diff --git a/deckhand/engine/layering.py b/deckhand/engine/layering.py
index 603481eb..dbb899c4 100644
--- a/deckhand/engine/layering.py
+++ b/deckhand/engine/layering.py
@@ -178,9 +178,11 @@ class DocumentLayering(object):
             # `layerOrder` of the LayeringPolicy, it should be a child document
             # of another document.
             if doc not in all_children_elements:
-                LOG.info('Could not find parent for document with name=%s, '
-                         'schema=%s, layer=%s, parentSelector=%s.',
-                         doc.name, doc.schema, doc.layer, doc.parent_selector)
+                if doc.parent_selector:
+                    LOG.debug(
+                        'Could not find parent for document with name=%s, '
+                        'schema=%s, layer=%s, parentSelector=%s.', doc.name,
+                        doc.schema, doc.layer, doc.parent_selector)
                 self._parentless_documents.append(doc)
             # If the document is a child document of more than 1 parent, then
             # the document has too many parents, which is a validation error.
diff --git a/deckhand/tests/unit/engine/test_document_layering_negative.py b/deckhand/tests/unit/engine/test_document_layering_negative.py
index aaa17026..aca187f5 100644
--- a/deckhand/tests/unit/engine/test_document_layering_negative.py
+++ b/deckhand/tests/unit/engine/test_document_layering_negative.py
@@ -103,9 +103,10 @@ class TestDocumentLayeringNegative(
                 'parentSelector'] = parent_selector
 
             layering.DocumentLayering(documents)
-            self.assertRegexpMatches(mock_log.info.mock_calls[0][1][0],
-                                     'Could not find parent for document .*')
-            mock_log.info.reset_mock()
+            self.assertTrue(any('Could not find parent for document' in
+                mock_log.debug.mock_calls[x][1][0])
+                    for x in range(len(mock_log.debug.mock_calls)))
+            mock_log.debug.reset_mock()
 
     @mock.patch.object(layering, 'LOG', autospec=True)
     def test_layering_unreferenced_parent_label(self, mock_log):
@@ -117,9 +118,10 @@ class TestDocumentLayeringNegative(
             documents[1]['metadata']['labels'] = parent_label
 
             layering.DocumentLayering(documents)
-            self.assertRegexpMatches(mock_log.info.mock_calls[0][1][0],
-                                     'Could not find parent for document .*')
-            mock_log.info.reset_mock()
+            self.assertTrue(any('Could not find parent for document' in
+                mock_log.debug.mock_calls[x][1][0])
+                    for x in range(len(mock_log.debug.mock_calls)))
+            mock_log.debug.reset_mock()
 
     def test_layering_duplicate_parent_selector_2_layer(self):
         # Validate that documents belonging to the same layer cannot have the
@@ -155,8 +157,9 @@ class TestDocumentLayeringNegative(
             'parentSelector'] = self_ref
 
         layering.DocumentLayering(documents)
-        self.assertRegexpMatches(mock_log.info.mock_calls[0][1][0],
-                                 'Could not find parent for document .*')
+        self.assertTrue(any('Could not find parent for document' in
+            mock_log.debug.mock_calls[x][1][0])
+                for x in range(len(mock_log.debug.mock_calls)))
 
     def test_layering_without_layering_policy_raises_exc(self):
         doc_factory = factories.DocumentFactory(1, [1])