diff --git a/src/controller/controller.cpp b/src/controller/controller.cpp
index 0b66fa99..59b05906 100644
--- a/src/controller/controller.cpp
+++ b/src/controller/controller.cpp
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ int main_loop(int argc, char ** argv){
   if (Controller::conf.getOption("debug",true).size() > 1){
     Controller::Storage["config"]["debug"] = Controller::conf.getInteger("debug");
   }
-  if (Controller::Storage.isMember("config") && Controller::Storage["config"].isMember("debug")){
+  if (Controller::Storage.isMember("config") && Controller::Storage["config"].isMember("debug") && Controller::Storage["config"]["debug"].isInt()){
     Util::Config::printDebugLevel = Controller::Storage["config"]["debug"].asInt();
   }
   //check for port, interface and username in arguments
diff --git a/src/controller/controller_api.cpp b/src/controller/controller_api.cpp
index ed602e96..44e86da8 100644
--- a/src/controller/controller_api.cpp
+++ b/src/controller/controller_api.cpp
@@ -242,8 +242,8 @@ void Controller::handleAPICommands(JSON::Value & Request, JSON::Value & Response
     JSON::Value & out = Controller::Storage["config"];
     if (in.isMember("debug")){
       out["debug"] = in["debug"];
-      if (Util::Config::printDebugLevel != out["debug"].asInt()){
-        Util::Config::printDebugLevel = out["debug"].asInt();
+      if (Util::Config::printDebugLevel != (out["debug"].isInt()?out["debug"].asInt():DEBUG)){
+        Util::Config::printDebugLevel = (out["debug"].isInt()?out["debug"].asInt():DEBUG);
         INFO_MSG("Debug level set to %u", Util::Config::printDebugLevel);
       }
     }