diff --git a/bin-compiler/src/main.rs b/bin-compiler/src/main.rs
index 83a996cde240e028973856bac8e09c1fbe0a1713..f9d1b46c4bb3f139e60139fc4f4394361433a731 100644
--- a/bin-compiler/src/main.rs
+++ b/bin-compiler/src/main.rs
@@ -25,6 +25,12 @@ fn main() {
                 .help("number of runtime threads")
                 .default_value("1")
                 .takes_value(true)
+        )
+        .arg(
+            Arg::new("debug")
+                .long("debug")
+                .short('d')
+                .help("enable debug logging")
         );
 
     // Retrieve arguments and convert
@@ -51,6 +57,8 @@ fn main() {
         }
     };
 
+    let debug_enabled = app.is_present("debug");
+
     // Add input files to file buffer
     let input_files = input_files.unwrap();
     assert!(input_files.len() > 0); // because arg is required
@@ -95,7 +103,7 @@ fn main() {
 
     // Make sure there is a nameless module with a main component
     print!("Creating main component ... ");
-    let runtime = rw::runtime2::Runtime::new(num_threads, protocol_description);
+    let runtime = rw::runtime2::Runtime::new(num_threads, debug_enabled, protocol_description);
     if let Err(err) = runtime.create_component(b"", b"main") {
         use rw::ComponentCreationError as CCE;
         let reason = match err {