diff --git a/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_at2x_emul.c b/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_at2x_emul.c
index 25d079dfa6d..91033c02b4a 100644
--- a/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_at2x_emul.c
+++ b/drivers/eeprom/eeprom_at2x_emul.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ static int at24_emul_transfer(const struct emul *target, struct i2c_msg *msgs,
 		return -EIO;
 	}
 
-	i2c_dump_msgs_rw("emul", msgs, num_msgs, addr, false);
+	i2c_dump_msgs_rw(target->dev, msgs, num_msgs, addr, false);
 	switch (num_msgs) {
 	case 1:
 		if (msgs->flags & I2C_MSG_READ) {
diff --git a/drivers/fuel_gauge/max17048/emul_max17048.c b/drivers/fuel_gauge/max17048/emul_max17048.c
index 3ae1565cb47..a3a09f4c03e 100644
--- a/drivers/fuel_gauge/max17048/emul_max17048.c
+++ b/drivers/fuel_gauge/max17048/emul_max17048.c
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ static int max17048_emul_transfer_i2c(const struct emul *target, struct i2c_msg
 
 	__ASSERT_NO_MSG(msgs && num_msgs);
 
-	i2c_dump_msgs_rw("emul", msgs, num_msgs, addr, false);
+	i2c_dump_msgs_rw(target->dev, msgs, num_msgs, addr, false);
 	switch (num_msgs) {
 	case 2:
 		if (msgs->flags & I2C_MSG_READ) {
diff --git a/drivers/fuel_gauge/sbs_gauge/emul_sbs_gauge.c b/drivers/fuel_gauge/sbs_gauge/emul_sbs_gauge.c
index c84a73e75ff..64668d54307 100644
--- a/drivers/fuel_gauge/sbs_gauge/emul_sbs_gauge.c
+++ b/drivers/fuel_gauge/sbs_gauge/emul_sbs_gauge.c
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ static int sbs_gauge_emul_transfer_i2c(const struct emul *target, struct i2c_msg
 
 	__ASSERT_NO_MSG(msgs && num_msgs);
 
-	i2c_dump_msgs_rw("emul", msgs, num_msgs, addr, false);
+	i2c_dump_msgs_rw(target->dev, msgs, num_msgs, addr, false);
 	switch (num_msgs) {
 	case 2:
 		if (msgs->flags & I2C_MSG_READ) {
diff --git a/drivers/i2c/Kconfig b/drivers/i2c/Kconfig
index 655d7f6e0bc..8ae217f82bf 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/i2c/Kconfig
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ config I2C_STATS
 config I2C_DUMP_MESSAGES
 	bool "Log all I2C transactions"
 	depends on LOG
+	depends on I2C_LOG_LEVEL_DBG
 	help
 	  Dump every I2C transaction to the system log as debug level log messages.
 
diff --git a/drivers/i2c/i2c_common.c b/drivers/i2c/i2c_common.c
index aaae974add8..6094ed12c77 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/i2c_common.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/i2c_common.c
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@ void z_i2c_transfer_signal_cb(const struct device *dev,
 }
 #endif
 
-void i2c_dump_msgs_rw(const char *name, const struct i2c_msg *msgs,
-		      uint8_t num_msgs, uint16_t addr, bool dump_read)
+void i2c_dump_msgs_rw(const struct device *dev, const struct i2c_msg *msgs, uint8_t num_msgs,
+		      uint16_t addr, bool dump_read)
 {
-	LOG_DBG("I2C msg: %s, addr=%x", name, addr);
+	LOG_DBG("I2C msg: %s, addr=%x", dev->name, addr);
 	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < num_msgs; i++) {
 		const struct i2c_msg *msg = &msgs[i];
 		const bool is_read = msg->flags & I2C_MSG_READ;
diff --git a/drivers/sensor/akm09918c/akm09918c_emul.c b/drivers/sensor/akm09918c/akm09918c_emul.c
index 2112acc8c00..a8ce27fd3d3 100644
--- a/drivers/sensor/akm09918c/akm09918c_emul.c
+++ b/drivers/sensor/akm09918c/akm09918c_emul.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ static int akm09918c_emul_transfer_i2c(const struct emul *target, struct i2c_msg
 {
 	struct akm09918c_emul_data *data = target->data;
 
-	i2c_dump_msgs_rw("emul", msgs, num_msgs, addr, false);
+	i2c_dump_msgs_rw(target->dev, msgs, num_msgs, addr, false);
 
 	if (num_msgs < 1) {
 		LOG_ERR("Invalid number of messages: %d", num_msgs);
diff --git a/drivers/sensor/bmi160/emul_bmi160.c b/drivers/sensor/bmi160/emul_bmi160.c
index 78fe6d3ef88..3870346cd30 100644
--- a/drivers/sensor/bmi160/emul_bmi160.c
+++ b/drivers/sensor/bmi160/emul_bmi160.c
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ static int bmi160_emul_transfer_i2c(const struct emul *target, struct i2c_msg *m
 
 	__ASSERT_NO_MSG(msgs && num_msgs);
 
-	i2c_dump_msgs_rw("emul", msgs, num_msgs, addr, false);
+	i2c_dump_msgs_rw(target->dev, msgs, num_msgs, addr, false);
 	switch (num_msgs) {
 	case 2:
 		if (msgs->flags & I2C_MSG_READ) {
diff --git a/drivers/usb/bc12/emul_bc12_pi3usb9201.c b/drivers/usb/bc12/emul_bc12_pi3usb9201.c
index 6d6842939cd..f798d4d9ac0 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/bc12/emul_bc12_pi3usb9201.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/bc12/emul_bc12_pi3usb9201.c
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ static int pi3usb9201_emul_transfer(const struct emul *target, struct i2c_msg *m
 		return -EIO;
 	}
 
-	i2c_dump_msgs("emul", msgs, num_msgs, addr);
+	i2c_dump_msgs(target->dev, msgs, num_msgs, addr);
 
 	/* Only single byte register access permitted.  Write operations must
 	 * consist of 2 write bytes: register offset, register data.  Read
diff --git a/include/zephyr/drivers/i2c.h b/include/zephyr/drivers/i2c.h
index 95d0cf1e9c1..c3ea9bb43eb 100644
--- a/include/zephyr/drivers/i2c.h
+++ b/include/zephyr/drivers/i2c.h
@@ -488,33 +488,33 @@ static inline bool i2c_is_ready_dt(const struct i2c_dt_spec *spec)
  * D:    R len=01: 6c
  * @endcode
  *
- * @param name Name of this dump, displayed at the top.
+ * @param dev Target for the messages being sent. Its name will be printed in the log.
  * @param msgs Array of messages to dump.
  * @param num_msgs Number of messages to dump.
  * @param addr Address of the I2C target device.
  * @param dump_read Dump data from I2C reads, otherwise only writes have data dumped.
  */
-void i2c_dump_msgs_rw(const char *name, const struct i2c_msg *msgs,
-		      uint8_t num_msgs, uint16_t addr, bool dump_read);
+void i2c_dump_msgs_rw(const struct device *dev, const struct i2c_msg *msgs, uint8_t num_msgs,
+		      uint16_t addr, bool dump_read);
 
 /**
  * @brief Dump out an I2C message, before it is executed.
  *
  * This is equivalent to:
  *
- *     i2c_dump_msgs_rw(name, msgs, num_msgs, addr, false);
+ *     i2c_dump_msgs_rw(dev, msgs, num_msgs, addr, false);
  *
  * The read messages' data isn't dumped.
  *
- * @param name Name of this dump, displayed at the top.
+ * @param dev Target for the messages being sent. Its name will be printed in the log.
  * @param msgs Array of messages to dump.
  * @param num_msgs Number of messages to dump.
  * @param addr Address of the I2C target device.
  */
-static inline void i2c_dump_msgs(const char *name, const struct i2c_msg *msgs,
+static inline void i2c_dump_msgs(const struct device *dev, const struct i2c_msg *msgs,
 				 uint8_t num_msgs, uint16_t addr)
 {
-	i2c_dump_msgs_rw(name, msgs, num_msgs, addr, false);
+	i2c_dump_msgs_rw(dev, msgs, num_msgs, addr, false);
 }
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_I2C_STATS) || defined(__DOXYGEN__)
@@ -772,7 +772,7 @@ static inline int z_impl_i2c_transfer(const struct device *dev,
 	i2c_xfer_stats(dev, msgs, num_msgs);
 
 	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_I2C_DUMP_MESSAGES)) {
-		i2c_dump_msgs_rw(dev->name, msgs, num_msgs, addr, true);
+		i2c_dump_msgs_rw(dev, msgs, num_msgs, addr, true);
 	}
 
 	return res;