diff --git a/src/confd/src/confd/core.c b/src/confd/src/confd/core.c
index fb3e686f..768af713 100644
--- a/src/confd/src/confd/core.c
+++ b/src/confd/src/confd/core.c
@@ -66,9 +66,18 @@ int core_post_hook(sr_session_ctx_t *session, uint32_t sub_id, const char *modul
 
 int sr_plugin_init_cb(sr_session_ctx_t *session, void **priv)
 {
+	int log_opts = LOG_USER;
 	int rc = SR_ERR_SYS;
+	char *env;
 
-	openlog("confd", LOG_USER, 0);
+	/* Convert into command line option+SIGUSR1 when converting to standalone confd */
+	env = getenv("DEBUG");
+	if (env) {
+		log_opts |= LOG_PERROR;
+		debug = 1;
+	}
+
+	openlog("confd", log_opts, 0);
 
 	/* Save context with default running config datastore for all our models */
 	*priv = (void *)&confd;
diff --git a/src/confd/src/confd/ietf-interfaces.c b/src/confd/src/confd/ietf-interfaces.c
index 7299eded..0cc1bffa 100644
--- a/src/confd/src/confd/ietf-interfaces.c
+++ b/src/confd/src/confd/ietf-interfaces.c
@@ -814,7 +814,7 @@ static int netdag_gen_vlan(struct dagger *net, struct lyd_node *dif,
 	const char *proto;
 	int err;
 
-	DEBUG("");
+	DEBUG("ifname %s parent %s", ifname, parent);
 
 	err = dagger_add_dep(net, ifname, parent);
 	if (err)
@@ -844,7 +844,7 @@ static int netdag_gen_vlan(struct dagger *net, struct lyd_node *dif,
 		fprintf(ip, " id %s", vidd.new);
 
 	fputc('\n', ip);
-	DEBUG("");
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/confd/src/confd/infix-system-software.c b/src/confd/src/confd/infix-system-software.c
index f132dd74..ac308543 100644
--- a/src/confd/src/confd/infix-system-software.c
+++ b/src/confd/src/confd/infix-system-software.c
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ static int infix_system_sw_state(sr_session_ctx_t *session, uint32_t sub_id,
 	RaucInstaller *rauc;
 	struct lyd_node *sw;
 
-	DEBUG("");
+	DEBUG("%s", path);
 
 	rauc = infix_system_sw_new_rauc();
 	if (!rauc)
diff --git a/src/confd/src/lib/common.h b/src/confd/src/lib/common.h
index d682a88e..33913e11 100644
--- a/src/confd/src/lib/common.h
+++ b/src/confd/src/lib/common.h
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 #include <sysrepo.h>
 #include <sysrepo.h>
 #include "srx_module.h"
+#include "common.h"
+
+extern int debug;
 
 #ifndef HAVE_VASPRINTF
 int vasprintf(char **strp, const char *fmt, va_list ap);
@@ -15,8 +18,7 @@ int vasprintf(char **strp, const char *fmt, va_list ap);
 int asprintf(char **strp, const char *fmt, ...);
 #endif
 
-#define DEBUG(fmt, ...)
-//#define DEBUG(fmt, ...) syslog(LOG_DEBUG, "%s: "fmt, __func__, ##__VA_ARGS__)
+#define DEBUG(fmt, ...) do { if (debug) syslog(LOG_DEBUG, fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__); } while (0)
 #define INFO(fmt, ...) syslog(LOG_INFO, fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__)
 #define ERROR(fmt, ...) syslog(LOG_ERR, "%s: " fmt, __func__, ##__VA_ARGS__)
 #define ERRNO(fmt, ...) syslog(LOG_ERR, "%s: " fmt ": %s", __func__, ##__VA_ARGS__, strerror(errno))
diff --git a/src/confd/src/lib/helpers.c b/src/confd/src/lib/helpers.c
index eb67eccc..0ccade20 100644
--- a/src/confd/src/lib/helpers.c
+++ b/src/confd/src/lib/helpers.c
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <libite/lite.h>
 
+int debug;			/* Sets debug level (0:off) */
+
 /* TODO remove once confd / statd lib situation is resolved */
 #ifndef vasprintf
 int vasprintf(char **strp, const char *fmt, va_list ap);
diff --git a/src/statd/Makefile b/src/statd/Makefile
index 56a93499..87fa589f 100644
--- a/src/statd/Makefile
+++ b/src/statd/Makefile
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ CPPFLAGS := -I$(CONFD_SRC_LIB)
 TARGET = statd
 SRC = statd.c
 LIB_SRC = $(CONFD_SRC_LIB)/helpers.c $(CONFD_SRC_LIB)/lyx.c $(CONFD_LIB)/vasprintf.c
-LIB_HDR = $(CONFD_SRC_LIB)/helpers.h $(CONFD_SRC_LIB)/lyx.h
+LIB_HDR = $(CONFD_SRC_LIB)/helpers.h $(CONFD_SRC_LIB)/lyx.h $(CONFD_SRC_LIB)/common.h
 
 all: $(TARGET)
 
diff --git a/src/statd/statd.c b/src/statd/statd.c
index 47a0cf0a..ee206eec 100644
--- a/src/statd/statd.c
+++ b/src/statd/statd.c
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ static int ly_add_ip_link(const struct ly_ctx *ctx, struct lyd_node **parent, ch
 	return SR_ERR_OK;
 }
 
-static int sr_ifaces_cb(sr_session_ctx_t *session, uint32_t, const char *,
+static int sr_ifaces_cb(sr_session_ctx_t *session, uint32_t, const char *path,
 			const char *, const char *, uint32_t,
 			struct lyd_node **parent, void *priv)
 {
@@ -267,11 +267,16 @@ static int sr_ifaces_cb(sr_session_ctx_t *session, uint32_t, const char *,
 	return err;
 }
 
-static void sig_event_cb(struct ev_loop *loop, struct ev_signal *, int)
+static void sigint_cb(struct ev_loop *loop, struct ev_signal *, int)
 {
 	ev_break(loop, EVBREAK_ALL);
 }
 
+static void sigusr1_cb(struct ev_loop *, struct ev_signal *, int)
+{
+	debug ^= 1;
+}
+
 static void sr_event_cb(struct ev_loop *, struct ev_io *w, int)
 {
 	struct sub *sub = (struct sub *)w->data;
@@ -442,13 +447,21 @@ static int sub_to_ifaces(struct statd *statd)
 	return SR_ERR_OK;
 }
 
-int main(void)
+int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
-	struct ev_signal sig_watcher;
+	struct ev_signal sigint_watcher, sigusr1_watcher;
 	struct statd statd = {};
+	int log_opts = LOG_USER;
 	sr_conn_ctx_t *sr_conn;
 	int err;
 
+	if (argc > 1 && !strcmp(argv[1], "-d")) {
+		log_opts |= LOG_PERROR;
+		debug = 1;
+	}
+
+	openlog("statd", log_opts, 0);
+
 	TAILQ_INIT(&statd.subs);
 	statd.ev_loop = EV_DEFAULT;
 
@@ -484,9 +497,13 @@ int main(void)
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
 
-	ev_signal_init(&sig_watcher, sig_event_cb, SIGINT);
-	sig_watcher.data = &statd;
-	ev_signal_start(statd.ev_loop, &sig_watcher);
+	ev_signal_init(&sigint_watcher, sigint_cb, SIGINT);
+	sigint_watcher.data = &statd;
+	ev_signal_start(statd.ev_loop, &sigint_watcher);
+
+	ev_signal_init(&sigusr1_watcher, sigusr1_cb, SIGUSR1);
+	sigusr1_watcher.data = &statd;
+	ev_signal_start(statd.ev_loop, &sigusr1_watcher);
 
 	ev_io_init(&statd.nl.watcher, nl_event_cb, statd.nl.sd, EV_READ);
 	statd.nl.watcher.data = &statd;