector<std::string> & args)
+  : arguments_(args)
+  {
+    std::for_each(
+      arguments_.begin(), arguments_.end(),
+      [this](const std::string & arg) {
+        pointers_.push_back(const_cast<char *>(arg.c_str()));
+      }
+    );
+    pointers_.push_back(nullptr);
+  }
+
+  char ** argv()
+  {
+    return arguments_.empty() ? nullptr : pointers_.data();
+  }
+
+  [[nodiscard]] int argc() const
+  {
+    return static_cast<int>(arguments_.size());
+  }
+
+private:
+  std::vector<std::string> arguments_;
+  std::vector<char *> pointers_;
+};
+
 rclcpp::QoS qos_from_handle(const py::handle source)
 {
   PyObject * raw_obj = PyObject_CallMethod(source.ptr(), "get_c_qos_profile", "");
@@ -130,9 +161,10 @@ namespace rosbag2_py
 class Player
 {
 public:
-  Player()
+  explicit Player(const std::string & log_level = "info")
   {
-    rclcpp::init(0, nullptr);
+    Arguments arguments({"--ros-args", "--log-level", log_level});
+    rclcpp::init(arguments.argc(), arguments.argv());
   }
 
   virtual ~Player()
@@ -190,9 +222,10 @@ class Player
 class Recorder
 {
 public:
-  Recorder()
+  explicit Recorder(const std::string & log_level = "info")
   {
-    rclcpp::init(0, nullptr);
+    Arguments arguments({"--ros-args", "--log-level", log_level});
+    rclcpp::init(arguments.argc(), arguments.argv());
   }
 
   virtual ~Recorder()
@@ -394,13 +427,15 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(_transport, m) {
   ;
 
   py::class_<rosbag2_py::Player>(m, "Player")
-  .def(py::init())
+  .def(py::init<>())
+  .def(py::init<const std::string &>())
   .def("play", &rosbag2_py::Player::play, py::arg("storage_options"), py::arg("play_options"))
   .def("burst", &rosbag2_py::Player::burst)
   ;
 
   py::class_<rosbag2_py::Recorder>(m, "Recorder")
-  .def(py::init())
+  .def(py::init<>())
+  .def(py::init<const std::string &>())
   .def(
     "record", &rosbag2_py::Recorder::record, py::arg("storage_options"), py::arg("record_options"),
     py::arg("node_name") = "rosbag2_recorder")
diff --git a/rosbag2_py/test/test_transport.py b/rosbag2_py/test/test_transport.py
index 548708d409..614e39416c 100644
--- a/rosbag2_py/test/test_transport.py
+++ b/rosbag2_py/test/test_transport.py
@@ -42,6 +42,26 @@ def test_options_qos_conversion():
     assert record_options.topic_qos_profile_overrides == simple_overrides
 
 
+def test_player_log_level():
+    rosbag2_py.Player()  # Test for default constructor
+    valid_log_level = 'debug'
+    rosbag2_py.Player(valid_log_level)
+
+    invalid_log_level = 'xxx'
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        rosbag2_py.Player(invalid_log_level)
+
+
+def test_recoder_log_level():
+    rosbag2_py.Recorder()  # Test for default constructor
+    valid_log_level = 'debug'
+    rosbag2_py.Recorder(valid_log_level)
+
+    invalid_log_level = 'xxx'
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
+        rosbag2_py.Recorder(invalid_log_level)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('storage_id', TESTED_STORAGE_IDS)
 def test_record_cancel(tmp_path, storage_id):
     bag_path = str(tmp_path / 'test_record_cancel')