diff --git a/acados/ocp_nlp/ocp_nlp_common.c b/acados/ocp_nlp/ocp_nlp_common.c
index 1a15fd4ee6..6663aecc8e 100644
--- a/acados/ocp_nlp/ocp_nlp_common.c
+++ b/acados/ocp_nlp/ocp_nlp_common.c
@@ -1075,6 +1075,7 @@ void ocp_nlp_opts_initialize_default(void *config_, void *dims_, void *opts_)
     // printf("\nocp_nlp: openmp threads = %d\n", opts->num_threads);
 
     opts->globalization = FIXED_STEP;
+    opts->print_level = 0;
     opts->step_length = 1.0;
     opts->levenberg_marquardt = 0.0;
 
@@ -1291,6 +1292,16 @@ void ocp_nlp_opts_set(void *config_, void *opts_, const char *field, void* value
                 config->constraints[ii]->opts_set(config->constraints[ii], opts->constraints[ii],
                                                   "compute_hess", value);
         }
+        else if (!strcmp(field, "print_level"))
+        {
+            int* print_level = (int *) value;
+            if (*print_level < 0)
+            {
+                printf("\nerror: ocp_nlp_opts_set: invalid value for print_level field, need int >=0, got %d.", *print_level);
+                exit(1);
+            }
+            opts->print_level = *print_level;
+        }
         else
         {
             printf("\nerror: ocp_nlp_opts_set: wrong field: %s\n", field);
@@ -2392,7 +2403,8 @@ double ocp_nlp_compute_merit_gradient(ocp_nlp_config *config, ocp_nlp_dims *dims
     // print_ocp_qp_in(mem->qp_in);
 
     merit_grad = merit_grad_cost + merit_grad_dyn + merit_grad_ineq;
-    printf("merit_grad = %e, merit_grad_cost = %e, merit_grad_dyn = %e, merit_grad_ineq = %e\n", merit_grad, merit_grad_cost, merit_grad_dyn, merit_grad_ineq);
+    if (opts->print_level > 1)
+        printf("merit_grad = %e, merit_grad_cost = %e, merit_grad_dyn = %e, merit_grad_ineq = %e\n", merit_grad, merit_grad_cost, merit_grad_dyn, merit_grad_ineq);
 
     return merit_grad;
 }
@@ -2640,7 +2652,10 @@ double ocp_nlp_line_search(ocp_nlp_config *config, ocp_nlp_dims *dims, ocp_nlp_i
                 merit_fun1 = ocp_nlp_evaluate_merit_fun(config, dims, in, out, opts, mem, work);
 
                 double violation_step = ocp_nlp_get_violation(config, dims, in, out, opts, mem, work);
-                printf("preliminary line_search: merit0 %e, merit1 %e; viol_current %e, viol_step %e\n", merit_fun0, merit_fun1, violation_current, violation_step);
+                if (opts->print_level > 0)
+                {
+                    printf("\npreliminary line_search: merit0 %e, merit1 %e; viol_current %e, viol_step %e\n", merit_fun0, merit_fun1, violation_current, violation_step);
+                }
 
                 if (merit_fun1 > merit_fun0 || violation_step > violation_current)
                 {
@@ -2660,8 +2675,10 @@ double ocp_nlp_line_search(ocp_nlp_config *config, ocp_nlp_dims *dims, ocp_nlp_i
                 dmerit_dy = ocp_nlp_compute_merit_gradient(config, dims, in, out, opts, mem, work);
                 if (dmerit_dy > 0.0)
                 {
-                    if (dmerit_dy > 1e-6)
+                    if (dmerit_dy > 1e-6 && opts->print_level > 0)
+                    {
                         printf("\nacados line search: found dmerit_dy = %e > 0. Setting it to 0.0 instead", dmerit_dy);
+                    }
                     dmerit_dy = 0.0;
                 }
             }
@@ -2688,7 +2705,10 @@ double ocp_nlp_line_search(ocp_nlp_config *config, ocp_nlp_dims *dims, ocp_nlp_i
                     blasfeo_daxpy(nv[i], alpha, qp_out->ux+i, 0, out->ux+i, 0, work->tmp_nlp_out->ux+i, 0);
 
                 merit_fun1 = ocp_nlp_evaluate_merit_fun(config, dims, in, out, opts, mem, work);
-                // printf("\nbacktracking %d, merit_fun1 = %e, merit_fun0 %e", j, merit_fun1, merit_fun0);
+                if (opts->print_level > 1)
+                {
+                    printf("\nbacktracking %d, merit_fun1 = %e, merit_fun0 %e", j, merit_fun1, merit_fun0);
+                }
 
                 // if (merit_fun1 < merit_fun0 && merit_fun1 > max_next_merit_fun_val)
                 // {
diff --git a/acados/ocp_nlp/ocp_nlp_common.h b/acados/ocp_nlp/ocp_nlp_common.h
index a8ccfcb95c..4a7f19a07e 100644
--- a/acados/ocp_nlp/ocp_nlp_common.h
+++ b/acados/ocp_nlp/ocp_nlp_common.h
@@ -270,6 +270,7 @@ typedef struct ocp_nlp_opts
     double levenberg_marquardt;  // LM factor to be added to the hessian before regularization
     int reuse_workspace;
     int num_threads;
+    int print_level;
 
     // TODO: move to separate struct?
     ocp_nlp_globalization_t globalization;
diff --git a/acados/ocp_nlp/ocp_nlp_sqp.c b/acados/ocp_nlp/ocp_nlp_sqp.c
index 3f9c48f69d..d1db09503a 100644
--- a/acados/ocp_nlp/ocp_nlp_sqp.c
+++ b/acados/ocp_nlp/ocp_nlp_sqp.c
@@ -127,7 +127,6 @@ void ocp_nlp_sqp_opts_initialize_default(void *config_, void *dims_, void *opts_
     opts->qp_warm_start = 0;
     opts->warm_start_first_qp = false;
     opts->rti_phase = 0;
-    opts->print_level = 0;
     opts->initialize_t_slacks = 0;
 
     // overwrite default submodules opts
@@ -245,16 +244,6 @@ void ocp_nlp_sqp_opts_set(void *config_, void *opts_, const char *field, void* v
                 exit(1);
             } else opts->rti_phase = *rti_phase;
         }
-        else if (!strcmp(field, "print_level"))
-        {
-            int* print_level = (int *) value;
-            if (*print_level < 0)
-            {
-                printf("\nerror: ocp_nlp_sqp_opts_set: invalid value for print_level field, need int >=0, got %d.", *print_level);
-                exit(1);
-            }
-            opts->print_level = *print_level;
-        }
         else if (!strcmp(field, "initialize_t_slacks"))
         {
             int* initialize_t_slacks = (int *) value;
@@ -555,7 +544,7 @@ int ocp_nlp_sqp(void *config_, void *dims_, void *nlp_in_, void *nlp_out_,
         ocp_nlp_res_compute(dims, nlp_in, nlp_out, nlp_res, nlp_mem);
         ocp_nlp_res_get_inf_norm(nlp_res, &nlp_out->inf_norm_res);
 
-        if (opts->print_level > sqp_iter + 1)
+        if (nlp_opts->print_level > sqp_iter + 1)
         {
             printf("\n\nSQP: ocp_qp_in at iteration %d\n", sqp_iter);
             print_ocp_qp_in(qp_in);
@@ -584,7 +573,7 @@ int ocp_nlp_sqp(void *config_, void *dims_, void *nlp_in_, void *nlp_out_,
             mem->sqp_iter = sqp_iter;
             mem->time_tot = acados_toc(&timer0);
 
-            if (opts->print_level > 0)
+            if (nlp_opts->print_level > 0)
             {
                 printf("%i\t%e\t%e\t%e\t%e.\n", sqp_iter, nlp_res->inf_norm_res_stat,
                     nlp_res->inf_norm_res_eq, nlp_res->inf_norm_res_ineq,
@@ -641,7 +630,7 @@ int ocp_nlp_sqp(void *config_, void *dims_, void *nlp_in_, void *nlp_out_,
                                         "warm_start", &opts->qp_warm_start);
         }
 
-        if (opts->print_level > sqp_iter + 1)
+        if (nlp_opts->print_level > sqp_iter + 1)
         {
             printf("\n\nSQP: ocp_qp_out at iteration %d\n", sqp_iter);
             print_ocp_qp_out(qp_out);
@@ -679,7 +668,7 @@ int ocp_nlp_sqp(void *config_, void *dims_, void *nlp_in_, void *nlp_out_,
         // exit conditions on QP status
         if ((qp_status!=ACADOS_SUCCESS) & (qp_status!=ACADOS_MAXITER))
         {
-            if (opts->print_level > 0)
+            if (nlp_opts->print_level > 0)
             {
                 printf("%i\t%e\t%e\t%e\t%e.\n", sqp_iter, nlp_res->inf_norm_res_stat,
                     nlp_res->inf_norm_res_eq, nlp_res->inf_norm_res_ineq,
@@ -698,10 +687,10 @@ int ocp_nlp_sqp(void *config_, void *dims_, void *nlp_in_, void *nlp_out_,
             omp_set_num_threads(num_threads_bkp);
 #endif
 
-            if (opts->print_level > 1)
+            if (nlp_opts->print_level > 1)
             {
                 printf("\n Failed to solve the following QP:\n");
-                if (opts->print_level)
+                if (nlp_opts->print_level)
                     print_ocp_qp_in(qp_in);
             }
 
@@ -733,7 +722,7 @@ int ocp_nlp_sqp(void *config_, void *dims_, void *nlp_in_, void *nlp_out_,
                 // Paragraph: APPROACH III: S l1 QP (SEQUENTIAL l1 QUADRATIC PROGRAMMING),
                 // Section 18.8 TRUST-REGION SQP METHODS
                 //   - just no trust region radius here.
-                if (opts->print_level > 0)
+                if (nlp_opts->print_level > 0)
                     printf("ocp_nlp_sqp: performing SOC, since alpha %e in prelim. line search\n\n", alpha);
                 int *nb = qp_in->dim->nb;
                 int *ng = qp_in->dim->ng;
@@ -836,7 +825,7 @@ int ocp_nlp_sqp(void *config_, void *dims_, void *nlp_in_, void *nlp_out_,
                     // blasfeo_print_exp_dvec(2*nb[ii]+2*ng[ii], qp_in->d+ii, 0);
                 }
 
-                if (opts->print_level > sqp_iter + 1)
+                if (nlp_opts->print_level > sqp_iter + 1)
                 {
                     printf("\n\nSQP: SOC ocp_qp_in at iteration %d\n", sqp_iter);
                     print_ocp_qp_in(qp_in);
@@ -887,7 +876,7 @@ int ocp_nlp_sqp(void *config_, void *dims_, void *nlp_in_, void *nlp_out_,
                         ocp_qp_res_compute_nrm_inf(work->qp_res, mem->stat+(mem->stat_n*(sqp_iter+1)+7));
                 }
 
-                if (opts->print_level > sqp_iter + 1)
+                if (nlp_opts->print_level > sqp_iter + 1)
                 {
                     printf("\n\nSQP: SOC ocp_qp_out at iteration %d\n", sqp_iter);
                     print_ocp_qp_out(qp_out);
@@ -913,10 +902,10 @@ int ocp_nlp_sqp(void *config_, void *dims_, void *nlp_in_, void *nlp_out_,
                     omp_set_num_threads(num_threads_bkp);
         #endif
 
-                    if (opts->print_level > 1)
+                    if (nlp_opts->print_level > 1)
                     {
                         printf("\n Failed to solve the following QP:\n");
-                        if (opts->print_level > sqp_iter + 1)
+                        if (nlp_opts->print_level > sqp_iter + 1)
                             print_ocp_qp_in(qp_in);
                     }
 
@@ -943,7 +932,7 @@ int ocp_nlp_sqp(void *config_, void *dims_, void *nlp_in_, void *nlp_out_,
         // update variables
         ocp_nlp_update_variables_sqp(config, dims, nlp_in, nlp_out, nlp_opts, nlp_mem, nlp_work, alpha);
 
-        if (opts->print_level > 0)
+        if (nlp_opts->print_level > 0)
         {
             if (sqp_iter%10 == 0)
             {
@@ -954,7 +943,7 @@ int ocp_nlp_sqp(void *config_, void *dims_, void *nlp_in_, void *nlp_out_,
         }
     }  // end SQP loop
 
-    if (opts->print_level > 0)
+    if (nlp_opts->print_level > 0)
         printf("\n\n");
 
     // ocp_nlp_out_print(dims, nlp_out);
diff --git a/acados/ocp_nlp/ocp_nlp_sqp_rti.c b/acados/ocp_nlp/ocp_nlp_sqp_rti.c
index c5e2a65b05..b95eb170ca 100644
--- a/acados/ocp_nlp/ocp_nlp_sqp_rti.c
+++ b/acados/ocp_nlp/ocp_nlp_sqp_rti.c
@@ -125,7 +125,6 @@ void ocp_nlp_sqp_rti_opts_initialize_default(void *config_,
     opts->ext_qp_res = 0;
     opts->warm_start_first_qp = false;
     opts->rti_phase = 0;
-    opts->print_level = 0;
 
     // overwrite default submodules opts
 
@@ -591,7 +590,7 @@ void ocp_nlp_sqp_rti_feedback_step(void *config_, void *dims_,
         dims->regularize, opts->nlp_opts->regularize, nlp_mem->regularize_mem);
     mem->time_reg += acados_toc(&timer1);
 
-    if (opts->print_level > 0) {
+    if (nlp_opts->print_level > 0) {
         printf("\n------- qp_in --------\n");
         print_ocp_qp_in(nlp_mem->qp_in);
     }
@@ -655,7 +654,7 @@ void ocp_nlp_sqp_rti_feedback_step(void *config_, void *dims_,
         printf("\nSQP_RTI: QP solver returned error status %d QP iteration %d.\n",
                 qp_status, qp_iter);
 #endif
-        if (opts->print_level > 0)
+        if (nlp_opts->print_level > 0)
         {
             printf("\n Failed to solve the following QP:\n");
             print_ocp_qp_in(nlp_mem->qp_in);
diff --git a/acados/utils/print.h b/acados/utils/print.h
index 8579580af4..f8568afb26 100644
--- a/acados/utils/print.h
+++ b/acados/utils/print.h
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ void ocp_nlp_out_print(ocp_nlp_dims *dims, ocp_nlp_out *nlp_out);
 void ocp_nlp_res_print(ocp_nlp_dims *dims, ocp_nlp_res *nlp_res);
 
 // ocp qp
+// TODO: move printing routines below that print qp structures to HPIPM!
 void print_ocp_qp_dims(ocp_qp_dims *dims);
 
 // void print_dense_qp_dims(dense_qp_dims *dims);
@@ -81,20 +82,19 @@ void print_ocp_qp_out(ocp_qp_out *qp_out);
 
 void print_ocp_qp_out_to_file(FILE *file, ocp_qp_out *qp_out);
 
+void print_ocp_qp_res(ocp_qp_res *qp_res);
+
+void print_dense_qp_in(dense_qp_in *qp_in);
 // void print_ocp_qp_in_to_string(char string_out[], ocp_qp_in *qp_in);
 
 // void print_ocp_qp_out_to_string(char string_out[], ocp_qp_out *qp_out);
 
-void print_ocp_qp_res(ocp_qp_res *qp_res);
-
 // void print_colmaj_ocp_qp_in(colmaj_ocp_qp_in *qp);
 
 // void print_colmaj_ocp_qp_in_to_file(colmaj_ocp_qp_in *qp);
 
 // void print_colmaj_ocp_qp_out(char *filename, colmaj_ocp_qp_in *qp, colmaj_ocp_qp_out *out);
 
-void print_dense_qp_in(dense_qp_in *qp_in);
-
 void print_qp_info(qp_info *info);
 
 // void acados_warning(char warning_string[]);