diff --git a/src/gurt/debug.c b/src/gurt/debug.c
index 50f765d35bb..546fd522a2a 100644
--- a/src/gurt/debug.c
+++ b/src/gurt/debug.c
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * (C) Copyright 2016-2022 Intel Corporation.
- * (C) Copyright 2025 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
+ * (C) Copyright 2025-2026 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-2-Clause-Patent
  */
@@ -385,6 +385,18 @@ debug_prio_err_load_env(void)
 	if (env == NULL)
 		return;
 
+	/* ERROR can be used as an alias for ERR */
+	if (strncasecmp(env, "ERROR", sizeof("ERROR")) == 0) {
+		d_dbglog_data.dd_prio_err = DLOG_ERR;
+		goto out_env;
+	}
+	/* DBUG can be used as an alias for DEBUG */
+	if (strncasecmp(env, "DBUG", sizeof("DBUG")) == 0) {
+		d_dbglog_data.dd_prio_err = DLOG_DBG;
+		goto out_env;
+	}
+
+	d_dbglog_data.dd_prio_err = 0;
 	for (i = 0; i < NUM_DBG_PRIO_ENTRIES; i++) {
 		if (d_dbg_prio_dict[i].dd_name != NULL &&
 		    strncasecmp(env, d_dbg_prio_dict[i].dd_name,
@@ -396,6 +408,8 @@ debug_prio_err_load_env(void)
 	/* invalid DD_STDERR option */
 	if (d_dbglog_data.dd_prio_err == 0)
 		D_PRINT_ERR("DD_STDERR = %s - invalid option\n", env);
+
+out_env:
 	d_freeenv_str(&env);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/gurt/tests/test_gurt.c b/src/gurt/tests/test_gurt.c
index 762a3a55239..e94a65beb56 100644
--- a/src/gurt/tests/test_gurt.c
+++ b/src/gurt/tests/test_gurt.c
@@ -746,6 +746,89 @@ test_log(void **state)
 	d_log_fini();
 }
 
+static void
+test_dd_stderr(void **state)
+{
+	int rc;
+	int i;
+
+	struct {
+		const char *env_val;
+		d_dbug_t    expected;
+	} test_cases[] = {
+	    /* Standard dictionary values */
+	    {"emit", DLOG_EMIT},
+	    {"fatal", DLOG_EMERG},
+	    {"alert", DLOG_ALERT},
+	    {"crit", DLOG_CRIT},
+	    {"err", DLOG_ERR},
+	    {"error", DLOG_ERR},
+	    {"warn", DLOG_WARN},
+	    {"note", DLOG_NOTE},
+	    {"info", DLOG_INFO},
+	    {"debug", DLOG_DBG},
+	    {"dbug", DLOG_DBG},
+	    /* Case insensitivity */
+	    {"ERR", DLOG_ERR},
+	    {"Warn", DLOG_WARN},
+	    {"CRIT", DLOG_CRIT},
+	    {"Info", DLOG_INFO},
+	    {"eRRor", DLOG_ERR},
+	    {"DBUG", DLOG_DBG},
+	};
+
+	/* Tear down the log initialized by init_tests */
+	d_log_fini();
+
+	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(test_cases); i++) {
+		setenv("DD_STDERR", test_cases[i].env_val, 1);
+		rc = d_log_init();
+		assert_int_equal(rc, 0);
+		assert_int_equal(d_dbglog_data.dd_prio_err, test_cases[i].expected);
+		d_log_fini();
+	}
+
+	/* Test invalid value: dd_prio_err should be 0 */
+	setenv("DD_STDERR", "INVALID", 1);
+	rc = d_log_init();
+	assert_int_equal(rc, 0);
+	assert_int_equal(d_dbglog_data.dd_prio_err, 0);
+	d_log_fini();
+
+	/* Test invalid value with valid prefix: dd_prio_err should be 0 */
+	setenv("DD_STDERR", "DEBUG_FOO", 1);
+	rc = d_log_init();
+	assert_int_equal(rc, 0);
+	assert_int_equal(d_dbglog_data.dd_prio_err, 0);
+	d_log_fini();
+
+	/* Test invalid value with incomplete name: dd_prio_err should be 0 */
+	setenv("DD_STDERR", "DEB", 1);
+	rc = d_log_init();
+	assert_int_equal(rc, 0);
+	assert_int_equal(d_dbglog_data.dd_prio_err, 0);
+	d_log_fini();
+
+	/* Test invalid value with incomplete name: dd_prio_err should be 0 */
+	setenv("DD_STDERR", "ERRO", 1); /* codespell:ignore */
+	rc = d_log_init();
+	assert_int_equal(rc, 0);
+	assert_int_equal(d_dbglog_data.dd_prio_err, 0);
+	d_log_fini();
+
+	/* Test unset: dd_prio_err should remain 0 */
+	unsetenv("DD_STDERR");
+	rc = d_log_init();
+	assert_int_equal(rc, 0);
+	assert_int_equal(d_dbglog_data.dd_prio_err, 0);
+	d_log_fini();
+
+	/* Re-initialize for the group teardown (fini_tests) */
+	unsetenv("DD_STDERR");
+	rc = d_log_init();
+	assert_int_equal(rc, 0);
+}
+
 #define TEST_GURT_HASH_NUM_BITS (D_ON_VALGRIND ? 4 : 12)
 #define TEST_GURT_HASH_NUM_ENTRIES (1 << TEST_GURT_HASH_NUM_BITS)
 #define TEST_GURT_HASH_NUM_THREADS (D_ON_VALGRIND ? 4 : 16)
@@ -2740,6 +2823,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	    cmocka_unit_test(test_gurt_hlist),
 	    cmocka_unit_test(test_binheap),
 	    cmocka_unit_test(test_log),
+	    cmocka_unit_test(test_dd_stderr),
 	    cmocka_unit_test(test_gurt_hash_empty),
 	    cmocka_unit_test(test_gurt_hash_insert_lookup_delete),
 	    cmocka_unit_test(test_gurt_hash_decref),
@@ -2772,5 +2856,12 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	d_register_alt_assert(mock_assert);
 
+#if CMOCKA_FILTER_SUPPORTED == 1 /** requires cmocka 1.1.5 */
+	if (argc > 1)
+		cmocka_set_test_filter(argv[1]);
+#else
+	printf("Test filtering disabled at compile time.\n");
+#endif
+
 	return cmocka_run_group_tests_name("test_gurt", tests, init_tests, fini_tests);
 }