diff --git a/k8s/loki/templates/podlogs.yaml b/k8s/loki/templates/podlogs.yaml
index 94eac42..381e9a8 100644
--- a/k8s/loki/templates/podlogs.yaml
+++ b/k8s/loki/templates/podlogs.yaml
@@ -46,11 +46,11 @@ spec:
     - cri: {}
     - regex:
         # Capture into a temporary variable 'raw_level' to avoid overwriting existing logic
-        # Matches: [LEVEL] anywhere in the line
-        expression: '\[(?P<raw_level>DEBUG|INFO|WARN|ERROR|LOG|TRACE)\]'
+        # Matches: [LEVEL] anywhere in the line, allowing for whitespace
+        expression: '\[\s*(?P<raw_level>DEBUG|INFO|WARN|ERROR|LOG|TRACE)\s*\]'
     - template:
         source: level
-        # If raw_level exists (regex matched), map it. Otherwise, default to 'info'.
-        template: 'debug'
+        # If raw_level exists (regex matched), map it. Otherwise, default to 'unknown' to verify config application.
+        template: '{{ "{{" }} if eq .Extraction.raw_level "LOG" {{ "}}" }}info{{ "{{" }} else if eq .Extraction.raw_level "WARN" {{ "}}" }}warn{{ "{{" }} else if eq .Extraction.raw_level "ERROR" {{ "}}" }}error{{ "{{" }} else if eq .Extraction.raw_level "DEBUG" {{ "}}" }}debug{{ "{{" }} else if .Extraction.raw_level {{ "}}" }}{{ "{{" }} .Extraction.raw_level | lower {{ "}}" }}{{ "{{" }} else {{ "}}" }}unknown{{ "{{" }} end {{ "}}" }}'
     - labels:
         level: level