diff --git a/tests/test_log_sys.py b/tests/test_log_sys.py
index 1c74ba1e..3870e825 100644
--- a/tests/test_log_sys.py
+++ b/tests/test_log_sys.py
@@ -162,6 +162,66 @@ def test_implicit_mod_name_applied_for_child(
     assert submod.log.logger in sub_logs
 
 
+def test_io_custom_level_registered():
+    '''
+    The `IO`(21) level (registered via `add_log_level()` at
+    import, for `tractor.trionics._subproc`'s std-stream relay)
+    is fully wired and SHOWN BY DEFAULT at `info`-level consoles
+    since `21 >= INFO(20)`.
+
+    '''
+    import logging
+    assert log.CUSTOM_LEVELS.get('IO') == 21
+    assert logging.getLevelName(21) == 'IO'
+    assert log.STD_PALETTE.get('IO')
+    assert log.BOLD_PALETTE['bold'].get('IO')
+
+    iolog = log.get_logger('io_lvl_test')
+    assert callable(getattr(iolog, 'io', None))
+    # emit must not raise
+    iolog.io('hello from the IO level')
+
+    # 21 >= INFO(20) -> shown when console set to `info`
+    assert 21 >= logging.INFO
+
+
+def test_add_log_level_pluggable():
+    '''
+    `add_log_level()` is the single pluggable entry-point: one
+    call wires `CUSTOM_LEVELS` + `addLevelName` + both palettes +
+    a same-named `StackLevelAdapter` emit method (so
+    `get_logger()`'s per-level audit passes).
+
+    '''
+    import logging
+    name: str = 'XLVL'
+    val: int = 19
+    try:
+        log.add_log_level(name, val, 'cyan')
+
+        assert log.CUSTOM_LEVELS[name] == val
+        assert logging.getLevelName(val) == name
+        assert log.STD_PALETTE[name] == 'cyan'
+        assert log.BOLD_PALETTE['bold'][name] == 'bold_cyan'
+
+        # the audit in `get_logger()` (asserts a method per
+        # `CUSTOM_LEVELS` entry) must still pass.
+        xlog = log.get_logger('xlvl_test')
+        emit = getattr(xlog, name.lower(), None)
+        assert callable(emit)
+        emit('hello from a plugged-in level')
+
+    finally:
+        # best-effort cleanup of our module-global mutations so
+        # later `get_logger()` audits don't see a half-removed
+        # level.
+        log.CUSTOM_LEVELS.pop(name, None)
+        log.STD_PALETTE.pop(name, None)
+        log.BOLD_PALETTE['bold'].pop(name, None)
+        if hasattr(log.StackLevelAdapter, name.lower()):
+            delattr(log.StackLevelAdapter, name.lower())
+
+
 # TODO, moar tests against existing feats:
 # ------ - ------
 # - [ ] color settings?
diff --git a/tractor/log.py b/tractor/log.py
index 95f313a4..2c6e6b71 100644
--- a/tractor/log.py
+++ b/tractor/log.py
@@ -262,6 +262,63 @@ class StackLevelAdapter(LoggerAdapter):
         )
 
 
+def add_log_level(
+    name: str,
+    value: int,
+    color: str = 'white',
+) -> None:
+    '''
+    Register a new custom log level with `tractor`'s logging
+    machinery in ONE call — the single pluggable entry-point that
+    keeps the (otherwise hand-synced) pieces consistent:
+
+    - `CUSTOM_LEVELS[name]` (drives the `stacklevel` bump in
+      `StackLevelAdapter.log()` + the `get_logger()` audit).
+    - `logging.addLevelName()` registration.
+    - `STD_PALETTE`/`BOLD_PALETTE` color entries (consumed when
+      `get_console_log()` builds its `ColoredFormatter`).
+    - a same-named (lowercase) emit method bound on
+      `StackLevelAdapter` so `log.<name>('msg')` works (and so
+      `get_logger()`'s per-level method audit passes).
+
+    Idempotent: re-registering an existing name is a no-op-ish
+    refresh (won't clobber an already-bound method).
+
+    '''
+    name_up: str = name.upper()
+    name_lo: str = name.lower()
+
+    CUSTOM_LEVELS[name_up] = value
+    logging.addLevelName(value, name_up)
+    STD_PALETTE[name_up] = color
+    BOLD_PALETTE['bold'][name_up] = f'bold_{color}'
+
+    if not hasattr(StackLevelAdapter, name_lo):
+        # bind via default-arg so `value` is captured (not
+        # late-bound); delegates to `.log()` exactly like the
+        # hand-written level methods above.
+        def _emit(
+            self,
+            msg: str,
+            *,
+            _level: int = value,
+        ) -> None:
+            return self.log(_level, msg)
+
+        _emit.__name__ = name_lo
+        _emit.__qualname__ = f'StackLevelAdapter.{name_lo}'
+        setattr(StackLevelAdapter, name_lo, _emit)
+
+
+# `IO`: child-subproc std-stream relay (see
+# `tractor.trionics._subproc`). Value 21 sits just ABOVE
+# `INFO`(20) so it's SHOWN BY DEFAULT at the usual `info`/`devx`
+# console levels (a `runtime`(15) relay would be silently
+# filtered) yet still distinctly labelled/colored + separately
+# filterable.
+add_log_level('IO', 21, 'purple')
+
+
 # TODO IDEAs:
 # -[ ] move to `.devx.pformat`?
 # -[ ] do per task-name and actor-name color coding