diff --git a/lib/utils.c b/lib/utils.c
index b591f72..b5b457a 100644
--- a/lib/utils.c
+++ b/lib/utils.c
@@ -28,8 +28,16 @@ struct nl_dump_params nl_debug_dp = {
 	.dp_type = NL_DUMP_FULL,
 };
 
-static void __init nl_debug_dp_init(void)
+static void __init nl_debug_init(void)
 {
+	char *nldbg, *end;
+	
+	if ((nldbg = getenv("NLDBG"))) {
+		long level = strtol(nldbg, &end, 0);
+		if (nldbg != end)
+			nl_debug = level;
+	}
+
 	nl_debug_dp.dp_fd = stderr;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/utils.c b/src/utils.c
index 308aacb..b3a11a1 100644
--- a/src/utils.c
+++ b/src/utils.c
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ static struct nl_cb *nltool_cb;
 int nltool_init(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	char *nlcb = getenv("NLCB");
-	char *nldbg = getenv("NLDBG");
 	int cbset = NL_CB_VERBOSE;
 	
 	if (nlcb) {
@@ -41,17 +40,6 @@ int nltool_init(int argc, char *argv[])
 		goto errout;
 	}
 
-	if (nldbg) {
-		long dbg = strtol(nldbg, NULL, 0);
-
-		if (dbg == LONG_MIN || dbg == LONG_MAX) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "Invalid value for NLDBG.\n");
-			goto errout;
-		}
-
-		nl_debug = dbg;
-	}
-	
 	return 0;
 
 errout: