diff --git a/log.go b/log.go
index 3ae1b5b..efd2a33 100644
--- a/log.go
+++ b/log.go
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@
 package zerolog
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -189,6 +190,21 @@ func ParseLevel(levelStr string) (Level, error) {
 	return Level(i), nil
 }
 
+// UnmarshalText implements encoding.TextUnmarshaler to allow for easy reading from toml/yaml/json formats
+func (l *Level) UnmarshalText(text []byte) error {
+	if l == nil {
+		return errors.New("can't unmarshal a nil *Level")
+	}
+	var err error
+	*l, err = ParseLevel(string(text))
+	return err
+}
+
+// MarshalText implements encoding.TextMarshaler to allow for easy writing into toml/yaml/json formats
+func (l Level) MarshalText() ([]byte, error) {
+	return []byte(LevelFieldMarshalFunc(l)), nil
+}
+
 // A Logger represents an active logging object that generates lines
 // of JSON output to an io.Writer. Each logging operation makes a single
 // call to the Writer's Write method. There is no guarantee on access
diff --git a/log_test.go b/log_test.go
index 2ffd47e..e49daea 100644
--- a/log_test.go
+++ b/log_test.go
@@ -907,6 +907,33 @@ func TestLevel_String(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestLevel_MarshalText(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		l    Level
+		want string
+	}{
+		{"trace", TraceLevel, "trace"},
+		{"debug", DebugLevel, "debug"},
+		{"info", InfoLevel, "info"},
+		{"warn", WarnLevel, "warn"},
+		{"error", ErrorLevel, "error"},
+		{"fatal", FatalLevel, "fatal"},
+		{"panic", PanicLevel, "panic"},
+		{"disabled", Disabled, "disabled"},
+		{"nolevel", NoLevel, ""},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if got, err := tt.l.MarshalText(); err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("MarshalText couldn't marshal: %v", tt.l)
+			} else if string(got) != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("String() = %v, want %v", string(got), tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestParseLevel(t *testing.T) {
 	type args struct {
 		levelStr string
@@ -943,3 +970,41 @@ func TestParseLevel(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestUnmarshalTextLevel(t *testing.T) {
+	type args struct {
+		levelStr string
+	}
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		args    args
+		want    Level
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{"trace", args{"trace"}, TraceLevel, false},
+		{"debug", args{"debug"}, DebugLevel, false},
+		{"info", args{"info"}, InfoLevel, false},
+		{"warn", args{"warn"}, WarnLevel, false},
+		{"error", args{"error"}, ErrorLevel, false},
+		{"fatal", args{"fatal"}, FatalLevel, false},
+		{"panic", args{"panic"}, PanicLevel, false},
+		{"disabled", args{"disabled"}, Disabled, false},
+		{"nolevel", args{""}, NoLevel, false},
+		{"-1", args{"-1"}, TraceLevel, false},
+		{"-2", args{"-2"}, Level(-2), false},
+		{"-3", args{"-3"}, Level(-3), false},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			var l Level
+			err := l.UnmarshalText([]byte(tt.args.levelStr))
+			if (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
+				t.Errorf("UnmarshalText() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
+				return
+			}
+			if l != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("UnmarshalText() got = %v, want %v", l, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}