diff --git a/utils/Android.mk b/utils/Android.mk
index 24ab8a13..abfbb6fa 100644
--- a/utils/Android.mk
+++ b/utils/Android.mk
@@ -21,11 +21,14 @@ LOCAL_SRC_FILES += \
     loc_timer.c \
     ../platform_lib_abstractions/elapsed_millis_since_boot.cpp
 
-
 LOCAL_CFLAGS += \
      -fno-short-enums \
      -D_ANDROID_
 
+ifeq ($(TARGET_BUILD_VARIANT),user)
+   LOCAL_CFLAGS += -DTARGET_BUILD_VARIANT_USER
+endif
+
 LOCAL_LDFLAGS += -Wl,--export-dynamic
 
 ## Includes
@@ -45,7 +48,6 @@ LOCAL_COPY_HEADERS:= \
    ../platform_lib_abstractions/platform_lib_time.h \
    ../platform_lib_abstractions/platform_lib_macros.h
 
-
 LOCAL_MODULE := libgps.utils
 
 LOCAL_MODULE_TAGS := optional
diff --git a/utils/loc_log.cpp b/utils/loc_log.cpp
index 597b5b62..392966ee 100644
--- a/utils/loc_log.cpp
+++ b/utils/loc_log.cpp
@@ -200,6 +200,12 @@ SIDE EFFECTS
 void loc_logger_init(unsigned long debug, unsigned long timestamp)
 {
    loc_logger.DEBUG_LEVEL = debug;
+#ifdef TARGET_BUILD_VARIANT_USER
+   // force user builds to 2 or less
+   if (loc_logger.DEBUG_LEVEL > 2) {
+       loc_logger.DEBUG_LEVEL = 2;
+   }
+#endif
    loc_logger.TIMESTAMP   = timestamp;
 }