diff --git a/include/common/debug.h b/include/common/debug.h
index 3f0f84a1b..99f402c08 100644
--- a/include/common/debug.h
+++ b/include/common/debug.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2013-2017, ARM Limited and Contributors. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2013-2018, ARM Limited and Contributors. All rights reserved.
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
  */
@@ -7,10 +7,12 @@
 #ifndef __DEBUG_H__
 #define __DEBUG_H__
 
-/* The log output macros print output to the console. These macros produce
+/*
+ * The log output macros print output to the console. These macros produce
  * compiled log output only if the LOG_LEVEL defined in the makefile (or the
  * make command line) is greater or equal than the level required for that
  * type of log output.
+ *
  * The format expected is the same as for printf(). For example:
  * INFO("Info %s.\n", "message")    -> INFO:    Info message.
  * WARN("Warning %s.\n", "message") -> WARNING: Warning message.
@@ -38,34 +40,46 @@
 #define LOG_MARKER_INFO			"\x28"	/* 40 */
 #define LOG_MARKER_VERBOSE		"\x32"	/* 50 */
 
+/*
+ * If the log output is too low then this macro is used in place of tf_log()
+ * below. The intent is to get the compiler to evaluate the function call for
+ * type checking and format specifier correctness but let it optimize it out.
+ */
+#define no_tf_log(fmt, ...)				\
+	do {						\
+		if (0) {				\
+			tf_log(fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__);	\
+		}					\
+	} while (0)
+
 #if LOG_LEVEL >= LOG_LEVEL_NOTICE
 # define NOTICE(...)	tf_log(LOG_MARKER_NOTICE __VA_ARGS__)
 #else
-# define NOTICE(...)
+# define NOTICE(...)	no_tf_log(LOG_MARKER_NOTICE __VA_ARGS__)
 #endif
 
 #if LOG_LEVEL >= LOG_LEVEL_ERROR
 # define ERROR(...)	tf_log(LOG_MARKER_ERROR __VA_ARGS__)
 #else
-# define ERROR(...)
+# define ERROR(...)	no_tf_log(LOG_MARKER_ERROR __VA_ARGS__)
 #endif
 
 #if LOG_LEVEL >= LOG_LEVEL_WARNING
 # define WARN(...)	tf_log(LOG_MARKER_WARNING __VA_ARGS__)
 #else
-# define WARN(...)
+# define WARN(...)	no_tf_log(LOG_MARKER_WARNING __VA_ARGS__)
 #endif
 
 #if LOG_LEVEL >= LOG_LEVEL_INFO
 # define INFO(...)	tf_log(LOG_MARKER_INFO __VA_ARGS__)
 #else
-# define INFO(...)
+# define INFO(...)	no_tf_log(LOG_MARKER_INFO __VA_ARGS__)
 #endif
 
 #if LOG_LEVEL >= LOG_LEVEL_VERBOSE
 # define VERBOSE(...)	tf_log(LOG_MARKER_VERBOSE __VA_ARGS__)
 #else
-# define VERBOSE(...)
+# define VERBOSE(...)	no_tf_log(LOG_MARKER_VERBOSE __VA_ARGS__)
 #endif
 
 void __dead2 do_panic(void);