diff --git a/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver.c b/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver.c
index 0ff35601..b1833cf0 100644
--- a/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver.c
+++ b/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver.c
@@ -330,6 +330,63 @@ static int cb_stackdriver_init(struct flb_output_instance *ins,
     return 0;
 }

+static int validate_severity_level(const char * severity)
+{
+    int i = 0;
+
+    const char * severity_level[] = {
+        "EMERGENCY",
+        "ALERT",
+        "CRITICAL",
+        "ERROR",
+        "WARNING",
+        "NOTICE",
+        "INFO",
+        "DEBUG",
+        "DEFAULT",
+        NULL
+    };
+
+    if (severity == NULL) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    for (i = 0; severity_level[i] != NULL; i++) {
+        if (strcasecmp(severity, severity_level[i]) == 0) {
+            return 0;
+        }
+    }
+    return -1;
+}
+
+static int map_get_str_kv(flb_sds_t buf, const msgpack_object *o, const flb_sds_t key) {
+    int i = 0;
+    msgpack_object_kv * p = NULL;
+
+    if (o == NULL || o->type != MSGPACK_OBJECT_MAP || buf == NULL) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    for (i = 0; i < o->via.map.size; i++) {
+        p = &o->via.map.ptr[i];
+        if (p->key.type != MSGPACK_OBJECT_STR)
+            continue;
+
+        if (p->key.via.str.size != flb_sds_len(key))
+            continue;
+
+        if (strncmp(key, p->key.via.str.ptr, flb_sds_len(key)) == 0) {
+            snprintf(buf, p->val.via.str.size + 1, "%s", p->val.via.str.ptr);
+            return 0;
+        }
+    }
+    return -1;
+}
+
+static int get_severity_level(flb_sds_t severity, const msgpack_object * o, const flb_sds_t key) {
+    return (map_get_str_kv(severity, o, key) || validate_severity_level(severity));
+}
+
 static int stackdriver_format(const void *data, size_t bytes,
                               const char *tag, size_t tag_len,
                               char **out_data, size_t *out_size,
@@ -344,6 +401,7 @@ static int stackdriver_format(const void *data, size_t bytes,
     char time_formatted[255];
     struct tm tm;
     struct flb_time tms;
+    flb_sds_t severity = flb_sds_create_size(10);
     msgpack_object *obj;
     msgpack_unpacked result;
     msgpack_sbuffer mp_sbuf;
@@ -437,7 +495,7 @@ static int stackdriver_format(const void *data, size_t bytes,
          *  "timestamp": "..."
          * }
          */
-        msgpack_pack_map(&mp_pck, 3);
+        msgpack_pack_map(&mp_pck, 4);

         /* jsonPayload */
         msgpack_pack_str(&mp_pck, 11);
@@ -453,6 +511,15 @@ static int stackdriver_format(const void *data, size_t bytes,
         msgpack_pack_str(&mp_pck, len);
         msgpack_pack_str_body(&mp_pck, path, len);

+        /* severity level */
+        if (get_severity_level(severity, obj, ctx->severity_key)) {
+            sprintf(severity, "DEFAULT");
+        }
+        msgpack_pack_str(&mp_pck, 8);
+        msgpack_pack_str_body(&mp_pck, "severity", 8);
+        msgpack_pack_str(&mp_pck, strlen(severity));
+        msgpack_pack_str_body(&mp_pck, severity, strlen(severity));
+
         /* timestamp */
         msgpack_pack_str(&mp_pck, 9);
         msgpack_pack_str_body(&mp_pck, "timestamp", 9);
@@ -473,6 +540,7 @@ static int stackdriver_format(const void *data, size_t bytes,
     ret = flb_msgpack_raw_to_json_str(mp_sbuf.data, mp_sbuf.size,
                                       &json_buf, &json_size);
     msgpack_sbuffer_destroy(&mp_sbuf);
+    flb_sds_destroy(severity);

     if (ret != 0) {
         flb_error("[out_stackdriver] error formatting JSON payload");
diff --git a/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver.h b/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver.h
index 4741f178..d06da0f6 100644
--- a/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver.h
+++ b/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver.h
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@
 /* Default Resource type */
 #define FLB_SDS_RESOURCE_TYPE "global"

+/* Default severity level */
+#define FLB_SDS_SEVERITY_KEY "level"
+
 struct flb_stackdriver {
     /* credentials */
     flb_sds_t credentials_file;
@@ -68,6 +71,7 @@ struct flb_stackdriver {

     /* other */
     flb_sds_t resource;
+    flb_sds_t severity_key;

     /* oauth2 context */
     struct flb_oauth2 *o;
diff --git a/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver_conf.c b/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver_conf.c
index c1878987..3f1d602e 100644
--- a/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver_conf.c
+++ b/plugins/out_stackdriver/stackdriver_conf.c
@@ -279,6 +279,14 @@ struct flb_stackdriver *flb_stackdriver_conf_create(struct flb_output_instance *
         ctx->resource = flb_sds_create(FLB_SDS_RESOURCE_TYPE);
     }

+    tmp = flb_output_get_property("severity_key", ins);
+    if (tmp) {
+        ctx->severity_key = flb_sds_create(tmp);
+    }
+    else {
+        ctx->severity_key = flb_sds_create(FLB_SDS_SEVERITY_KEY);
+    }
+
     return ctx;
 }