diff --git a/examples/basic.c b/examples/basic.c
index aafc119..0f144e2 100644
--- a/examples/basic.c
+++ b/examples/basic.c
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ static void usage(int exit_code)
             "  --trust-tls              Trust TLS certificate.\n"
             "  --legacy-ssl             Use old style SSL.\n"
             "  --legacy-auth            Allow legacy authentication.\n"
+            "  --verbose                Increase the verbosity level.\n"
             "  --tcp-keepalive          Configure TCP keepalive.\n\n"
             "Note: --disable-tls conflicts with --mandatory-tls or "
             "--legacy-ssl\n");
@@ -72,7 +73,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     xmpp_log_t *log;
     char *jid = NULL, *password = NULL, *cert = NULL, *key = NULL, *host = NULL;
     long flags = 0;
-    int tcp_keepalive = 0;
+    int tcp_keepalive = 0, verbosity = 0;
     int i;
     unsigned long port = 0;
 
@@ -90,6 +91,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
             flags |= XMPP_CONN_FLAG_LEGACY_SSL;
         else if (strcmp(argv[i], "--legacy-auth") == 0)
             flags |= XMPP_CONN_FLAG_LEGACY_AUTH;
+        else if (strcmp(argv[i], "--verbose") == 0)
+            verbosity++;
         else if (strcmp(argv[i], "--tcp-keepalive") == 0)
             tcp_keepalive = 1;
         else if ((strcmp(argv[i], "--jid") == 0) && (++i < argc))
@@ -124,6 +127,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     log = xmpp_get_default_logger(XMPP_LEVEL_DEBUG);
     /* create a context */
     ctx = xmpp_ctx_new(NULL, log);
+    xmpp_ctx_set_verbosity(ctx, verbosity);
 
     /* create a connection */
     conn = xmpp_conn_new(ctx);
diff --git a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
index bf018d4..4f2a363 100644
--- a/src/common.h
+++ b/src/common.h
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ typedef struct _xmpp_connlist_t {
 struct _xmpp_ctx_t {
     const xmpp_mem_t *mem;
     const xmpp_log_t *log;
+    int verbosity;
 
     xmpp_rand_t *rand;
     xmpp_loop_status_t loop_status;
@@ -103,6 +104,8 @@ void xmpp_error(const xmpp_ctx_t *ctx, const char *area, const char *fmt, ...);
 void xmpp_warn(const xmpp_ctx_t *ctx, const char *area, const char *fmt, ...);
 void xmpp_info(const xmpp_ctx_t *ctx, const char *area, const char *fmt, ...);
 void xmpp_debug(const xmpp_ctx_t *ctx, const char *area, const char *fmt, ...);
+void xmpp_debug_verbose(
+    int level, const xmpp_ctx_t *ctx, const char *area, const char *fmt, ...);
 
 /** connection **/
 
diff --git a/src/conn.c b/src/conn.c
index 9f32864..5221f3a 100644
--- a/src/conn.c
+++ b/src/conn.c
@@ -1478,5 +1478,6 @@ static int _send_raw(xmpp_conn_t *conn, char *data, size_t len)
     }
     conn->send_queue_len++;
     xmpp_debug(conn->ctx, "conn", "SENT: %s", data);
+    xmpp_debug_verbose(1, conn->ctx, "conn", "Added queue element: %p", item);
     return XMPP_EOK;
 }
diff --git a/src/ctx.c b/src/ctx.c
index 6e295ef..15bbd09 100644
--- a/src/ctx.c
+++ b/src/ctx.c
@@ -377,6 +377,30 @@ void xmpp_debug(const xmpp_ctx_t *ctx, const char *area, const char *fmt, ...)
     va_end(ap);
 }
 
+/** Write to the log at the DEBUG level if verbosity is enabled.
+ *  This is a convenience function for writing to the log at the DEBUG level.
+ *  It takes a printf-style format string followed by a variable list of
+ *  arguments for formatting.
+ *
+ *  @param level the verbosity level
+ *  @param ctx a Strophe context object
+ *  @param area the area to log for
+ *  @param fmt a printf-style format string followed by a variable list of
+ *      arguments to format
+ */
+void xmpp_debug_verbose(
+    int level, const xmpp_ctx_t *ctx, const char *area, const char *fmt, ...)
+{
+    va_list ap;
+
+    if (ctx->verbosity < level)
+        return;
+
+    va_start(ap, fmt);
+    xmpp_log(ctx, XMPP_LEVEL_DEBUG, area, fmt, ap);
+    va_end(ap);
+}
+
 /** Create and initialize a Strophe context object.
  *  If mem is NULL, a default allocation setup will be used which
  *  wraps malloc(), free(), and realloc() from the standard library.
@@ -449,3 +473,15 @@ void xmpp_ctx_set_timeout(xmpp_ctx_t *ctx, unsigned long timeout)
 {
     ctx->timeout = timeout;
 }
+
+/** Set the verbosity level of a Strophe context.
+ *
+ *  @param ctx a Strophe context object
+ *  @param level the verbosity level
+ *
+ *  @ingroup Context
+ */
+void xmpp_ctx_set_verbosity(xmpp_ctx_t *ctx, int level)
+{
+    ctx->verbosity = level;
+}
diff --git a/src/event.c b/src/event.c
index 1edddac..c3b7d21 100644
--- a/src/event.c
+++ b/src/event.c
@@ -134,6 +134,8 @@ void xmpp_run_once(xmpp_ctx_t *ctx, unsigned long timeout)
                 break; /* partial write or an error */
 
             /* all data for this queue item written, delete and move on */
+            xmpp_debug_verbose(1, ctx, "xmpp",
+                               "Finished writing queue element: %p.", sq);
             xmpp_free(ctx, sq->data);
             tsq = sq;
             sq = sq->next;
diff --git a/strophe.h b/strophe.h
index e16ee08..ce90793 100644
--- a/strophe.h
+++ b/strophe.h
@@ -125,6 +125,9 @@ typedef struct _xmpp_ctx_t xmpp_ctx_t;
 xmpp_ctx_t *xmpp_ctx_new(const xmpp_mem_t *mem, const xmpp_log_t *log);
 void xmpp_ctx_free(xmpp_ctx_t *ctx);
 
+/* set the verbosity level of the ctx */
+void xmpp_ctx_set_verbosity(xmpp_ctx_t *ctx, int level);
+
 /* free some blocks returned by other APIs, for example the
    buffer you get from xmpp_stanza_to_text */
 void xmpp_free(const xmpp_ctx_t *ctx, void *p);