diff --git a/spring-boot-actuator/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/endpoint/mvc/LoggersMvcEndpoint.java b/spring-boot-actuator/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/endpoint/mvc/LoggersMvcEndpoint.java
index 0ede3e749f..ea91b48572 100644
--- a/spring-boot-actuator/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/endpoint/mvc/LoggersMvcEndpoint.java
+++ b/spring-boot-actuator/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/endpoint/mvc/LoggersMvcEndpoint.java
@@ -22,10 +22,12 @@ import org.springframework.boot.actuate.endpoint.LoggersEndpoint;
 import org.springframework.boot.actuate.endpoint.LoggersEndpoint.LoggerLevels;
 import org.springframework.boot.context.properties.ConfigurationProperties;
 import org.springframework.boot.logging.LogLevel;
+import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
 import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.PathVariable;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.RequestBody;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.ResponseBody;
+import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.ResponseStatus;
 
 /**
  * Adapter to expose {@link LoggersEndpoint} as an {@link MvcEndpoint}.
@@ -68,19 +70,32 @@ public class LoggersMvcEndpoint extends EndpointMvcAdapter {
 			// disabled
 			return getDisabledResponse();
 		}
-		try {
-			LogLevel logLevel = getLogLevel(configuration);
-			this.delegate.setLogLevel(name, logLevel);
-			return ResponseEntity.ok().build();
-		}
-		catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
-			return ResponseEntity.badRequest().build();
-		}
+		LogLevel logLevel = getLogLevel(configuration);
+		this.delegate.setLogLevel(name, logLevel);
+		return ResponseEntity.ok().build();
 	}
 
 	private LogLevel getLogLevel(Map<String, String> configuration) {
 		String level = configuration.get("configuredLevel");
-		return (level == null ? null : LogLevel.valueOf(level.toUpperCase()));
+		try {
+			return (level == null ? null : LogLevel.valueOf(level.toUpperCase()));
+		}
+		catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
+			throw new InvalidLogLevelException(level);
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Exception thrown when the specified log level cannot be found.
+	 */
+	@SuppressWarnings("serial")
+	@ResponseStatus(value = HttpStatus.BAD_REQUEST, reason = "No such log level")
+	public static class InvalidLogLevelException extends RuntimeException {
+
+		public InvalidLogLevelException(String level) {
+			super("Log level '" + level + "' is invalid");
+		}
+
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-boot-actuator/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/endpoint/mvc/LoggersMvcEndpointTests.java b/spring-boot-actuator/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/endpoint/mvc/LoggersMvcEndpointTests.java
index 499062e206..a6234dddc7 100644
--- a/spring-boot-actuator/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/endpoint/mvc/LoggersMvcEndpointTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-actuator/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/endpoint/mvc/LoggersMvcEndpointTests.java
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ import org.springframework.test.web.servlet.setup.MockMvcBuilders;
 import org.springframework.web.context.WebApplicationContext;
 
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
 import static org.mockito.BDDMockito.given;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
@@ -174,7 +175,8 @@ public class LoggersMvcEndpointTests {
 	public void setLoggerWithWrongLogLevel() throws Exception {
 		this.mvc.perform(post("/loggers/ROOT").contentType(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON)
 				.content("{\"configuredLevel\":\"other\"}"))
-				.andExpect(status().is4xxClientError());
+				.andExpect(status().is4xxClientError())
+				.andExpect(status().reason(is("No such log level")));
 		verifyZeroInteractions(this.loggingSystem);
 	}