diff --git a/lisp/doom-lib.el b/lisp/doom-lib.el
index 3e1405d02..93522af63 100644
--- a/lisp/doom-lib.el
+++ b/lisp/doom-lib.el
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ unreadable. Returns the names of envvars that were changed."
 (defun doom-run-hook (hook)
   "Run HOOK (a hook function) with better error handling.
 Meant to be used with `run-hook-wrapped'."
-  (doom-log "hook:%s: run %s" (or doom--hook '*) hook)
+  (doom-log 2 "hook:%s: run %s" (or doom--hook '*) hook)
   (condition-case-unless-debug e
       (funcall hook)
     (error
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ TRIGGER-HOOK is a list of quoted hooks and/or sharp-quoted functions."
   (with-memoization (get 'doom-compile-function 'timer)
     (run-with-idle-timer
      1.5 t (fn! (when-let (fn (pop fns))
-                  (doom-log "compile-functions: %s" fn)
+                  (doom-log 3 "compile-functions: %s" fn)
                   (or (if (featurep 'native-compile)
                           (or (subr-native-elisp-p (indirect-function fn))
                               (ignore-errors (native-compile fn))))
@@ -1170,7 +1170,7 @@ Never set this variable directly, use `with-doom-module'.")
             (if key
                 (doom-module-context key)
               (make-doom-module-context)))))
-     (doom-log ":context:module: =%s" doom-module-context)
+     (doom-log 2 ":context:module: =%s" doom-module-context)
      ,@body))
 
 (defun doom-module-context (key)
diff --git a/lisp/lib/debug.el b/lisp/lib/debug.el
index cc30606e6..30d48c452 100644
--- a/lisp/lib/debug.el
+++ b/lisp/lib/debug.el
@@ -6,85 +6,120 @@
 ;;; Doom's debug mode
 
 ;;;###autoload
-(defvar doom-debug-variables
+(defvar doom-debug--variables
   `(;; Doom variables
     (doom-print-minimum-level . debug)
     (doom-inhibit-log . nil)
-    (doom-log-level . 2)
 
     ;; Emacs variables
-    async-debug
+    (async-debug t 2)
     debug-on-error
-    gcmh-verbose
+    (gcmh-verbose t 3)
     init-file-debug
-    jka-compr-verbose
-    (message-log-max . 16384)
-    (native-comp-async-report-warnings-errors . silent)
-    (native-comp-warning-on-missing-source . t)
+    (jka-compr-verbose t 3)
+    (message-log-max 16384)
+    (native-comp-async-report-warnings-errors silent 2)
+    (native-comp-warning-on-missing-source t 2)
     url-debug
     use-package-verbose
-    (warning-suppress-types . nil))
-  "A list of variable to toggle on `doom-debug-mode'.
+    (warning-suppress-types nil)))
 
-Each entry can be a variable symbol or a cons cell whose CAR is the variable
-symbol and CDR is the value to set it to when `doom-debug-mode' is activated.")
+;;;###autoload
+(progn
+  (cl-defun set-debug-variable! (var &optional (debug-val t) (level 1))
+    "Set VAR to DEBUG-VAL (or `t') when `doom-debug-mode' is active at >=LEVEL."
+    (setf (alist-get var doom-debug--variables) (cons debug-val level))))
 
-(defvar doom-debug--unbound-vars nil)
+(defvar doom-debug--unbound-variables nil)
 
 (defun doom-debug--watch-vars-h (&rest _)
-  (when-let (vars (copy-sequence doom-debug--unbound-vars))
-    (setq doom-debug--unbound-vars nil)
+  (when-let* ((vars (copy-sequence doom-debug--unbound-variables)))
+    (setq doom-debug--unbound-variables nil)
     (mapc #'doom-debug--set-var vars)))
 
 (defun doom-debug--set-var (spec)
   (cond ((listp spec)
-         (pcase-let ((`(,var . ,val) spec))
+         (pcase-let ((`(,var ,val ,level) spec))
            (if (boundp var)
                (set-default
-                var (if (not doom-debug-mode)
+                var (if (or (not doom-debug-mode)
+                            (> (or level 1) doom-log-level))
                         (prog1 (get var 'initial-value)
                           (put var 'initial-value nil))
-                      (doom-log "debug:vars: %s = %S" var (default-toplevel-value var))
+                      (doom-log 3 "debug:vars: %s = %S" var (default-toplevel-value var))
                       (put var 'initial-value (default-toplevel-value var))
                       val))
-             (add-to-list 'doom-debug--unbound-vars spec))))
+             (add-to-list 'doom-debug--unbound-variables spec))))
         ((boundp spec)
-         (doom-log "debug:vars: %s = %S" spec doom-debug-mode)
+         (doom-log 3 "debug:vars: %s = %S" spec doom-debug-mode)
          (set-default-toplevel-value spec doom-debug-mode))
-        ((add-to-list 'doom-debug--unbound-vars (cons spec t)))))
+        ((add-to-list 'doom-debug--unbound-variables (cons spec t)))))
+
+(defun doom-debug--timestamped-message-a (format-string &rest _args)
+  "Advice to run before `message' that prepends a timestamp to each message.
+
+Activate this advice with:
+(advice-add 'message :before 'doom-debug--timestamped-message-a)"
+  (when (and (stringp format-string)
+             message-log-max  ; if nil, logging is disabled
+             (not (equal format-string "%s%s"))
+             (not (equal format-string "\n")))
+    (with-current-buffer "*Messages*"
+      (let ((timestamp (format-time-string "[%F %T] " (current-time)))
+            (deactivate-mark nil))
+        (with-silent-modifications
+          (goto-char (point-max))
+          (if (not (bolp))
+              (newline))
+          (insert timestamp))))
+    (let ((window (get-buffer-window "*Messages*")))
+      (when (and window (not (equal (selected-window) window)))
+        (with-current-buffer "*Messages*"
+          (goto-char (point-max))
+          (set-window-point window (point-max)))))))
 
 ;;;###autoload
 (define-minor-mode doom-debug-mode
   "Toggle `debug-on-error' and `init-file-debug' for verbose logging."
   :global t
-  (let ((enabled doom-debug-mode))
-    (doom-log "debug: enabled!")
-    (mapc #'doom-debug--set-var doom-debug-variables)
-    ;; Watch for changes in `doom-debug-variables', or when packages load (and
-    ;; potentially define one of `doom-debug-variables'), in case some of them
-    ;; aren't defined when `doom-debug-mode' is first loaded.
-    (cond (enabled
-           (unless noninteractive
-             (message "Debug mode enabled! (Run 'M-x view-echo-area-messages' to open the log buffer)"))
-           ;; Produce more helpful (and visible) error messages from errors
-           ;; emitted from hooks (particularly mode hooks), that usually go
-           ;; unnoticed otherwise.
-           (advice-add #'run-hooks :override #'doom-run-hooks)
-           ;; Add time stamps to lines in *Messages*
-           (advice-add #'message :before #'doom--timestamped-message-a)
-           ;; The constant debug output from GC is mostly unhelpful. I still
-           ;; want it logged to *Messages*, just out of the echo area.
-           (advice-add #'gcmh-idle-garbage-collect :around #'doom-debug-shut-up-a)
-           (add-variable-watcher 'doom-debug-variables #'doom-debug--watch-vars-h)
-           (add-hook 'after-load-functions #'doom-debug--watch-vars-h))
-          (t
-           (advice-remove #'run-hooks #'doom-run-hooks)
-           (advice-remove #'message #'doom--timestamped-message-a)
-           (advice-remove #'gcmh-idle-garbage-collect #'doom-debug-shut-up-a)
-           (remove-variable-watcher 'doom-debug-variables #'doom-debug--watch-vars-h)
-           (remove-hook 'after-load-functions #'doom-debug--watch-vars-h)
-           (doom-log "debug: disabled")
-           (message "Debug mode disabled!")))))
+  (when (or doom-debug-mode
+            (and (integerp current-prefix-arg)
+                 (> current-prefix-arg 0)))
+    (setq doom-debug-mode t)
+    (let ((level (max 1 (min 3 (or current-prefix-arg 1)))))
+      (put 'doom-log-level 'initial-value doom-log-level)
+      (setq doom-log-level level)))
+  (doom-log "debug: enabled! (log-level=%d)" doom-log-level)
+  (mapc #'doom-debug--set-var doom-debug--variables)
+  ;; Watch for changes in `doom-debug--variables', or when packages load (and
+  ;; potentially define one of `doom-debug--variables'), in case some of them
+  ;; aren't defined when `doom-debug-mode' is first loaded.
+  (cond (doom-debug-mode
+         (unless noninteractive
+           (message "Debug mode level %d enabled! (Run 'M-x view-echo-area-messages' to open the log buffer)"
+                    doom-log-level))
+         ;; Produce more helpful (and visible) error messages from errors
+         ;; emitted from hooks (particularly mode hooks), that usually go
+         ;; unnoticed otherwise.
+         (advice-add #'run-hooks :override #'doom-run-hooks)
+         ;; Add time stamps to lines in *Messages*
+         (advice-add #'message :before #'doom-debug--timestamped-message-a)
+         ;; The constant debug output from GC is mostly unhelpful. I still
+         ;; want it logged to *Messages*, just out of the echo area.
+         (advice-add #'gcmh-idle-garbage-collect :around #'doom-debug-shut-up-a)
+         (add-variable-watcher 'doom-debug--variables #'doom-debug--watch-vars-h)
+         (add-hook 'after-load-functions #'doom-debug--watch-vars-h))
+        (t
+         (when-let* ((last-level (get 'doom-log-level 'initial-value)))
+           (put 'doom-log-level 'initial-value nil)
+           (setq doom-log-level last-level))
+         (advice-remove #'run-hooks #'doom-run-hooks)
+         (advice-remove #'message #'doom-debug--timestamped-message-a)
+         (advice-remove #'gcmh-idle-garbage-collect #'doom-debug-shut-up-a)
+         (remove-variable-watcher 'doom-debug--variables #'doom-debug--watch-vars-h)
+         (remove-hook 'after-load-functions #'doom-debug--watch-vars-h)
+         (doom-log "debug: disabled")
+         (message "Debug mode disabled!"))))
 
 (defun doom-debug-shut-up-a (fn &rest args)
   "Suppress output from FN, even in debug mode."
@@ -163,33 +198,6 @@ symbol and CDR is the value to set it to when `doom-debug-mode' is activated.")
       file)))
 
 
-;;
-;;; Time-stamped *Message* logs
-
-(defun doom--timestamped-message-a (format-string &rest _args)
-  "Advice to run before `message' that prepends a timestamp to each message.
-
-Activate this advice with:
-(advice-add 'message :before 'doom--timestamped-message-a)"
-  (when (and (stringp format-string)
-             message-log-max  ; if nil, logging is disabled
-             (not (equal format-string "%s%s"))
-             (not (equal format-string "\n")))
-    (with-current-buffer "*Messages*"
-      (let ((timestamp (format-time-string "[%F %T] " (current-time)))
-            (deactivate-mark nil))
-        (with-silent-modifications
-          (goto-char (point-max))
-          (if (not (bolp))
-              (newline))
-          (insert timestamp))))
-    (let ((window (get-buffer-window "*Messages*")))
-      (when (and window (not (equal (selected-window) window)))
-        (with-current-buffer "*Messages*"
-          (goto-char (point-max))
-          (set-window-point window (point-max)))))))
-
-
 ;;
 ;;; Hooks
 
diff --git a/modules/editor/format/config.el b/modules/editor/format/config.el
index fa2fc1e15..6eebb125d 100644
--- a/modules/editor/format/config.el
+++ b/modules/editor/format/config.el
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ This is controlled by `+format-on-save-disabled-modes'."
     (add-hook 'lsp-managed-mode-hook #'+format-with-lsp-toggle-h))
 
   :config
-  (add-to-list 'doom-debug-variables '(apheleia-log-only-errors . nil))
-  (add-to-list 'doom-debug-variables '(apheleia-log-debug-info . t))
+  (set-debug-variable! 'apheleia-log-only-errors nil)
+  (set-debug-variable! 'apheleia-log-debug-info t 2)
 
   (defadvice! +format--inhibit-reformat-on-prefix-arg-a (orig-fn &optional arg)
     "Make it so \\[save-buffer] with prefix arg inhibits reformatting."
diff --git a/modules/editor/snippets/config.el b/modules/editor/snippets/config.el
index 7690b8c02..1346c5dc4 100644
--- a/modules/editor/snippets/config.el
+++ b/modules/editor/snippets/config.el
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
   (add-transient-hook! #'company-yasnippet (require 'yasnippet))
 
   :config
-  (add-to-list 'doom-debug-variables '(yas-verbosity . 3))
+  (set-debug-variable! 'yas-verbosity 3)
 
   ;; Allow private snippets in DOOMDIR/snippets
   (add-to-list 'yas-snippet-dirs '+snippets-dir)
diff --git a/modules/email/mu4e/config.el b/modules/email/mu4e/config.el
index 2902f6ae5..fb21d6716 100644
--- a/modules/email/mu4e/config.el
+++ b/modules/email/mu4e/config.el
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
     (setq mu4e-maildir "~/.mail"
           mu4e-user-mail-address-list nil))
   :config
-  (add-to-list 'doom-debug-variables 'mu4e-debug)
+  (set-debug-variable! 'mu4e-debug)
   ;; mu4e now uses `display-buffer-alist' so we need to add some rules of our own
   (set-popup-rule! "^\\*mu4e-\\(main\\|headers\\)\\*" :ignore t)
   (set-popup-rule! "^\\*mu4e-log\\*" :select nil)
diff --git a/modules/lang/org/config.el b/modules/lang/org/config.el
index e7b077885..2fbcbaefa 100644
--- a/modules/lang/org/config.el
+++ b/modules/lang/org/config.el
@@ -1364,7 +1364,7 @@ between the two."
     (run-hooks 'org-load-hook))
 
   :config
-  (add-to-list 'doom-debug-variables 'org-export-async-debug)
+  (set-debug-variable! 'org-export-async-debug)
 
   (set-company-backend! 'org-mode 'company-capf)
   (set-eval-handler! 'org-mode #'+org-eval-handler)
diff --git a/modules/tools/direnv/config.el b/modules/tools/direnv/config.el
index b9f4f5045..acd15ad02 100644
--- a/modules/tools/direnv/config.el
+++ b/modules/tools/direnv/config.el
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 (use-package! envrc
   :hook (doom-first-file . envrc-global-mode)
   :config
-  (add-to-list 'doom-debug-variables 'envrc-debug)
+  (set-debug-variable! 'envrc-debug)
 
   (set-popup-rule! "^\\*envrc\\*" :quit t :ttl 0)
 
diff --git a/modules/tools/lsp/+eglot.el b/modules/tools/lsp/+eglot.el
index 5c8b8837a..0990f8a1e 100644
--- a/modules/tools/lsp/+eglot.el
+++ b/modules/tools/lsp/+eglot.el
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
   ;;   Emacs GC is put under high pressure.
   (cl-callf plist-put eglot-events-buffer-config :size 0)
 
-  (add-to-list 'doom-debug-variables '(eglot-events-buffer-config :size 2000000 :format full))
+  (set-debug-variable! 'eglot-events-buffer-config '(:size 2000000 :format full))
 
   (defadvice! +lsp--defer-server-shutdown-a (fn &optional server)
     "Defer server shutdown for a few seconds.
diff --git a/modules/tools/lsp/+lsp.el b/modules/tools/lsp/+lsp.el
index 5961172cc..44334e632 100644
--- a/modules/tools/lsp/+lsp.el
+++ b/modules/tools/lsp/+lsp.el
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ Can be a list of backends; accepts any value `company-backends' accepts.")
         (apply fn args))))
 
   :config
-  (add-to-list 'doom-debug-variables 'lsp-log-io)
+  (set-debug-variable! 'lsp-log-io t 2)
 
   (setq lsp-intelephense-storage-path (concat doom-data-dir "lsp-intelephense/")
         lsp-vetur-global-snippets-dir
diff --git a/modules/tools/magit/config.el b/modules/tools/magit/config.el
index 9564b5618..37c9a0381 100644
--- a/modules/tools/magit/config.el
+++ b/modules/tools/magit/config.el
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ FUNCTION
         transient-values-file  (concat doom-data-dir "transient/values")
         transient-history-file (concat doom-data-dir "transient/history"))
   :config
-  (add-to-list 'doom-debug-variables 'magit-refresh-verbose)
+  (set-debug-variable! 'magit-refresh-verbose)
 
   (setq transient-default-level 5
         magit-diff-refine-hunk t ; show granular diffs in selected hunk