diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 19f44188c..2e828ab93 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ const UNINITIALIZED: usize = 0;
 const INITIALIZING: usize = 1;
 const INITIALIZED: usize = 2;
 
-static MAX_LOG_LEVEL_FILTER: AtomicUsize = AtomicUsize::new(0);
+static MAX_LOG_LEVEL_FILTER: AtomicUsize = AtomicUsize::new(LevelFilter::Off as usize);
 
 static LOG_LEVEL_NAMES: [&str; 6] = ["OFF", "ERROR", "WARN", "INFO", "DEBUG", "TRACE"];
 
@@ -1405,24 +1405,21 @@ fn set_logger_inner<F>(make_logger: F) -> Result<(), SetLoggerError>
 where
     F: FnOnce() -> &'static dyn Log,
 {
-    let old_state = match STATE.compare_exchange(
+    match STATE.compare_exchange(
         UNINITIALIZED,
         INITIALIZING,
-        Ordering::SeqCst,
-        Ordering::SeqCst,
+        Ordering::Acquire,
+        Ordering::Relaxed,
     ) {
-        Ok(s) | Err(s) => s,
-    };
-    match old_state {
-        UNINITIALIZED => {
+        Ok(UNINITIALIZED) => {
             unsafe {
                 LOGGER = make_logger();
             }
-            STATE.store(INITIALIZED, Ordering::SeqCst);
+            STATE.store(INITIALIZED, Ordering::Release);
             Ok(())
         }
         INITIALIZING => {
-            while STATE.load(Ordering::SeqCst) == INITIALIZING {
+            while STATE.load(Ordering::Relaxed) == INITIALIZING {
                 std::hint::spin_loop();
             }
             Err(SetLoggerError(()))
@@ -1451,10 +1448,10 @@ where
 ///
 /// [`set_logger`]: fn.set_logger.html
 pub unsafe fn set_logger_racy(logger: &'static dyn Log) -> Result<(), SetLoggerError> {
-    match STATE.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {
+    match STATE.load(Ordering::Acquire) {
         UNINITIALIZED => {
             LOGGER = logger;
-            STATE.store(INITIALIZED, Ordering::SeqCst);
+            STATE.store(INITIALIZED, Ordering::Release);
             Ok(())
         }
         INITIALIZING => {
@@ -1511,11 +1508,11 @@ pub fn logger() -> &'static dyn Log {
     // initialized, observing it after `Acquire` load here makes both
     // write to the `LOGGER` static and initialization of the logger
     // internal state synchronized with current thread.
-    if STATE.load(Ordering::Acquire) != INITIALIZED {
+    if STATE.load(Ordering::Acquire) == INITIALIZED {
+        unsafe { LOGGER }
+    } else {
         static NOP: NopLogger = NopLogger;
         &NOP
-    } else {
-        unsafe { LOGGER }
     }
 }