diff --git a/lib/Kconfig b/lib/Kconfig
index 897c8445b9..43089687c7 100644
--- a/lib/Kconfig
+++ b/lib/Kconfig
@@ -68,6 +68,11 @@ config CONSOLE
 	help
 	  Support for various types of (debugging) consoles.
 
+config CONSOLE_PREPEND_LOG_LEVEL
+	boolean "Prepend log level to messages"
+	default n
+	depends CONSOLE && EXPERT
+
 choice
 	prompt "Console log level"
 	default CONSOLE_LOGLEVEL_8
diff --git a/lib/console.c b/lib/console.c
index 3e9bd0e63c..08c192a1a7 100644
--- a/lib/console.c
+++ b/lib/console.c
@@ -132,12 +132,22 @@ int printk(int msg_level, const char *fmt, ...)
 	va_list args;
 	int i;
 
+#ifdef CONFIG_CONSOLE_PREPEND_LOG_LEVEL
+	console_tx_byte('<', (void *)0);
+	console_tx_byte(msg_level + '0', (void *)0);
+	console_tx_byte('>', (void *)0);
+
+	i = 3;
+
 	if (msg_level > console_loglevel()) {
 		return 0;
 	}
+#else
+	i = 0;
+#endif
 
 	va_start(args, fmt);
-	i = vtxprintf(console_tx_byte, (void *)0, fmt, args);
+	i += vtxprintf(console_tx_byte, (void *)0, fmt, args);
 	va_end(args);
 
 	return i;