diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index ee415a09..5dcd95cb 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -317,6 +317,7 @@ nova_service_in_ldap: false
 nova_libvirtd_listen_tls: 1
 nova_libvirtd_listen_tcp: 0
 nova_libvirtd_auth_tcp: sasl
+nova_libvirtd_debug_log_filters: "3:remote 4:event 3:json 3:rpc"
 
 ## Service Names
 nova_service_names:
diff --git a/templates/libvirtd.conf.j2 b/templates/libvirtd.conf.j2
index 5ecf21b1..bd4fb1bc 100644
--- a/templates/libvirtd.conf.j2
+++ b/templates/libvirtd.conf.j2
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # {{ ansible_managed }}
 
+{% if debug | bool %}
+# enabling debug mode according to http://wiki.libvirt.org/page/DebugLogs
+log_level = 1
+log_filters="{{ nova_libvirtd_debug_log_filters }}"
+log_outputs="1:file:/var/log/libvirt/libvirtd.log"
+{% endif %}
 listen_tls = {{ nova_libvirtd_listen_tls }}
 listen_tcp = {{ nova_libvirtd_listen_tcp }}
 unix_sock_group = "libvirtd"