diff --git a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-preferences.ts b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-preferences.ts
index 8450012a6..627c141f6 100644
--- a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-preferences.ts
+++ b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/arduino-preferences.ts
@@ -182,6 +182,14 @@ export const ArduinoConfigSchema: PreferenceSchema = {
       ),
       default: true,
     },
+    'arduino.cli.daemon.debug': {
+      type: 'boolean',
+      description: nls.localize(
+        'arduino/preferences/cli.daemonDebug',
+        "Enable debug logging of the gRPC calls to the Arduino CLI. A restart of the IDE is needed for this setting to take effect. It's false by default."
+      ),
+      default: false,
+    },
   },
 };
 
@@ -207,6 +215,7 @@ export interface ArduinoConfiguration {
   'arduino.auth.audience': string;
   'arduino.auth.registerUri': string;
   'arduino.survey.notification': boolean;
+  'arduino.cli.daemon.debug': boolean;
 }
 
 export const ArduinoPreferences = Symbol('ArduinoPreferences');
diff --git a/arduino-ide-extension/src/node/arduino-daemon-impl.ts b/arduino-ide-extension/src/node/arduino-daemon-impl.ts
index e53d6afe3..928861680 100644
--- a/arduino-ide-extension/src/node/arduino-daemon-impl.ts
+++ b/arduino-ide-extension/src/node/arduino-daemon-impl.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { join } from 'path';
+import { promises as fs } from 'fs';
 import { inject, injectable, named } from '@theia/core/shared/inversify';
 import { spawn, ChildProcess } from 'child_process';
 import { FileUri } from '@theia/core/lib/node/file-uri';
@@ -142,9 +143,12 @@ export class ArduinoDaemonImpl
   }
 
   protected async getSpawnArgs(): Promise<string[]> {
-    const configDirUri = await this.envVariablesServer.getConfigDirUri();
+    const [configDirUri, debug] = await Promise.all([
+      this.envVariablesServer.getConfigDirUri(),
+      this.debugDaemon(),
+    ]);
     const cliConfigPath = join(FileUri.fsPath(configDirUri), CLI_CONFIG);
-    return [
+    const args = [
       'daemon',
       '--format',
       'jsonmini',
@@ -156,6 +160,41 @@ export class ArduinoDaemonImpl
       '--log-format',
       'json',
     ];
+    if (debug) {
+      args.push('--debug');
+    }
+    return args;
+  }
+
+  private async debugDaemon(): Promise<boolean> {
+    // Poor man's preferences on the backend. (https://github.com/arduino/arduino-ide/issues/1056#issuecomment-1153975064)
+    const configDirUri = await this.envVariablesServer.getConfigDirUri();
+    const configDirPath = FileUri.fsPath(configDirUri);
+    try {
+      const raw = await fs.readFile(join(configDirPath, 'settings.json'), {
+        encoding: 'utf8',
+      });
+      const json = this.tryParse(raw);
+      if (json) {
+        const value = json['arduino.cli.daemon.debug'];
+        return typeof value === 'boolean' && !!value;
+      }
+      return false;
+    } catch (error) {
+      if ('code' in error && error.code === 'ENOENT') {
+        return false;
+      }
+      throw error;
+    }
+  }
+
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+  private tryParse(raw: string): any | undefined {
+    try {
+      return JSON.parse(raw);
+    } catch {
+      return undefined;
+    }
   }
 
   protected async spawnDaemonProcess(): Promise<{
diff --git a/i18n/en.json b/i18n/en.json
index 08cafdf72..7cfc7fa5e 100644
--- a/i18n/en.json
+++ b/i18n/en.json
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@
       "board.certificates": "List of certificates that can be uploaded to boards",
       "browse": "Browse",
       "choose": "Choose",
+      "cli.daemonDebug": "Enable debug logging of the gRPC calls to the Arduino CLI. A restart of the IDE is needed for this setting to take effect. It's false by default.",
       "cloud.enabled": "True if the sketch sync functions are enabled. Defaults to true.",
       "cloud.pull.warn": "True if users should be warned before pulling a cloud sketch. Defaults to true.",
       "cloud.push.warn": "True if users should be warned before pushing a cloud sketch. Defaults to true.",