diff --git a/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/caddyfile.go b/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/caddyfile.go
index 95293f084..bcbe74419 100644
--- a/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/caddyfile.go
+++ b/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/caddyfile.go
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ func parseCaddyfile(h httpcaddyfile.Helper) (caddyhttp.MiddlewareHandler, error)
 //	    max_buffer_size    <size>
 //	    stream_timeout     <duration>
 //	    stream_close_delay <duration>
+//	    trace_logs
 //
 //	    # request manipulation
 //	    trusted_proxies [private_ranges] <ranges...>
@@ -782,6 +783,12 @@ func (h *Handler) UnmarshalCaddyfile(d *caddyfile.Dispenser) error {
 				responseHandler,
 			)
 
+		case "verbose_logs":
+			if h.VerboseLogs {
+				return d.Err("verbose_logs already specified")
+			}
+			h.VerboseLogs = true
+
 		default:
 			return d.Errf("unrecognized subdirective %s", d.Val())
 		}
diff --git a/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/reverseproxy.go b/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/reverseproxy.go
index 64a7d7ae0..08be40d62 100644
--- a/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/reverseproxy.go
+++ b/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/reverseproxy.go
@@ -191,6 +191,13 @@ type Handler struct {
 	// - `{http.reverse_proxy.header.*}` The headers from the response
 	HandleResponse []caddyhttp.ResponseHandler `json:"handle_response,omitempty"`
 
+	// If set, the proxy will write very detailed logs about its
+	// inner workings. Enable this only when debugging, as it
+	// will produce a lot of output.
+	//
+	// EXPERIMENTAL: This feature is subject to change or removal.
+	VerboseLogs bool `json:"verbose_logs,omitempty"`
+
 	Transport        http.RoundTripper `json:"-"`
 	CB               CircuitBreaker    `json:"-"`
 	DynamicUpstreams UpstreamSource    `json:"-"`
@@ -943,9 +950,15 @@ func (h *Handler) finalizeResponse(
 	}
 
 	rw.WriteHeader(res.StatusCode)
+	if h.VerboseLogs {
+		logger.Debug("wrote header")
+	}
 
-	err := h.copyResponse(rw, res.Body, h.flushInterval(req, res))
-	res.Body.Close() // close now, instead of defer, to populate res.Trailer
+	err := h.copyResponse(rw, res.Body, h.flushInterval(req, res), logger)
+	errClose := res.Body.Close() // close now, instead of defer, to populate res.Trailer
+	if h.VerboseLogs || errClose != nil {
+		logger.Debug("closed response body from upstream", zap.Error(errClose))
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		// we're streaming the response and we've already written headers, so
 		// there's nothing an error handler can do to recover at this point;
@@ -979,6 +992,10 @@ func (h *Handler) finalizeResponse(
 		}
 	}
 
+	if h.VerboseLogs {
+		logger.Debug("response finalized")
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/streaming.go b/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/streaming.go
index c5369d8c3..155a1df0c 100644
--- a/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/streaming.go
+++ b/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/streaming.go
@@ -184,15 +184,22 @@ func (h Handler) isBidirectionalStream(req *http.Request, res *http.Response) bo
 		(ae == "identity" || ae == "")
 }
 
-func (h Handler) copyResponse(dst http.ResponseWriter, src io.Reader, flushInterval time.Duration) error {
+func (h Handler) copyResponse(dst http.ResponseWriter, src io.Reader, flushInterval time.Duration, logger *zap.Logger) error {
 	var w io.Writer = dst
 
 	if flushInterval != 0 {
+		var mlwLogger *zap.Logger
+		if h.VerboseLogs {
+			mlwLogger = logger.Named("max_latency_writer")
+		} else {
+			mlwLogger = zap.NewNop()
+		}
 		mlw := &maxLatencyWriter{
 			dst: dst,
 			//nolint:bodyclose
 			flush:   http.NewResponseController(dst).Flush,
 			latency: flushInterval,
+			logger:  mlwLogger,
 		}
 		defer mlw.stop()
 
@@ -205,19 +212,30 @@ func (h Handler) copyResponse(dst http.ResponseWriter, src io.Reader, flushInter
 
 	buf := streamingBufPool.Get().(*[]byte)
 	defer streamingBufPool.Put(buf)
-	_, err := h.copyBuffer(w, src, *buf)
+
+	var copyLogger *zap.Logger
+	if h.VerboseLogs {
+		copyLogger = logger
+	} else {
+		copyLogger = zap.NewNop()
+	}
+
+	_, err := h.copyBuffer(w, src, *buf, copyLogger)
 	return err
 }
 
 // copyBuffer returns any write errors or non-EOF read errors, and the amount
 // of bytes written.
-func (h Handler) copyBuffer(dst io.Writer, src io.Reader, buf []byte) (int64, error) {
+func (h Handler) copyBuffer(dst io.Writer, src io.Reader, buf []byte, logger *zap.Logger) (int64, error) {
 	if len(buf) == 0 {
 		buf = make([]byte, defaultBufferSize)
 	}
 	var written int64
 	for {
+		logger.Debug("waiting to read from upstream")
 		nr, rerr := src.Read(buf)
+		logger := logger.With(zap.Int("read", nr))
+		logger.Debug("read from upstream", zap.Error(rerr))
 		if rerr != nil && rerr != io.EOF && rerr != context.Canceled {
 			// TODO: this could be useful to know (indeed, it revealed an error in our
 			// fastcgi PoC earlier; but it's this single error report here that necessitates
@@ -229,10 +247,15 @@ func (h Handler) copyBuffer(dst io.Writer, src io.Reader, buf []byte) (int64, er
 			h.logger.Error("reading from backend", zap.Error(rerr))
 		}
 		if nr > 0 {
+			logger.Debug("writing to downstream")
 			nw, werr := dst.Write(buf[:nr])
 			if nw > 0 {
 				written += int64(nw)
 			}
+			logger.Debug("wrote to downstream",
+				zap.Int("written", nw),
+				zap.Int64("written_total", written),
+				zap.Error(werr))
 			if werr != nil {
 				return written, fmt.Errorf("writing: %w", werr)
 			}
@@ -452,18 +475,22 @@ type maxLatencyWriter struct {
 	mu           sync.Mutex // protects t, flushPending, and dst.Flush
 	t            *time.Timer
 	flushPending bool
+	logger       *zap.Logger
 }
 
 func (m *maxLatencyWriter) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
 	m.mu.Lock()
 	defer m.mu.Unlock()
 	n, err = m.dst.Write(p)
+	m.logger.Debug("wrote bytes", zap.Int("n", n), zap.Error(err))
 	if m.latency < 0 {
+		m.logger.Debug("flushing immediately")
 		//nolint:errcheck
 		m.flush()
 		return
 	}
 	if m.flushPending {
+		m.logger.Debug("delayed flush already pending")
 		return
 	}
 	if m.t == nil {
@@ -471,6 +498,7 @@ func (m *maxLatencyWriter) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
 	} else {
 		m.t.Reset(m.latency)
 	}
+	m.logger.Debug("timer set for delayed flush", zap.Duration("duration", m.latency))
 	m.flushPending = true
 	return
 }
@@ -479,8 +507,10 @@ func (m *maxLatencyWriter) delayedFlush() {
 	m.mu.Lock()
 	defer m.mu.Unlock()
 	if !m.flushPending { // if stop was called but AfterFunc already started this goroutine
+		m.logger.Debug("delayed flush is not pending")
 		return
 	}
+	m.logger.Debug("delayed flush")
 	//nolint:errcheck
 	m.flush()
 	m.flushPending = false
diff --git a/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/streaming_test.go b/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/streaming_test.go
index 919538fea..3f6da2ffa 100644
--- a/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/streaming_test.go
+++ b/modules/caddyhttp/reverseproxy/streaming_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/caddyserver/caddy/v2"
 )
 
 func TestHandlerCopyResponse(t *testing.T) {
@@ -22,7 +24,7 @@ func TestHandlerCopyResponse(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, d := range testdata {
 		src := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte(d))
 		dst.Reset()
-		err := h.copyResponse(recorder, src, 0)
+		err := h.copyResponse(recorder, src, 0, caddy.Log())
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Errorf("failed with error: %v", err)
 		}