diff --git a/clientv3/health_balancer.go b/clientv3/health_balancer.go
index 41fba4790..5918cba84 100644
--- a/clientv3/health_balancer.go
+++ b/clientv3/health_balancer.go
@@ -158,34 +158,26 @@ func (b *healthBalancer) pinned() string {
 
 func (b *healthBalancer) hostPortError(hostPort string, err error) {
 	if b.endpoint(hostPort) == "" {
-		if logger.V(4) {
-			logger.Infof("clientv3/balancer: %q is stale (skip marking as unhealthy on %q)", hostPort, err.Error())
-		}
+		logger.Lvl(4).Infof("clientv3/balancer: %q is stale (skip marking as unhealthy on %q)", hostPort, err.Error())
 		return
 	}
 
 	b.unhealthyMu.Lock()
 	b.unhealthyHostPorts[hostPort] = time.Now()
 	b.unhealthyMu.Unlock()
-	if logger.V(4) {
-		logger.Infof("clientv3/balancer: %q is marked unhealthy (%q)", hostPort, err.Error())
-	}
+	logger.Lvl(4).Infof("clientv3/balancer: %q is marked unhealthy (%q)", hostPort, err.Error())
 }
 
 func (b *healthBalancer) removeUnhealthy(hostPort, msg string) {
 	if b.endpoint(hostPort) == "" {
-		if logger.V(4) {
-			logger.Infof("clientv3/balancer: %q was not in unhealthy (%q)", hostPort, msg)
-		}
+		logger.Lvl(4).Infof("clientv3/balancer: %q was not in unhealthy (%q)", hostPort, msg)
 		return
 	}
 
 	b.unhealthyMu.Lock()
 	delete(b.unhealthyHostPorts, hostPort)
 	b.unhealthyMu.Unlock()
-	if logger.V(4) {
-		logger.Infof("clientv3/balancer: %q is removed from unhealthy (%q)", hostPort, msg)
-	}
+	logger.Lvl(4).Infof("clientv3/balancer: %q is removed from unhealthy (%q)", hostPort, msg)
 }
 
 func (b *healthBalancer) countUnhealthy() (count int) {
@@ -207,9 +199,7 @@ func (b *healthBalancer) cleanupUnhealthy() {
 	for k, v := range b.unhealthyHostPorts {
 		if time.Since(v) > b.healthCheckTimeout {
 			delete(b.unhealthyHostPorts, k)
-			if logger.V(4) {
-				logger.Infof("clientv3/balancer: removed %q from unhealthy after %v", k, b.healthCheckTimeout)
-			}
+			logger.Lvl(4).Infof("clientv3/balancer: removed %q from unhealthy after %v", k, b.healthCheckTimeout)
 		}
 	}
 	b.unhealthyMu.Unlock()
@@ -412,9 +402,7 @@ func (b *healthBalancer) Up(addr grpc.Address) func(error) {
 	}
 
 	if b.pinAddr != "" {
-		if logger.V(4) {
-			logger.Infof("clientv3/balancer: %q is up but not pinned (already pinned %q)", addr.Addr, b.pinAddr)
-		}
+		logger.Lvl(4).Infof("clientv3/balancer: %q is up but not pinned (already pinned %q)", addr.Addr, b.pinAddr)
 		return func(err error) {}
 	}
 
@@ -422,9 +410,7 @@ func (b *healthBalancer) Up(addr grpc.Address) func(error) {
 	close(b.upc)
 	b.downc = make(chan struct{})
 	b.pinAddr = addr.Addr
-	if logger.V(4) {
-		logger.Infof("clientv3/balancer: pin %q", addr.Addr)
-	}
+	logger.Lvl(4).Infof("clientv3/balancer: pin %q", addr.Addr)
 
 	// notify client that a connection is up
 	b.readyOnce.Do(func() { close(b.readyc) })
@@ -441,9 +427,7 @@ func (b *healthBalancer) Up(addr grpc.Address) func(error) {
 		close(b.downc)
 		b.pinAddr = ""
 		b.mu.Unlock()
-		if logger.V(4) {
-			logger.Infof("clientv3/balancer: unpin %q (%q)", addr.Addr, err.Error())
-		}
+		logger.Lvl(4).Infof("clientv3/balancer: unpin %q (%q)", addr.Addr, err.Error())
 	}
 }
 
@@ -470,9 +454,7 @@ func (b *healthBalancer) mayPin(addr grpc.Address) bool {
 	//   3. grpc-healthcheck still SERVING, thus retry to pin
 	// instead, return before grpc-healthcheck if failed within healthcheck timeout
 	if elapsed := time.Since(failedTime); elapsed < b.healthCheckTimeout {
-		if logger.V(4) {
-			logger.Infof("clientv3/balancer: %q is up but not pinned (failed %v ago, require minimum %v after failure)", addr.Addr, elapsed, b.healthCheckTimeout)
-		}
+		logger.Lvl(4).Infof("clientv3/balancer: %q is up but not pinned (failed %v ago, require minimum %v after failure)", addr.Addr, elapsed, b.healthCheckTimeout)
 		return false
 	}
 
diff --git a/clientv3/logger.go b/clientv3/logger.go
index 012abdbce..782e31313 100644
--- a/clientv3/logger.go
+++ b/clientv3/logger.go
@@ -23,10 +23,23 @@ import (
 
 // Logger is the logger used by client library.
 // It implements grpclog.LoggerV2 interface.
-type Logger grpclog.LoggerV2
+type Logger interface {
+	grpclog.LoggerV2
+
+	// Lvl returns logger if logger's verbosity level >= "lvl".
+	// Otherwise, logger that discards all logs.
+	Lvl(lvl int) Logger
+
+	// to satisfy capnslog
+
+	Print(args ...interface{})
+	Printf(format string, args ...interface{})
+	Println(args ...interface{})
+}
 
 var (
-	logger settableLogger
+	loggerMu sync.RWMutex
+	logger   Logger
 )
 
 type settableLogger struct {
@@ -36,38 +49,35 @@ type settableLogger struct {
 
 func init() {
 	// disable client side logs by default
-	logger.mu.Lock()
-	logger.l = grpclog.NewLoggerV2(ioutil.Discard, ioutil.Discard, ioutil.Discard)
-
-	// logger has to override the grpclog at initialization so that
-	// any changes to the grpclog go through logger with locking
-	// instead of through SetLogger
-	//
-	// now updates only happen through settableLogger.set
-	grpclog.SetLoggerV2(&logger)
-	logger.mu.Unlock()
+	logger = &settableLogger{}
+	SetLogger(grpclog.NewLoggerV2(ioutil.Discard, ioutil.Discard, ioutil.Discard))
 }
 
-// SetLogger sets client-side Logger. By default, logs are disabled.
-func SetLogger(l Logger) {
-	logger.set(l)
+// SetLogger sets client-side Logger.
+func SetLogger(l grpclog.LoggerV2) {
+	loggerMu.Lock()
+	logger = NewLogger(l)
+	// override grpclog so that any changes happen with locking
+	grpclog.SetLoggerV2(logger)
+	loggerMu.Unlock()
 }
 
 // GetLogger returns the current logger.
 func GetLogger() Logger {
-	return logger.get()
+	loggerMu.RLock()
+	l := logger
+	loggerMu.RUnlock()
+	return l
 }
 
-func (s *settableLogger) set(l Logger) {
-	s.mu.Lock()
-	logger.l = l
-	grpclog.SetLoggerV2(&logger)
-	s.mu.Unlock()
+// NewLogger returns a new Logger with grpclog.LoggerV2.
+func NewLogger(gl grpclog.LoggerV2) Logger {
+	return &settableLogger{l: gl}
 }
 
-func (s *settableLogger) get() Logger {
+func (s *settableLogger) get() grpclog.LoggerV2 {
 	s.mu.RLock()
-	l := logger.l
+	l := s.l
 	s.mu.RUnlock()
 	return l
 }
@@ -94,3 +104,32 @@ func (s *settableLogger) Print(args ...interface{})                 { s.get().In
 func (s *settableLogger) Printf(format string, args ...interface{}) { s.get().Infof(format, args...) }
 func (s *settableLogger) Println(args ...interface{})               { s.get().Infoln(args...) }
 func (s *settableLogger) V(l int) bool                              { return s.get().V(l) }
+func (s *settableLogger) Lvl(lvl int) Logger {
+	s.mu.RLock()
+	l := s.l
+	s.mu.RUnlock()
+	if l.V(lvl) {
+		return s
+	}
+	return &noLogger{}
+}
+
+type noLogger struct{}
+
+func (*noLogger) Info(args ...interface{})                    {}
+func (*noLogger) Infof(format string, args ...interface{})    {}
+func (*noLogger) Infoln(args ...interface{})                  {}
+func (*noLogger) Warning(args ...interface{})                 {}
+func (*noLogger) Warningf(format string, args ...interface{}) {}
+func (*noLogger) Warningln(args ...interface{})               {}
+func (*noLogger) Error(args ...interface{})                   {}
+func (*noLogger) Errorf(format string, args ...interface{})   {}
+func (*noLogger) Errorln(args ...interface{})                 {}
+func (*noLogger) Fatal(args ...interface{})                   {}
+func (*noLogger) Fatalf(format string, args ...interface{})   {}
+func (*noLogger) Fatalln(args ...interface{})                 {}
+func (*noLogger) Print(args ...interface{})                   {}
+func (*noLogger) Printf(format string, args ...interface{})   {}
+func (*noLogger) Println(args ...interface{})                 {}
+func (*noLogger) V(l int) bool                                { return false }
+func (ng *noLogger) Lvl(lvl int) Logger                       { return ng }
diff --git a/clientv3/logger_test.go b/clientv3/logger_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e54d48a1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/clientv3/logger_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+// Copyright 2017 The etcd Authors
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package clientv3
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/grpclog"
+)
+
+func TestLogger(t *testing.T) {
+	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+
+	l := NewLogger(grpclog.NewLoggerV2WithVerbosity(buf, buf, buf, 10))
+	l.Infof("hello world!")
+	if !strings.Contains(buf.String(), "hello world!") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 'hello world!', got %q", buf.String())
+	}
+	buf.Reset()
+
+	l.Lvl(10).Infof("Level 10")
+	l.Lvl(30).Infof("Level 30")
+	if !strings.Contains(buf.String(), "Level 10") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 'Level 10', got %q", buf.String())
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(buf.String(), "Level 30") {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected 'Level 30', got %q", buf.String())
+	}
+	buf.Reset()
+
+	l = NewLogger(grpclog.NewLoggerV2(ioutil.Discard, ioutil.Discard, ioutil.Discard))
+	l.Infof("ignore this")
+	if len(buf.Bytes()) > 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected logs %q", buf.String())
+	}
+}
diff --git a/clientv3/retry.go b/clientv3/retry.go
index 5ad66ebfe..5ad815d74 100644
--- a/clientv3/retry.go
+++ b/clientv3/retry.go
@@ -60,17 +60,13 @@ func (c *Client) newRetryWrapper(isStop retryStopErrFunc) retryRPCFunc {
 			if err == nil {
 				return nil
 			}
-			if logger.V(4) {
-				logger.Infof("clientv3/retry: error %q on pinned endpoint %q", err.Error(), pinned)
-			}
+			logger.Lvl(4).Infof("clientv3/retry: error %q on pinned endpoint %q", err.Error(), pinned)
 
 			if s, ok := status.FromError(err); ok && (s.Code() == codes.Unavailable || s.Code() == codes.DeadlineExceeded || s.Code() == codes.Internal) {
 				// mark this before endpoint switch is triggered
 				c.balancer.hostPortError(pinned, err)
 				c.balancer.next()
-				if logger.V(4) {
-					logger.Infof("clientv3/retry: switching from %q due to error %q", pinned, err.Error())
-				}
+				logger.Lvl(4).Infof("clientv3/retry: switching from %q due to error %q", pinned, err.Error())
 			}
 
 			if isStop(err) {
@@ -88,16 +84,12 @@ func (c *Client) newAuthRetryWrapper() retryRPCFunc {
 			if err == nil {
 				return nil
 			}
-			if logger.V(4) {
-				logger.Infof("clientv3/auth-retry: error %q on pinned endpoint %q", err.Error(), pinned)
-			}
+			logger.Lvl(4).Infof("clientv3/auth-retry: error %q on pinned endpoint %q", err.Error(), pinned)
 			// always stop retry on etcd errors other than invalid auth token
 			if rpctypes.Error(err) == rpctypes.ErrInvalidAuthToken {
 				gterr := c.getToken(rpcCtx)
 				if gterr != nil {
-					if logger.V(4) {
-						logger.Infof("clientv3/auth-retry: cannot retry due to error %q(%q) on pinned endpoint %q", err.Error(), gterr.Error(), pinned)
-					}
+					logger.Lvl(4).Infof("clientv3/auth-retry: cannot retry due to error %q(%q) on pinned endpoint %q", err.Error(), gterr.Error(), pinned)
 					return err // return the original error for simplicity
 				}
 				continue