diff --git a/jax/BUILD b/jax/BUILD
index d09d66c8c..e1e042418 100644
--- a/jax/BUILD
+++ b/jax/BUILD
@@ -293,10 +293,16 @@ pytype_strict_library(
     name = "config",
     srcs = ["_src/config.py"],
     deps = [
+        ":logging_config",
         "//jax/_src/lib",
     ],
 )
 
+pytype_strict_library(
+    name = "logging_config",
+    srcs = ["_src/logging_config.py"],
+)
+
 pytype_strict_library(
     name = "core",
     srcs = [
diff --git a/jax/__init__.py b/jax/__init__.py
index 1ada9e4a9..5e289593d 100644
--- a/jax/__init__.py
+++ b/jax/__init__.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-# Set default logging level before any logging happens.
+# Set default C++ logging level before any logging happens.
 import os as _os
 _os.environ.setdefault('TF_CPP_MIN_LOG_LEVEL', '1')
 del _os
diff --git a/jax/_src/config.py b/jax/_src/config.py
index fa42727e5..a578084ce 100644
--- a/jax/_src/config.py
+++ b/jax/_src/config.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ from jax._src import lib
 from jax._src.lib import jax_jit
 from jax._src.lib import transfer_guard_lib
 from jax._src.lib import xla_client
+from jax._src import logging_config
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -1205,3 +1206,21 @@ def transfer_guard(new_val: str) -> Iterator[None]:
     stack.enter_context(transfer_guard_device_to_host(new_val))
     stack.enter_context(_transfer_guard(new_val))
     yield
+
+
+def _update_debug_log_modules(module_names_str: Optional[str]):
+  logging_config.disable_all_debug_logging()
+  if not module_names_str:
+    return
+  module_names = module_names_str.split(',')
+  for module_name in module_names:
+    logging_config.enable_debug_logging(module_name)
+
+# Don't define a context manager since this isn't threadsafe.
+config.define_string_state(
+    name='jax_debug_log_modules',
+    default='',
+    help=('Comma-separated list of module names (e.g. "jax" or '
+          '"jax._src.xla_bridge,jax._src.dispatch") to enable debug logging '
+          'for.'),
+    update_global_hook=_update_debug_log_modules)
diff --git a/jax/_src/dispatch.py b/jax/_src/dispatch.py
index c6564c157..00692a869 100644
--- a/jax/_src/dispatch.py
+++ b/jax/_src/dispatch.py
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ def log_elapsed_time(fmt: str, fun_name: str, event: str | None = None):
     yield
     elapsed_time = time.time() - start_time
     if logger.isEnabledFor(log_priority):
-      logger.log(logging.WARNING, fmt.format(
+      logger.log(log_priority, fmt.format(
           fun_name=fun_name, elapsed_time=elapsed_time))
     if event is not None:
       record_event_duration_secs(event, elapsed_time)
diff --git a/jax/_src/logging_config.py b/jax/_src/logging_config.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d2f9d9c8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jax/_src/logging_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# Copyright 2023 The JAX Authors.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import logging
+import sys
+
+_debug_handler = logging.StreamHandler(sys.stderr)
+_debug_handler.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
+# Example log message:
+# DEBUG:2023-06-07 00:14:40,280:jax._src.xla_bridge:590: Initializing backend 'cpu'
+_debug_handler.setFormatter(logging.Formatter(
+    "{levelname}:{asctime}:{name}:{lineno}: {message}", style='{'))
+
+_debug_enabled_loggers = []
+
+
+def enable_debug_logging(logger_name):
+  """Makes the specified logger log everything to stderr.
+
+  Also adds more useful debug information to the log messages, e.g. the time.
+
+  Args:
+    logger_name: the name of the logger, e.g. "jax._src.xla_bridge".
+  """
+  logger = logging.getLogger(logger_name)
+  logger.addHandler(_debug_handler)
+  logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
+  _debug_enabled_loggers.append(logger)
+
+
+def disable_all_debug_logging():
+  """Disables all debug logging enabled via `enable_debug_logging`.
+
+  The default logging behavior will still be in effect, i.e. WARNING and above
+  will be logged to stderr without extra message formatting.
+  """
+  for logger in _debug_enabled_loggers:
+    logger.removeHandler(_debug_handler)
+    # Assume that the default non-debug log level is always WARNING. In theory
+    # we could keep track of what it was set to before. This shouldn't make a
+    # difference if not other handlers are attached, but set it back in case
+    # something else gets attached (e.g. absl logger) and for consistency.
+    logger.setLevel(logging.WARNING)
diff --git a/tests/BUILD b/tests/BUILD
index 717e45479..727b8e9e1 100644
--- a/tests/BUILD
+++ b/tests/BUILD
@@ -1144,6 +1144,15 @@ py_test(
     ],
 )
 
+py_test(
+    name = "logging_test",
+    srcs = ["logging_test.py"],
+    deps = [
+        "//jax",
+        "//jax:test_util",
+    ],
+)
+
 exports_files(
     [
         "api_test.py",
diff --git a/tests/logging_test.py b/tests/logging_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3991f6ed8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/logging_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+# Copyright 2023 The JAX Authors.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import contextlib
+import io
+import logging
+
+
+import jax
+from jax import config
+import jax._src.test_util as jtu
+
+# Note: importing absltest causes an extra absl root log handler to be
+# registered, which causes extra debug log messages. We don't expect users to
+# import absl logging, so it should only affect this test. We need to use
+# absltest.main and config.parse_flags_with_absl() in order for jax_test flag
+# parsing to work correctly with bazel (otherwise we could avoid importing
+# absltest/absl logging altogether).
+from absl.testing import absltest
+jax.config.parse_flags_with_absl()
+
+
+@contextlib.contextmanager
+def capture_jax_logs():
+  log_output = io.StringIO()
+  handler = logging.StreamHandler(log_output)
+  logger = logging.getLogger("jax")
+
+  logger.addHandler(handler)
+  try:
+    yield log_output
+  finally:
+    logger.removeHandler(handler)
+
+
+class LoggingTest(jtu.JaxTestCase):
+
+  def test_debug_logging(self):
+    # Warmup so we don't get "No GPU/TPU" warning later.
+    jax.jit(lambda x: x + 1)(1)
+
+    # Nothing logged by default (except warning messages, which we don't expect
+    # here).
+    with capture_jax_logs() as log_output:
+      jax.jit(lambda x: x + 1)(1)
+    self.assertEmpty(log_output.getvalue())
+
+    # Turn on all debug logging.
+    config.update("jax_debug_log_modules", "jax")
+    with capture_jax_logs() as log_output:
+      jax.jit(lambda x: x + 1)(1)
+    self.assertIn("Finished tracing + transforming", log_output.getvalue())
+    self.assertIn("Compiling <lambda>", log_output.getvalue())
+
+    # Turn off all debug logging.
+    config.update("jax_debug_log_modules", None)
+    with capture_jax_logs() as log_output:
+      jax.jit(lambda x: x + 1)(1)
+    self.assertEmpty(log_output.getvalue())
+
+    # Turn on one module.
+    config.update("jax_debug_log_modules", "jax._src.dispatch")
+    with capture_jax_logs() as log_output:
+      jax.jit(lambda x: x + 1)(1)
+    self.assertIn("Finished tracing + transforming", log_output.getvalue())
+    self.assertNotIn("Compiling <lambda>", log_output.getvalue())
+
+    # Turn everything off again.
+    config.update("jax_debug_log_modules", None)
+    with capture_jax_logs() as log_output:
+      jax.jit(lambda x: x + 1)(1)
+    self.assertEmpty(log_output.getvalue())
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+  absltest.main(testLoader=jtu.JaxTestLoader())