diff --git a/lib/config/configuration.go b/lib/config/configuration.go
index 03b78b121cf67..181bef014ff9c 100644
--- a/lib/config/configuration.go
+++ b/lib/config/configuration.go
@@ -2911,11 +2911,16 @@ func ConfigureOpenSSH(clf *CommandLineFlags, cfg *servicecfg.Config) error {
 	lib.SetInsecureDevMode(clf.InsecureMode)
 
 	// Apply command line --debug flag to override logger severity.
+	level := slog.LevelError
 	if clf.Debug {
 		cfg.SetLogLevel(slog.LevelDebug)
+		level = slog.LevelDebug
 		cfg.Debug = clf.Debug
 	}
 
+	// Ensure that the logging level is respected by the logger.
+	utils.InitLogger(utils.LoggingForDaemon, level)
+
 	if clf.AuthToken != "" {
 		// store the value of the --token flag:
 		cfg.SetToken(clf.AuthToken)
diff --git a/lib/openssh/sshd.go b/lib/openssh/sshd.go
index 4f40760e425d3..cdf5c5006ceab 100644
--- a/lib/openssh/sshd.go
+++ b/lib/openssh/sshd.go
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ func defaultRestart() error {
 		}
 
 		const activeService = "ActiveState=active"
-		if !bytes.Equal([]byte(activeService), out) {
+		if !bytes.Equal([]byte(activeService), bytes.TrimSpace(out)) {
 			slog.DebugContext(context.Background(), "skipping inactive OpenSSH service", "service", service)
 			continue
 		}