diff --git a/include/ucore/logging.h b/include/ucore/logging.h
index b7bc443..bbaebe0 100644
--- a/include/ucore/logging.h
+++ b/include/ucore/logging.h
@@ -272,7 +272,9 @@ void uc_logf(int log_level, int module, int raw,
      const char *location, const char *fmt, ...)
      __attribute__((format(printf, 5, 6)));
 
-#ifdef DEBUG
+// only compile in UC_DEBUG log calls in debug mode, but allow the user
+// to override that by defining  UC_DEBUG_ALWAYS 
+#if defined(DEBUG) || defined(UC_DEBUG_ALWAYS)
 #   define UC_DEBUGF(mod, fmt, ...)\
         uc_logf(UC_LL_DEBUG, mod,0 , UC_SRC_LOCATION, fmt, ## __VA_ARGS__)
 #   define UC_DEBUGFR(mod, fmt, ...)\