--- a/src/share/classes/java/util/logging/LogManager.java	Fri Jan 03 11:38:57 2014 -0800
+++ b/src/share/classes/java/util/logging/LogManager.java	Sun Dec 22 11:20:07 2013 +0100
@@ -329,6 +329,9 @@
                         // Create and retain Logger for the root of the namespace.
                         owner.rootLogger = owner.new RootLogger();
                         owner.addLogger(owner.rootLogger);
+                        if (!owner.rootLogger.isLevelInitialized()) {
+                            owner.rootLogger.setLevel(defaultLevel);
+                        }
 
                         // Adding the global Logger.
                         // Do not call Logger.getGlobal() here as this might trigger
@@ -1620,7 +1623,6 @@
             // to avoid calling LogManager.getLogManager() from within the
             // RootLogger constructor.
             super("", null, null, LogManager.this);
-            setLevel(defaultLevel);
         }
 
         @Override

--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/test/java/util/logging/RootLogger/RootLevelInConfigFile.java	Sun Dec 22 11:20:07 2013 +0100
@@ -0,0 +1,207 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
+ *
+ * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+ * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
+ * accompanied this code).
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
+ * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
+ * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ *
+ * Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
+ * or visit www.oracle.com if you need additional information or have any
+ * questions.
+ */
+
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.FilePermission;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.security.Permission;
+import java.security.PermissionCollection;
+import java.security.Permissions;
+import java.security.Policy;
+import java.security.ProtectionDomain;
+import java.util.PropertyPermission;
+import java.util.logging.Level;
+import java.util.logging.LogManager;
+import java.util.logging.Logger;
+import java.util.logging.LoggingPermission;
+import sun.misc.JavaAWTAccess;
+import sun.misc.SharedSecrets;
+
+/**
+ * @test
+ * @bug 8030850
+ * @summary Tests that setting .level=FINEST for the root logger in logging
+ *      configuration file does work.
+ * @run main/othervm RootLevelInConfigFile
+ *
+ * @author danielfuchs
+ */
+public class RootLevelInConfigFile {
+
+    public final static String CONFIG_FILE_KEY = "java.util.logging.config.file";
+
+    public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
+        System.setProperty(CONFIG_FILE_KEY,
+                new File(System.getProperty("test.src", "."),
+                        "rootlogger.properties").getAbsolutePath());
+        System.out.println(CONFIG_FILE_KEY + "="
+                + System.getProperty(CONFIG_FILE_KEY));
+        if (! new File(System.getProperty(CONFIG_FILE_KEY)).canRead()) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("can't read config file: "
+                    + System.getProperty(CONFIG_FILE_KEY));
+        }
+
+        final String configFile = System.getProperty(CONFIG_FILE_KEY);
+
+        test("no security");
+
+        LogManager.getLogManager().readConfiguration();
+
+        Policy.setPolicy(new SimplePolicy(configFile));
+        System.setSecurityManager(new SecurityManager());
+
+        test("security");
+
+        LogManager.getLogManager().readConfiguration();
+
+        final JavaAWTAccessStub access = new JavaAWTAccessStub();
+        SharedSecrets.setJavaAWTAccess(access);
+
+        test("security and no context");
+
+        for (Context ctx : Context.values()) {
+
+            LogManager.getLogManager().readConfiguration();
+
+            access.setContext(ctx);
+
+            test("security and context " + ctx);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static void test(String conf) throws IOException {
+
+        System.out.println("Testing with " + conf);
+
+        testLoggableLevels();
+
+        LogManager.getLogManager().readConfiguration();
+
+        testLoggableLevels();
+
+    }
+
+    private static void testLoggableLevels() {
+
+        Logger foobar = Logger.getLogger("foo.bar");
+        if (!foobar.isLoggable(Level.FINEST)) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Expected FINEST to be loggable in "
+                    + foobar.getName());
+        }
+        if (!foobar.getParent().isLoggable(Level.FINEST)) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Expected FINEST to be loggable in "
+                    + foobar.getName());
+        }
+
+        Logger global = Logger.getGlobal();
+        if (!global.isLoggable(Level.FINEST)) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Expected FINEST to be loggable in "
+                    + global.getName());
+        }
+        if (!global.getParent().isLoggable(Level.FINEST)) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Expected FINEST to be loggable in "
+                    + global.getName());
+        }
+
+        Logger root = Logger.getLogger("");
+        if (!global.isLoggable(Level.FINEST)) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Expected FINEST to be loggable in "
+                    + root.getName());
+        }
+        if (!global.getParent().isLoggable(Level.FINEST)) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Expected FINEST to be loggable in "
+                    + root.getName());
+        }
+
+        root.setLevel(Level.FINER);
+
+        if (foobar.isLoggable(Level.FINEST)) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Didn't expect FINEST to be loggable in "
+                    + foobar.getName());
+        }
+        if (foobar.getParent().isLoggable(Level.FINEST)) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Didn't expect FINEST to be loggable in "
+                    + foobar.getName());
+        }
+        if (global.isLoggable(Level.FINEST)) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Didn't expect FINEST to be loggable in "
+                    + global.getName());
+        }
+        if (global.getParent().isLoggable(Level.FINEST)) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Didn't expect FINEST to be loggable in "
+                    + global.getName());
+        }
+
+        if (!foobar.isLoggable(Level.FINER)) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Expected FINER to be loggable in "
+                    + foobar.getName());
+        }
+        if (!foobar.getParent().isLoggable(Level.FINER)) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Expected FINER to be loggable in "
+                    + foobar.getName());
+        }
+
+        if (!global.isLoggable(Level.FINER)) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Expected FINER to be loggable in "
+                    + global.getName());
+        }
+        if (!global.getParent().isLoggable(Level.FINER)) {
+            throw new RuntimeException("Expected FINER to be loggable in "
+                    + global.getName());
+        }
+
+    }
+
+    static final class SimplePolicy extends Policy {
+
+        final PermissionCollection perms = new Permissions();
+        public SimplePolicy(String configFile) {
+            perms.add(new LoggingPermission("control", null));
+            perms.add(new PropertyPermission("java.util.logging.config.class","read"));
+            perms.add(new PropertyPermission("java.util.logging.config.file","read"));
+            perms.add(new FilePermission(configFile, "read"));
+            perms.add(new RuntimePermission("accessClassInPackage.sun.misc"));
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean implies(ProtectionDomain domain, Permission permission) {
+            return perms.implies(permission);
+        }
+    }
+
+    static enum Context { ONE, TWO };
+
+    static final class JavaAWTAccessStub implements JavaAWTAccess {
+        private Context context;
+
+        public void setContext(Context context) {
+            this.context = context;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Object getAppletContext() {
+            return context;
+        }
+    }
+
+}

--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/test/java/util/logging/RootLogger/rootlogger.properties	Sun Dec 22 11:20:07 2013 +0100
@@ -0,0 +1,1 @@
+.level=FINEST