diff --git a/internal/router/director.go b/internal/router/director.go
index af6b417..0b5f208 100644
--- a/internal/router/director.go
+++ b/internal/router/director.go
@@ -77,13 +77,19 @@ func (d *director) Resolve(
 		return Target{}, status.Errorf(codes.Unavailable, "router: no handler for upstream %q", upstream)
 	}
 
-	d.logger.Debug(
-		"routing request",
-		tag.String("method", method),
-		tag.String("namespace", namespace),
-		tag.String("upstream", upstream),
-		tag.Stringer("outcome", outcome),
-	)
+	// The decision is already counted in decisions_total; the entry is for an
+	// operator running at debug level. Gating on Enabled keeps requests at the
+	// default level from building the tags an entry they will never see would
+	// carry.
+	if d.logger.Enabled(logger.LevelDebug) {
+		d.logger.Debug(
+			"routing request",
+			tag.String("method", method),
+			tag.String("namespace", namespace),
+			tag.String("upstream", upstream),
+			tag.Stringer("outcome", outcome),
+		)
+	}
 
 	return Target{Upstream: upstream, Handle: handle}, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/logger/logger.go b/pkg/logger/logger.go
index 02aebc9..83daab9 100644
--- a/pkg/logger/logger.go
+++ b/pkg/logger/logger.go
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ type (
 	Logger interface {
 		// Debug logs msg and tags at [LevelDebug].
 		Debug(msg string, tags ...tag.Tag)
+		// Enabled reports whether an entry at lvl would be recorded. Callers
+		// on hot paths may gate the construction of tags on it, since building
+		// arguments for an entry that is then discarded allocates. An
+		// unrecognized level answers true, so a bad value never hides logs.
+		Enabled(lvl Level) bool
 		// Error logs msg and tags at [LevelError].
 		Error(msg string, tags ...tag.Tag)
 		// Fatal logs msg and tags, then typically calls os.Exit(1).
@@ -78,6 +83,12 @@ func Debug(msg string, tags ...tag.Tag) {
 	defaultLogger.Debug(msg, tags...)
 }
 
+// Enabled reports whether an entry at lvl would be recorded using the default
+// logger. See [Logger.Enabled].
+func Enabled(lvl Level) bool {
+	return defaultLogger.Enabled(lvl)
+}
+
 // Error logs msg and tags at [LevelError] using the default logger.
 func Error(msg string, tags ...tag.Tag) {
 	defaultLogger.Error(msg, tags...)
diff --git a/pkg/logger/noop.go b/pkg/logger/noop.go
index 87fbc2b..c12047b 100644
--- a/pkg/logger/noop.go
+++ b/pkg/logger/noop.go
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@ func NewNoopLogger() *NoopLogger {
 func (n *NoopLogger) Debug(string, ...tag.Tag) {
 }
 
+// Enabled implements [Logger]. NoopLogger discards every entry, whatever the
+// level, so nothing it could log is worth building.
+func (n *NoopLogger) Enabled(Level) bool {
+	return false
+}
+
 // Error implements [Logger] by discarding the entry.
 func (n *NoopLogger) Error(string, ...tag.Tag) {
 }
diff --git a/pkg/logger/noop_test.go b/pkg/logger/noop_test.go
index f8f5309..51ea267 100644
--- a/pkg/logger/noop_test.go
+++ b/pkg/logger/noop_test.go
@@ -24,4 +24,9 @@ func TestNoopLogger(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	require.Same(t, l, l.With(tag.String("k", "v")))
+
+	// Enabled reports false at every level, recognized or not, because every
+	// entry is discarded.
+	require.False(t, l.Enabled(logger.LevelDebug))
+	require.False(t, l.Enabled(logger.Level(42)))
 }
diff --git a/pkg/logger/test.go b/pkg/logger/test.go
index f03f1ff..650145e 100644
--- a/pkg/logger/test.go
+++ b/pkg/logger/test.go
@@ -104,6 +104,12 @@ func (t *TestLogger) TagsOf(l Level, msg string) map[string]any {
 // Debug implements [Logger] by recording the entry at [LevelDebug].
 func (t *TestLogger) Debug(msg string, tags ...tag.Tag) { t.record(LevelDebug, msg, tags) }
 
+// Enabled implements [Logger]. TestLogger records every level, so entries are
+// always worth building.
+func (t *TestLogger) Enabled(Level) bool {
+	return true
+}
+
 // Error implements [Logger] by recording the entry at [LevelError].
 func (t *TestLogger) Error(msg string, tags ...tag.Tag) { t.record(LevelError, msg, tags) }
 
diff --git a/pkg/logger/test_test.go b/pkg/logger/test_test.go
index 3e3bc1a..3cf132e 100644
--- a/pkg/logger/test_test.go
+++ b/pkg/logger/test_test.go
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ func TestTestLoggerContains(t *testing.T) {
 	l.Info("hello")
 	require.True(t, l.Contains("hello"))
 	require.False(t, l.Contains("goodbye"))
+
+	// TestLogger records every level, recognized or not.
+	require.True(t, l.Enabled(logger.LevelDebug))
+	require.True(t, l.Enabled(logger.Level(42)))
 }
 
 func TestTestLoggerContainsEntry(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/logger/zero.go b/pkg/logger/zero.go
index 554cb13..7d77e5d 100644
--- a/pkg/logger/zero.go
+++ b/pkg/logger/zero.go
@@ -29,6 +29,17 @@ func (l *ZeroLogger) Debug(msg string, tags ...tag.Tag) {
 	logEvent(l.log.Debug(), msg, tags)
 }
 
+// Enabled implements [Logger], reporting whether the configured level records
+// entries at lvl. An unrecognized level answers true rather than inheriting
+// [zeroLevel]'s Info mapping, so a bad value never hides logs.
+func (l *ZeroLogger) Enabled(lvl Level) bool {
+	if lvl > LevelError {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	return l.log.GetLevel() <= zeroLevel(lvl)
+}
+
 // Error implements [Logger].
 func (l *ZeroLogger) Error(msg string, tags ...tag.Tag) {
 	logEvent(l.log.Error(), msg, tags)
diff --git a/pkg/logger/zero_test.go b/pkg/logger/zero_test.go
index 95aa630..3dbd26f 100644
--- a/pkg/logger/zero_test.go
+++ b/pkg/logger/zero_test.go
@@ -48,6 +48,40 @@ func TestZeroLoggerLevels(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestZeroLoggerEnabled(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		cfg  logger.Level // configured level of the logger
+		ask  logger.Level // level being asked about
+		want bool
+	}{
+		{"debug config enables debug", logger.LevelDebug, logger.LevelDebug, true},
+		{"debug config enables error", logger.LevelDebug, logger.LevelError, true},
+		{"info config disables debug", logger.LevelInfo, logger.LevelDebug, false},
+		{"info config enables info", logger.LevelInfo, logger.LevelInfo, true},
+		{"warn config disables info", logger.LevelWarn, logger.LevelInfo, false},
+		{"warn config enables warn", logger.LevelWarn, logger.LevelWarn, true},
+		{"error config disables warn", logger.LevelError, logger.LevelWarn, false},
+		{"error config enables error", logger.LevelError, logger.LevelError, true},
+		// An unrecognized level is enabled at every configured level, so a
+		// bad value never hides logs.
+		{"unknown level is enabled at debug", logger.LevelDebug, logger.Level(42), true},
+		{"unknown level is enabled at info", logger.LevelInfo, logger.Level(42), true},
+		{"unknown level is enabled at error", logger.LevelError, logger.Level(42), true},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			l := logger.NewZeroLogger(&bytes.Buffer{}, tt.cfg)
+			require.Equal(t, tt.want, l.Enabled(tt.ask))
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestZeroLoggerTags(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()