diff --git a/include/cppast/diagnostic.hpp b/include/cppast/diagnostic.hpp
index 6ac0f72..a811610 100644
--- a/include/cppast/diagnostic.hpp
+++ b/include/cppast/diagnostic.hpp
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ namespace cppast
     /// The severity of a [cppast::diagnostic]().
     enum class severity
     {
+        debug,    //< A debug diagnostic that is just for debugging purposes.
         warning,  //< A warning that doesn't impact AST generation.
         error,    //< A non-critical error that does impact AST generation but not critically.
         critical, //< A critical error where AST generation isn't possible.
@@ -77,6 +78,8 @@ namespace cppast
     {
         switch (s)
         {
+        case severity::debug:
+            return "debug";
         case severity::warning:
             return "warning";
         case severity::error:
diff --git a/include/cppast/parser.hpp b/include/cppast/parser.hpp
index d5fb8ea..708cc99 100644
--- a/include/cppast/parser.hpp
+++ b/include/cppast/parser.hpp
@@ -43,10 +43,23 @@ namespace cppast
             return error_;
         }
 
+        /// \effects Sets whether or not the logger prints debugging diagnostics.
+        void set_verbose(bool value) noexcept
+        {
+            verbose_ = value;
+        }
+
+        /// \returns Whether or not the logger prints debugging diagnostics.
+        bool is_verbose() const noexcept
+        {
+            return verbose_;
+        }
+
     private:
         virtual bool do_log(const char* source, const diagnostic& d) const = 0;
 
         mutable std::atomic<bool> error_;
+        bool                      verbose_ = false;
     };
 
     /// A [cppast::diagnostic_logger]() that logs to `stderr`.
diff --git a/src/libclang/parse_functions.cpp b/src/libclang/parse_functions.cpp
index 1da4d49..4d0a9e0 100644
--- a/src/libclang/parse_functions.cpp
+++ b/src/libclang/parse_functions.cpp
@@ -74,6 +74,15 @@ std::unique_ptr<cpp_entity> detail::parse_entity(const detail::parse_context& co
                                                  const CXCursor&              cur,
                                                  const CXCursor&              parent_cur) try
 {
+    if (context.logger->is_verbose())
+    {
+        auto message = detail::format("parsing cursor of type '",
+                                      detail::get_cursor_kind_spelling(cur).c_str(), "'");
+        context.logger->log("libclang parser",
+                            diagnostic{std::move(message), detail::make_location(cur),
+                                       severity::debug});
+    }
+
     auto kind = clang_getCursorKind(cur);
     switch (kind)
     {
diff --git a/src/parser.cpp b/src/parser.cpp
index 9fe8bf0..7fa4f3c 100644
--- a/src/parser.cpp
+++ b/src/parser.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ bool diagnostic_logger::log(const char* source, const diagnostic& d) const
 {
     if (d.severity == severity::error)
         error_ = true;
+    else if (!verbose_ && d.severity == severity::debug)
+        return false;
     return do_log(source, d);
 }