diff --git a/src/core/emsesp_common.h b/src/core/emsesp_common.h
index 09d8ecc1a..25955b184 100644
--- a/src/core/emsesp_common.h
+++ b/src/core/emsesp_common.h
@@ -23,17 +23,21 @@
 
 using uuid::log::Level;
 
+// Log macros gate on logger_.enabled(level) so that expensive argument
+// expressions (e.g. pretty_telegram(...).c_str()) are not evaluated when
+// the level is filtered out. Without this, every LOG_TRACE on the RX path
+// allocates a std::string even when no handler is interested.
 #if defined(EMSESP_DEBUG)
-#define LOG_DEBUG(...) logger_.debug(__VA_ARGS__)
+#define LOG_DEBUG(...) (logger_.enabled(uuid::log::Level::DEBUG) ? logger_.debug(__VA_ARGS__) : (void)0)
 #else
-#define LOG_DEBUG(...)
+#define LOG_DEBUG(...) ((void)0)
 #endif
 
-#define LOG_INFO(...) logger_.info(__VA_ARGS__)
-#define LOG_TRACE(...) logger_.trace(__VA_ARGS__)
-#define LOG_NOTICE(...) logger_.notice(__VA_ARGS__)
-#define LOG_WARNING(...) logger_.warning(__VA_ARGS__)
-#define LOG_ERROR(...) logger_.err(__VA_ARGS__)
+#define LOG_INFO(...) (logger_.enabled(uuid::log::Level::INFO) ? logger_.info(__VA_ARGS__) : (void)0)
+#define LOG_TRACE(...) (logger_.enabled(uuid::log::Level::TRACE) ? logger_.trace(__VA_ARGS__) : (void)0)
+#define LOG_NOTICE(...) (logger_.enabled(uuid::log::Level::NOTICE) ? logger_.notice(__VA_ARGS__) : (void)0)
+#define LOG_WARNING(...) (logger_.enabled(uuid::log::Level::WARNING) ? logger_.warning(__VA_ARGS__) : (void)0)
+#define LOG_ERROR(...) (logger_.enabled(uuid::log::Level::ERR) ? logger_.err(__VA_ARGS__) : (void)0)
 
 // flash strings
 using uuid::string_vector;