diff --git a/hgext/convert/__init__.py b/hgext/convert/__init__.py
--- a/hgext/convert/__init__.py
+++ b/hgext/convert/__init__.py
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@ configitem('convert', 'p4.startrev',
 configitem('convert', 'skiptags',
     default=False,
 )
+configitem('convert', 'svn.debugsvnlog',
+    default=True,
+)
 
 # Commands definition was moved elsewhere to ease demandload job.
 
diff --git a/hgext/convert/subversion.py b/hgext/convert/subversion.py
--- a/hgext/convert/subversion.py
+++ b/hgext/convert/subversion.py
@@ -1059,7 +1059,7 @@ class svn_source(converter_source):
         args = [self.baseurl, relpaths, start, end, limit,
                 discover_changed_paths, strict_node_history]
         # developer config: convert.svn.debugsvnlog
-        if not self.ui.configbool('convert', 'svn.debugsvnlog', True):
+        if not self.ui.configbool('convert', 'svn.debugsvnlog'):
             return directlogstream(*args)
         arg = encodeargs(args)
         hgexe = util.hgexecutable()