diff --git a/include/spdlog/common.h b/include/spdlog/common.h
index 3bd30879..0ce54a9b 100644
--- a/include/spdlog/common.h
+++ b/include/spdlog/common.h
@@ -69,17 +69,29 @@ using level_t = details::null_atomic_int;
 using level_t = std::atomic<int>;
 #endif
 
+#define SPDLOG_LEVEL_TRACE 0
+#define SPDLOG_LEVEL_DEBUG 1
+#define SPDLOG_LEVEL_INFO 2
+#define SPDLOG_LEVEL_WARN 3
+#define SPDLOG_LEVEL_ERROR 4
+#define SPDLOG_LEVEL_CRITICAL 5
+#define SPDLOG_LEVEL_OFF 6
+
+#if !defined(SPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL)
+#define SPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL SPDLOG_LEVEL_INFO
+#endif
+
 // Log level enum
 namespace level {
 enum level_enum
 {
-    trace = 0,
-    debug = 1,
-    info = 2,
-    warn = 3,
-    err = 4,
-    critical = 5,
-    off = 6
+    trace = SPDLOG_LEVEL_TRACE,
+    debug = SPDLOG_LEVEL_DEBUG,
+    info = SPDLOG_LEVEL_INFO,
+    warn = SPDLOG_LEVEL_WARN,
+    err = SPDLOG_LEVEL_ERROR,
+    critical = SPDLOG_LEVEL_CRITICAL,
+    off = SPDLOG_LEVEL_OFF,
 };
 
 #if !defined(SPDLOG_LEVEL_NAMES)
diff --git a/include/spdlog/details/logger_impl.h b/include/spdlog/details/logger_impl.h
index eb5fcdef..6338586c 100644
--- a/include/spdlog/details/logger_impl.h
+++ b/include/spdlog/details/logger_impl.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
     }                                                                                                                                      \
     catch (...)                                                                                                                            \
     {                                                                                                                                      \
-        err_handler_("Unknown exeption in logger");                                                                                        \
+        err_handler_("Unknown exception in logger");                                                                                       \
     }
 
 // create logger with given name, sinks and the default pattern formatter
@@ -26,13 +26,7 @@ template<typename It>
 inline spdlog::logger::logger(std::string logger_name, It begin, It end)
     : name_(std::move(logger_name))
     , sinks_(begin, end)
-    , level_(level::info)
-    , flush_level_(level::off)
-    , last_err_time_(0)
-    , msg_counter_(1) // message counter will start from 1. 0-message id will be
-                      // reserved for control messages
 {
-    err_handler_ = [this](const std::string &msg) { this->default_err_handler_(msg); };
 }
 
 // ctor with sinks as init list
diff --git a/include/spdlog/details/pattern_formatter.h b/include/spdlog/details/pattern_formatter.h
index 672cae25..5e907e92 100644
--- a/include/spdlog/details/pattern_formatter.h
+++ b/include/spdlog/details/pattern_formatter.h
@@ -98,8 +98,9 @@ private:
     const padding_info &padinfo_;
     fmt::memory_buffer &dest_;
     size_t total_pad_;
-    string_view_t spaces_ {"                                                                "
-                           "                                                                ", 128};
+    string_view_t spaces_{"                                                                "
+                          "                                                                ",
+        128};
 };
 
 class flag_formatter
diff --git a/include/spdlog/logger.h b/include/spdlog/logger.h
index 4e08076b..748529cb 100644
--- a/include/spdlog/logger.h
+++ b/include/spdlog/logger.h
@@ -158,13 +158,15 @@ protected:
     // increment the message count (only if defined(SPDLOG_ENABLE_MESSAGE_COUNTER))
     void incr_msg_counter_(details::log_msg &msg);
 
+    // const spdlog::level_t default_level_{static_cast<level::level_enum>(SPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL)};
     const std::string name_;
+
     std::vector<sink_ptr> sinks_;
-    spdlog::level_t level_;
-    spdlog::level_t flush_level_;
-    log_err_handler err_handler_;
-    std::atomic<time_t> last_err_time_;
-    std::atomic<size_t> msg_counter_;
+    spdlog::level_t level_{static_cast<level::level_enum>(SPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL)};
+    spdlog::level_t flush_level_{level::off};
+    log_err_handler err_handler_{[this](const std::string &msg) { this->default_err_handler_(msg); }};
+    std::atomic<time_t> last_err_time_{0};
+    std::atomic<size_t> msg_counter_{1};
 };
 } // namespace spdlog
 
diff --git a/include/spdlog/spdlog.h b/include/spdlog/spdlog.h
index 8c07012e..1f3e26ba 100644
--- a/include/spdlog/spdlog.h
+++ b/include/spdlog/spdlog.h
@@ -290,36 +290,54 @@ inline void critical(const wchar_t *fmt, const Args &... args)
 
 #endif // SPDLOG_WCHAR_TO_UTF8_SUPPORT
 
-//
-// Trace & Debug can be switched on/off at compile time with zero cost.
-// Uncomment SPDLOG_DEBUG_ON/SPDLOG_TRACE_ON in tweakme.h to enable.
-// SPDLOG_TRACE(..) will also print current file and line.
-//
-// Example:
-// spdlog::set_level(spdlog::level::trace);
-// SPDLOG_TRACE(my_logger, "another trace message {} {}", 1, 2);
-//
+// compile time level. defaults to info
 
-#ifdef SPDLOG_TRACE_ON
-#define SPDLOG_STR_H(x) #x
-#define SPDLOG_STR_HELPER(x) SPDLOG_STR_H(x)
-#ifdef _MSC_VER
-#define SPDLOG_TRACE(logger, ...)                                                                                                          \
-    logger->trace("[ "__FILE__                                                                                                             \
-                  "(" SPDLOG_STR_HELPER(__LINE__) ")] " __VA_ARGS__)
+#if SPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL <= SPDLOG_LEVEL_TRACE
+#define SPDLOG_LOGGER_TRACE(logger, ...) logger->trace(__VA_ARGS__)
+#define SPDLOG_TRACE(...) spdlog::trace(__VA_ARGS__)
 #else
-#define SPDLOG_TRACE(logger, ...)                                                                                                          \
-    logger->trace("[" __FILE__ ":" SPDLOG_STR_HELPER(__LINE__) "]"                                                                         \
-                                                               " " __VA_ARGS__)
-#endif
-#else
-#define SPDLOG_TRACE(logger, ...) (void)0
+#define SPDLOG_LOGGER_TRACE(logger, ...) (void)0
+#define SPDLOG_TRACE(...) (void)0
 #endif
 
-#ifdef SPDLOG_DEBUG_ON
-#define SPDLOG_DEBUG(logger, ...) logger->debug(__VA_ARGS__)
+#if SPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL <= SPDLOG_LEVEL_DEBUG
+#define SPDLOG_LOGGER_DEBUG(logger, ...) logger->debug(__VA_ARGS__)
+#define SPDLOG_DEBUG(...) spdlog::debug(__VA_ARGS__)
 #else
-#define SPDLOG_DEBUG(logger, ...) (void)0
+#define SPDLOG_LOGGER_DEBUG(logger, ...) (void)0
+#define SPDLOG_DEBUG(...) (void)0
+#endif
+
+#if SPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL <= SPDLOG_LEVEL_INFO
+#define SPDLOG_LOGGER_INFO(logger, ...) logger->info(__VA_ARGS__)
+#define SPDLOG_INFO(...) spdlog::info(__VA_ARGS__)
+#else
+#define SPDLOG_LOGGER_INFO(logger, ...) (void)0
+#define SPDLOG_INFO(...) (void)0
+#endif
+
+#if SPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL <= SPDLOG_LEVEL_WARN
+#define SPDLOG_LOGGER_WARN(logger, ...) logger->warn(__VA_ARGS__)
+#define SPDLOG_WARN(...) spdlog::warn(__VA_ARGS__)
+#else
+#define SPDLOG_LOGGER_WARN(logger, ...) (void)0
+#define SPDLOG_WARN(...) (void)0
+#endif
+
+#if SPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL <= SPDLOG_LEVEL_ERROR
+#define SPDLOG_LOGGER_ERROR(logger, ...) logger->error(__VA_ARGS__)
+#define SPDLOG_ERROR(...) spdlog::error(__VA_ARGS__)
+#else
+#define SPDLOG_LOGGER_ERROR(logger, ...) (void)0
+#define SPDLOG_ERROR(...) (void)0
+#endif
+
+#if SPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL <= SPDLOG_LEVEL_CRITICAL
+#define SPDLOG_LOGGER_CRITICAL(logger, ...) logger->critical(__VA_ARGS__)
+#define SPDLOG_CRITICAL(...) spdlog::critical(__VA_ARGS__)
+#else
+#define SPDLOG_LOGGER_CRITICAL(logger, ...) (void)0
+#define SPDLOG_CRITICAL(...) (void)0
 #endif
 
 } // namespace spdlog
diff --git a/include/spdlog/tweakme.h b/include/spdlog/tweakme.h
index d91159f7..0d77dadc 100644
--- a/include/spdlog/tweakme.h
+++ b/include/spdlog/tweakme.h
@@ -128,3 +128,10 @@
 //
 // #define SPDLOG_DISABLE_DEFAULT_LOGGER
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// Uncomment and set to compile time level with zero cost (default is INFO).
+// Macros like SPDLOG_DEBUG(..), SPDLOG_INFO(..)  will expand to empty statements if not enabled
+//
+// #define SPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL SPDLOG_LEVEL_INFO
+///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/includes.h b/tests/includes.h
index 3379f2c2..54601602 100644
--- a/tests/includes.h
+++ b/tests/includes.h
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@
 #include <ostream>
 #include <string>
 
-#define SPDLOG_TRACE_ON
-#define SPDLOG_DEBUG_ON
+#define SPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL SPDLOG_LEVEL_DEBUG
 #define SPDLOG_ENABLE_MESSAGE_COUNTER
 
 #include "spdlog/spdlog.h"
diff --git a/tests/test_macros.cpp b/tests/test_macros.cpp
index 0b3e0b7d..cf2bb136 100644
--- a/tests/test_macros.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_macros.cpp
@@ -4,8 +4,13 @@
 
 #include "includes.h"
 
+#if SPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL != SPDLOG_LEVEL_DEBUG
+#error "Invalid SPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL in test. Should be SPDLOG_LEVEL_DEBUG"
+#endif
+
 TEST_CASE("debug and trace w/o format string", "[macros]]")
 {
+
     prepare_logdir();
     std::string filename = "logs/simple_log";
 
@@ -13,28 +18,15 @@ TEST_CASE("debug and trace w/o format string", "[macros]]")
     logger->set_pattern("%v");
     logger->set_level(spdlog::level::trace);
 
-    SPDLOG_TRACE(logger, "Test message 1");
-    SPDLOG_DEBUG(logger, "Test message 2");
+    SPDLOG_LOGGER_TRACE(logger, "Test message 1");
+    SPDLOG_LOGGER_DEBUG(logger, "Test message 2");
     logger->flush();
 
     REQUIRE(ends_with(file_contents(filename), "Test message 2\n"));
-    REQUIRE(count_lines(filename) == 2);
+    REQUIRE(count_lines(filename) == 1);
 }
 
-TEST_CASE("debug and trace with format strings", "[macros]]")
+TEST_CASE("disable param evaluation", "[macros]")
 {
-    prepare_logdir();
-    std::string filename = "logs/simple_log";
-
-    auto logger = spdlog::create<spdlog::sinks::basic_file_sink_mt>("logger", filename);
-    logger->set_pattern("%v");
-    logger->set_level(spdlog::level::trace);
-
-    SPDLOG_TRACE(logger, "Test message {}", 1);
-    // SPDLOG_DEBUG(logger, "Test message 2");
-    SPDLOG_DEBUG(logger, "Test message {}", 222);
-    logger->flush();
-
-    REQUIRE(ends_with(file_contents(filename), "Test message 222\n"));
-    REQUIRE(count_lines(filename) == 2);
+    SPDLOG_TRACE("Test message {}", throw std::runtime_error("Should not be evaluated"));
 }