diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 420a3b25..0066786a 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ def self.from_kitt(auth)
     user.github_username = auth.info.github_nickname
     user.original_city_id = original_city.id
 
-    user.save
+    user.save!
     user
   end
 
diff --git a/config/environments/production.rb b/config/environments/production.rb
index bfbcdeaf..c2e93793 100644
--- a/config/environments/production.rb
+++ b/config/environments/production.rb
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 
   # Include generic and useful information about system operation, but avoid logging too much
   # information to avoid inadvertent exposure of personally identifiable information (PII).
-  config.log_level = :info
+  config.log_level = ENV.fetch("RAILS_LOG_LEVEL", :info)
 
   # Prepend all log lines with the following tags.
   config.log_tags = [:request_id]