diff --git a/docs/database.md b/docs/database.md
index dc4ccd0..e4e73a3 100644
--- a/docs/database.md
+++ b/docs/database.md
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ def resolve_user_key(value: str) -> str | None:
 - By default a transaction is logged with an `action by user` header followed by the diff lines. Added paths are colored green, deleted paths red. ANSI color codes are stripped after formatting when the standard error stream does not support color: `NO_COLOR` disables colors, `FORCE_COLOR` forces them, otherwise a tty check and a journald (`JOURNAL_STREAM`) check decide. The CLI (`python -m kanta`) strips its output the same way.
 - `kanta.transaction(..., extra=...)` accepts a display-only value that is shown after the action in the header. Anything other than `None` is printed str-converted (colored by Kanta), unless a custom logemit handler does something else with it; it is never persisted in the `ChangeRecord`.
 - `kanta.transaction(..., logdiff=False)` skips building and printing the diff body and logs only the header, which is useful for large or noisy changesets. Diff output can also be disabled globally with `configure_logging(diff=False)`; diff lines are emitted on the `kanta.transaction.diff` child logger so applications can route or silence them separately from the headers.
-- The event loggers `kanta.bootstrap`, `kanta.migration` and `kanta.transaction` are configured at import time (via `configure_logging()`, callable again to change the toggles): a plain stderr handler with no prefix and `propagate = False`, since Kanta renders this output itself. No levels are set, so they inherit the effective root level — a framework switching root between INFO in development and WARNING in production governs Kanta output too. Operational diagnostics (integrity errors, flush failures, rotation notes) use the plain `kanta` logger instead, propagating to the root logger and following the application's normal logging configuration.
+- The event loggers `kanta.bootstrap`, `kanta.migration` and `kanta.transaction` are configured at import time (via `configure_logging()`, callable again to change the toggles): a plain stderr handler with no prefix and `propagate = False`, since Kanta renders this output itself. They are set to INFO so Kanta output is visible without any application logging setup (`debug=True` lifts the DEBUG-emitting bootstrap/migration loggers to DEBUG); only loggers Kanta owns are touched. Operational diagnostics (integrity errors, flush failures, rotation notes) use the plain `kanta` logger instead, which is left unset — propagating to the root logger and following the application's normal logging configuration.
 
 #### Log Emitters
 
diff --git a/kanta/logging.py b/kanta/logging.py
index 99d31ee..152a06f 100644
--- a/kanta/logging.py
+++ b/kanta/logging.py
@@ -605,10 +605,11 @@ def configure_logging(
     and ``kanta.transaction`` carry Kanta-rendered output (colored headers,
     diffs) and print it bare through a plain stderr handler with
     ``propagate = False``.  Diagnostic messages use the plain ``kanta``
-    logger and follow the application's root logging configuration.
+    logger, which is left untouched so the application's root logging
+    configuration controls its verbosity.
 
-    No levels are set by default: the event loggers inherit the effective
-    level of the root logger.
+    The event loggers are set to ``INFO`` so Kanta output is visible without
+    any application logging setup; only loggers Kanta owns are touched.
 
     Args:
         skiproot: If ``True`` (default), event loggers print through Kanta's
@@ -625,7 +626,7 @@ def configure_logging(
         debug: Whether to set the event loggers that emit DEBUG-level output
             (bootstrap and migration) to ``DEBUG``, revealing output such as
             the file-opened summary and migration diffs.  ``False`` resets
-            them to inheriting the root level.
+            all event loggers to ``INFO``.
     """
     logging.getLogger("kanta.transaction.diff").disabled = not diff
 
@@ -636,11 +637,11 @@ def configure_logging(
     ):
         logging.getLogger(name).disabled = not enabled
 
-    for name in _DEBUG_LOGGERS:
-        logging.getLogger(name).setLevel(logging.DEBUG if debug else logging.NOTSET)
-
     for name in EVENT_LOGGERS:
         logger = logging.getLogger(name)
+        logger.setLevel(
+            logging.DEBUG if debug and name in _DEBUG_LOGGERS else logging.INFO
+        )
         if skiproot:
             logger.propagate = False
             _ensure_plain_handler(logger)
diff --git a/tests/test_kanta_integration.py b/tests/test_kanta_integration.py
index 563ec39..a24eef0 100644
--- a/tests/test_kanta_integration.py
+++ b/tests/test_kanta_integration.py
@@ -769,7 +769,11 @@ async def test_transaction_log_false_suppresses_log(tmp_path, format_config, cap
 
     await kanta.close()
 
-    info_messages = [r for r in caplog.records if r.levelno == logging.INFO]
+    info_messages = [
+        r
+        for r in caplog.records
+        if r.levelno == logging.INFO and r.name.startswith("kanta.transaction")
+    ]
     assert not info_messages
 
 
@@ -787,7 +791,11 @@ async def test_transaction_logdiff_false_logs_header_only(
 
     await kanta.close()
 
-    messages = [r.message for r in caplog.records if r.levelno == logging.INFO]
+    messages = [
+        r.message
+        for r in caplog.records
+        if r.levelno == logging.INFO and r.name.startswith("kanta.transaction")
+    ]
     assert len(messages) == 1
     assert "inc" in messages[0]
     assert "counter" not in messages[0]
@@ -808,7 +816,11 @@ async def test_transaction_log_custom_logger(tmp_path, format_config, caplog):
 
     await kanta.close()
 
-    info_messages = [r for r in caplog.records if r.levelno == logging.INFO]
+    info_messages = [
+        r
+        for r in caplog.records
+        if r.levelno == logging.INFO and r.name.startswith("custom.transaction")
+    ]
     assert len(info_messages) >= 1
     assert "inc" in info_messages[0].message
 
diff --git a/tests/test_logging.py b/tests/test_logging.py
index 13b2e18..1a73dcb 100644
--- a/tests/test_logging.py
+++ b/tests/test_logging.py
@@ -42,11 +42,18 @@ def test_configure_logging_defaults():
     configure_logging()
     for name in ("kanta.bootstrap", "kanta.migration", "kanta.transaction"):
         logger = logging.getLogger(name)
-        assert logger.level == logging.NOTSET  # inherits the root level
+        assert logger.level == logging.INFO  # visible without app logging setup
         assert not logger.propagate
         assert logger.handlers
 
 
+def test_configure_logging_debug_lifts_debug_loggers():
+    configure_logging(debug=True)
+    assert logging.getLogger("kanta.bootstrap").level == logging.DEBUG
+    assert logging.getLogger("kanta.migration").level == logging.DEBUG
+    assert logging.getLogger("kanta.transaction").level == logging.INFO
+
+
 def test_configure_logging_disables_specific_loggers():
     configure_logging(bootstrap=False, migration=False, transaction=False)
     assert logging.getLogger("kanta.bootstrap").disabled
@@ -63,14 +70,8 @@ def test_configure_logging_skiproot_false_routes_via_root():
 
 
 def _setup_logging(**kwargs):
-    """Default kanta logging with the event loggers lifted to INFO.
-
-    Event loggers inherit the root level (WARNING under pytest); output
-    assertions need INFO.
-    """
+    """Default kanta logging; the event loggers are INFO out of the box."""
     configure_logging(**kwargs)
-    for name in ("kanta.bootstrap", "kanta.migration", "kanta.transaction"):
-        logging.getLogger(name).setLevel(logging.INFO)
 
 
 def test_log_change_no_diff(capsys):
@@ -114,7 +115,6 @@ def test_configure_logging_diff_false(capsys):
 def test_configure_logging_diff_true_reenables(capsys):
     _setup_logging(diff=False)
     configure_logging(diff=True)
-    logging.getLogger("kanta.transaction").setLevel(logging.INFO)
     log_change("update", {"counter": 5}, previous={})
     captured = capsys.readouterr()
     assert "counter" in captured.err