diff --git a/pvAccessApp/remote/abstractResponseHandler.cpp b/pvAccessApp/remote/abstractResponseHandler.cpp
index 2d36e1f..4c7c0ec 100644
--- a/pvAccessApp/remote/abstractResponseHandler.cpp
+++ b/pvAccessApp/remote/abstractResponseHandler.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ namespace epics {
         void AbstractResponseHandler::handleResponse(osiSockAddr* responseFrom,
                 Transport::shared_pointer const & /*transport*/, int8 version, int8 command,
                 size_t payloadSize, ByteBuffer* payloadBuffer) {
-            if(_debug) {
+            if(_debugLevel >= 3) {   // TODO make a constant of sth (0 - off, 1 - debug, 2 - more/trace, 3 - messages)
                 char ipAddrStr[48];
                 ipAddrToDottedIP(&responseFrom->ia, ipAddrStr, sizeof(ipAddrStr));
 
diff --git a/pvAccessApp/remote/remote.h b/pvAccessApp/remote/remote.h
index 7999293..5a53b3a 100644
--- a/pvAccessApp/remote/remote.h
+++ b/pvAccessApp/remote/remote.h
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ namespace epics {
              */
             AbstractResponseHandler(Context* context, epics::pvData::String description) :
                 _description(description), 
-                _debug(context->getConfiguration()->getPropertyAsBoolean(PVACCESS_DEBUG, false)) {
+                _debugLevel(context->getConfiguration()->getPropertyAsInteger(PVACCESS_DEBUG, 0)) {
             }
 
             virtual ~AbstractResponseHandler() {}
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ namespace epics {
             /**
              * Debug flag.
              */
-            bool _debug;
+            epics::pvData::int32 _debugLevel;
         };
 
         /**
diff --git a/pvAccessApp/remoteClient/clientContextImpl.cpp b/pvAccessApp/remoteClient/clientContextImpl.cpp
index cbc26da..fef1fbe 100644
--- a/pvAccessApp/remoteClient/clientContextImpl.cpp
+++ b/pvAccessApp/remoteClient/clientContextImpl.cpp
@@ -4037,6 +4037,12 @@ TODO
         private:
 
             void loadConfiguration() {
+                
+                // TODO for now just a simple switch
+                int32 debugLevel = m_configuration->getPropertyAsInteger(PVACCESS_DEBUG, 0);
+                if (debugLevel > 0)
+                    SET_LOG_LEVEL(logLevelDebug);
+                    
                 m_addressList = m_configuration->getPropertyAsString("EPICS_PVA_ADDR_LIST", m_addressList);
                 m_autoAddressList = m_configuration->getPropertyAsBoolean("EPICS_PVA_AUTO_ADDR_LIST", m_autoAddressList);
                 m_connectionTimeout = m_configuration->getPropertyAsFloat("EPICS_PVA_CONN_TMO", m_connectionTimeout);
diff --git a/pvAccessApp/server/serverContext.cpp b/pvAccessApp/server/serverContext.cpp
index c357d23..67995f0 100644
--- a/pvAccessApp/server/serverContext.cpp
+++ b/pvAccessApp/server/serverContext.cpp
@@ -98,6 +98,11 @@ void ServerContextImpl::loadConfiguration()
 {
 	Configuration::shared_pointer config = getConfiguration();
 
+    // TODO for now just a simple switch
+    int32 debugLevel = config->getPropertyAsInteger(PVACCESS_DEBUG, 0);
+    if (debugLevel > 0)
+        SET_LOG_LEVEL(logLevelDebug);
+
     _beaconAddressList = config->getPropertyAsString("EPICS_PVA_ADDR_LIST", _beaconAddressList);
     _beaconAddressList = config->getPropertyAsString("EPICS_PVAS_BEACON_ADDR_LIST", _beaconAddressList);