diff --git a/common-tools/clas-detector/src/main/java/org/jlab/detector/calib/utils/DatabaseConstantProvider.java b/common-tools/clas-detector/src/main/java/org/jlab/detector/calib/utils/DatabaseConstantProvider.java
index 0505a2204a..7f7dcd01b1 100644
--- a/common-tools/clas-detector/src/main/java/org/jlab/detector/calib/utils/DatabaseConstantProvider.java
+++ b/common-tools/clas-detector/src/main/java/org/jlab/detector/calib/utils/DatabaseConstantProvider.java
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ private void initialize(String address){
 
         LOGGER.log(Level.INFO, String.format("[DB] ---> open %s | %s | %s | %s", runNumber, variation, databaseDate, address));
         
-        provider.connect();
+        provider.connect(); // FIXME: this function call resets log levels, e.g. of jminuit
         
         if(provider.isConnected()){
             LOGGER.log(Level.FINE,"[DB] --->  database connection  : success");
diff --git a/common-tools/clas-logging/src/main/java/org/jlab/logging/SplitLogManager.java b/common-tools/clas-logging/src/main/java/org/jlab/logging/SplitLogManager.java
index 8ade3eba96..8b6340bdfe 100644
--- a/common-tools/clas-logging/src/main/java/org/jlab/logging/SplitLogManager.java
+++ b/common-tools/clas-logging/src/main/java/org/jlab/logging/SplitLogManager.java
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
  */
 public class SplitLogManager extends LogManager {
 
+  /** whether or not this manager is managing */
+  private static final boolean isManaging = SplitLogManager.class.getName().equals(System.getProperty("java.util.logging.manager"));
+
   /**
    * create a new {@link Logger} instance
    * @param name the name of the logger
@@ -17,6 +20,7 @@ public class SplitLogManager extends LogManager {
    */
   @Override
   public Logger getLogger(String name) {
+    warnIfNotManaging("getLogger");
     Logger logger = super.getLogger(name);
     if(logger != null)
       configureHandlers(logger, true);
@@ -30,6 +34,7 @@ public Logger getLogger(String name) {
    */
   @Override
   public synchronized boolean addLogger(Logger logger) {
+    warnIfNotManaging("addLogger");
     boolean added = super.addLogger(logger);
     if(added)
       configureHandlers(logger, true);
@@ -43,6 +48,10 @@ public synchronized boolean addLogger(Logger logger) {
    */
   public static void configureHandlers(Logger logger, boolean includePrefix) {
 
+    // do nothing, if `SplitLogManager` is not the log manager
+    if(!isManaging)
+      return;
+
     // clear handlers
     logger.setUseParentHandlers(false);
     for(var handler : logger.getHandlers())
@@ -121,9 +130,21 @@ else if(SplitLogManagerConfig.INSTANCE.defaultLevelWasSet())
    * @param level the {@code Level} to apply
    */
   public static void configureLevel(Logger logger, Level level) {
+    if(!isManaging)
+      return;
+    warnIfNotManaging("configureLevel");
     logger.setLevel(level);
     for(var handler : logger.getHandlers())
       handler.setLevel(level);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * warn, if this log manager is not the manager
+   * @param src the source of the warning, such as a function name
+   */
+  private static void warnIfNotManaging(String src) {
+    if(!isManaging)
+      System.err.println("WARNING: SplitLogManager is not the LogManager, but its '" + src + "' was called");
+  }
+
 }