diff --git a/cli/config/configuration-fc.toml.in b/cli/config/configuration-fc.toml.in
index 2c2a14e79..7cc052b72 100644
--- a/cli/config/configuration-fc.toml.in
+++ b/cli/config/configuration-fc.toml.in
@@ -222,8 +222,9 @@ path = "@SHIMPATH@"
 #enable_tracing = true
 
 [agent.@PROJECT_TYPE@]
-# There is no field for this section. The goal is only to be able to
-# specify which type of agent the user wants to use.
+# If enabled, make the agent display debug-level messages.
+# (default: disabled)
+#enable_debug = true
 
 [netmon]
 # If enabled, the network monitoring process gets started when the
diff --git a/cli/config/configuration-qemu.toml.in b/cli/config/configuration-qemu.toml.in
index a70ca9753..0c875fd4f 100644
--- a/cli/config/configuration-qemu.toml.in
+++ b/cli/config/configuration-qemu.toml.in
@@ -274,8 +274,9 @@ path = "@SHIMPATH@"
 #enable_tracing = true
 
 [agent.@PROJECT_TYPE@]
-# There is no field for this section. The goal is only to be able to
-# specify which type of agent the user wants to use.
+# If enabled, make the agent display debug-level messages.
+# (default: disabled)
+#enable_debug = true
 
 [netmon]
 # If enabled, the network monitoring process gets started when the
diff --git a/cli/kata-env.go b/cli/kata-env.go
index 8608bf97d..0d6883bb7 100644
--- a/cli/kata-env.go
+++ b/cli/kata-env.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright (c) 2017-2018 Intel Corporation
+// Copyright (c) 2017-2019 Intel Corporation
 //
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 //
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import (
 //
 // XXX: Increment for every change to the output format
 // (meaning any change to the EnvInfo type).
-const formatVersion = "1.0.21"
+const formatVersion = "1.0.22"
 
 // MetaInfo stores information on the format of the output itself
 type MetaInfo struct {
@@ -112,7 +112,8 @@ type ShimInfo struct {
 
 // AgentInfo stores agent details
 type AgentInfo struct {
-	Type string
+	Type  string
+	Debug bool
 }
 
 // DistroInfo stores host operating system distribution details.
@@ -308,12 +309,23 @@ func getShimInfo(config oci.RuntimeConfig) (ShimInfo, error) {
 	return shim, nil
 }
 
-func getAgentInfo(config oci.RuntimeConfig) AgentInfo {
+func getAgentInfo(config oci.RuntimeConfig) (AgentInfo, error) {
 	agent := AgentInfo{
 		Type: string(config.AgentType),
 	}
 
-	return agent
+	switch config.AgentType {
+	case vc.KataContainersAgent:
+		agentConfig, ok := config.AgentConfig.(vc.KataAgentConfig)
+		if !ok {
+			return AgentInfo{}, errors.New("cannot determine Kata agent config")
+		}
+		agent.Debug = agentConfig.Debug
+	default:
+		// Nothing useful to report for the other agent types
+	}
+
+	return agent, nil
 }
 
 func getHypervisorInfo(config oci.RuntimeConfig) HypervisorInfo {
@@ -361,7 +373,10 @@ func getEnvInfo(configFile string, config oci.RuntimeConfig) (env EnvInfo, err e
 		return EnvInfo{}, err
 	}
 
-	agent := getAgentInfo(config)
+	agent, err := getAgentInfo(config)
+	if err != nil {
+		return EnvInfo{}, err
+	}
 
 	hypervisor := getHypervisorInfo(config)
 
diff --git a/cli/kata-env_test.go b/cli/kata-env_test.go
index 3bb1b589c..23c0d65de 100644
--- a/cli/kata-env_test.go
+++ b/cli/kata-env_test.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ var (
 	runtimeTrace    = false
 	shimDebug       = false
 	netmonDebug     = false
+	agentDebug      = false
 )
 
 // makeVersionBinary creates a shell script with the specified file
@@ -153,6 +154,7 @@ func makeRuntimeConfig(prefixDir string) (configFile string, config oci.RuntimeC
 		ProxyDebug:           proxyDebug,
 		ShimDebug:            shimDebug,
 		NetmonDebug:          netmonDebug,
+		AgentDebug:           agentDebug,
 	}
 
 	runtimeConfig := katatestutils.MakeRuntimeConfigFileData(configFileOptions)
@@ -206,8 +208,15 @@ func getExpectedShimDetails(config oci.RuntimeConfig) (ShimInfo, error) {
 }
 
 func getExpectedAgentDetails(config oci.RuntimeConfig) (AgentInfo, error) {
+
+	agentConfig, ok := config.AgentConfig.(vc.KataAgentConfig)
+	if !ok {
+		return AgentInfo{}, fmt.Errorf("expected KataAgentConfig, got %T", config.AgentConfig)
+	}
+
 	return AgentInfo{
-		Type: string(config.AgentType),
+		Type:  string(config.AgentType),
+		Debug: agentConfig.Debug,
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -486,6 +495,7 @@ func TestEnvGetEnvInfo(t *testing.T) {
 		runtimeDebug = toggle
 		runtimeTrace = toggle
 		shimDebug = toggle
+		agentDebug = toggle
 
 		configFile, config, err := makeRuntimeConfig(tmpdir)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
@@ -799,8 +809,23 @@ func TestEnvGetAgentInfo(t *testing.T) {
 	expectedAgent, err := getExpectedAgentDetails(config)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 
-	agent := getAgentInfo(config)
+	agent, err := getAgentInfo(config)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
 	assert.Equal(t, expectedAgent, agent)
+
+	agentConfig, ok := config.AgentConfig.(vc.KataAgentConfig)
+	assert.True(t, ok)
+
+	agentConfig.Debug = true
+	config.AgentConfig = agentConfig
+	agent, err = getAgentInfo(config)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.True(t, agent.Debug)
+
+	config.AgentConfig = "I am the wrong type"
+	_, err = getAgentInfo(config)
+	assert.Error(t, err)
 }
 
 func testEnvShowTOMLSettings(t *testing.T, tmpdir string, tmpfile *os.File) error {
diff --git a/pkg/katautils/config.go b/pkg/katautils/config.go
index 24554d5b6..354c83c25 100644
--- a/pkg/katautils/config.go
+++ b/pkg/katautils/config.go
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ type shim struct {
 }
 
 type agent struct {
+	Debug bool `toml:"enable_debug"`
 }
 
 type netmon struct {
@@ -388,6 +389,10 @@ func (s shim) trace() bool {
 	return s.Tracing
 }
 
+func (a agent) debug() bool {
+	return a.Debug
+}
+
 func (n netmon) enable() bool {
 	return n.Enable
 }
@@ -630,21 +635,29 @@ func updateRuntimeConfigProxy(configPath string, tomlConf tomlConfig, config *oc
 
 func updateRuntimeConfigAgent(configPath string, tomlConf tomlConfig, config *oci.RuntimeConfig, builtIn bool) error {
 	if builtIn {
+		var agentConfig vc.KataAgentConfig
+
+		// If the agent config section isn't a Kata one, just default
+		// to everything being disabled.
+		agentConfig, _ = config.AgentConfig.(vc.KataAgentConfig)
+
 		config.AgentType = vc.KataContainersAgent
 		config.AgentConfig = vc.KataAgentConfig{
 			LongLiveConn: true,
 			UseVSock:     config.HypervisorConfig.UseVSock,
+			Debug:        agentConfig.Debug,
 		}
 
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	for k := range tomlConf.Agent {
+	for k, agent := range tomlConf.Agent {
 		switch k {
 		case kataAgentTableType:
 			config.AgentType = vc.KataContainersAgent
 			config.AgentConfig = vc.KataAgentConfig{
 				UseVSock: config.HypervisorConfig.UseVSock,
+				Debug:    agent.debug(),
 			}
 		default:
 			return fmt.Errorf("%s agent type is not supported", k)
@@ -705,6 +718,17 @@ func SetKernelParams(runtimeConfig *oci.RuntimeConfig) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// next, check for agent specific kernel params
+	if agentConfig, ok := runtimeConfig.AgentConfig.(vc.KataAgentConfig); ok {
+		params := vc.KataAgentKernelParams(agentConfig)
+
+		for _, p := range params {
+			if err := (runtimeConfig).AddKernelParam(p); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	// now re-add the user-specified values so that they take priority.
 	for _, p := range userKernelParams {
 		if err := (runtimeConfig).AddKernelParam(p); err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/katautils/config_test.go b/pkg/katautils/config_test.go
index 0bb7065f2..163d9c9d3 100644
--- a/pkg/katautils/config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/katautils/config_test.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ var (
 	runtimeTrace    = false
 	shimDebug       = false
 	netmonDebug     = false
+	agentDebug      = false
 )
 
 type testRuntimeConfig struct {
@@ -109,6 +110,7 @@ func createAllRuntimeConfigFiles(dir, hypervisor string) (config testRuntimeConf
 		ProxyDebug:           proxyDebug,
 		ShimDebug:            shimDebug,
 		NetmonDebug:          netmonDebug,
+		AgentDebug:           agentDebug,
 	}
 
 	runtimeConfigFileData := katatestutils.MakeRuntimeConfigFileData(configFileOptions)
@@ -1197,6 +1199,17 @@ func TestShimDefaults(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(s.trace())
 }
 
+func TestAgentDefaults(t *testing.T) {
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+
+	a := agent{}
+
+	assert.Equal(a.debug(), a.Debug)
+
+	a.Debug = true
+	assert.Equal(a.debug(), a.Debug)
+}
+
 func TestGetDefaultConfigFilePaths(t *testing.T) {
 	assert := assert.New(t)
 
diff --git a/virtcontainers/kata_agent.go b/virtcontainers/kata_agent.go
index 80aa151cc..87cd4442f 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/kata_agent.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/kata_agent.go
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ var (
 type KataAgentConfig struct {
 	LongLiveConn bool
 	UseVSock     bool
+	Debug        bool
 }
 
 type kataVSOCK struct {
@@ -175,6 +176,18 @@ func (k *kataAgent) generateVMSocket(id string, c KataAgentConfig) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// KataAgentKernelParams returns a list of Kata Agent specific kernel
+// parameters.
+func KataAgentKernelParams(config KataAgentConfig) []Param {
+	var params []Param
+
+	if config.Debug {
+		params = append(params, Param{Key: "agent.log", Value: "debug"})
+	}
+
+	return params
+}
+
 func (k *kataAgent) init(ctx context.Context, sandbox *Sandbox, config interface{}) (err error) {
 	// save
 	k.ctx = sandbox.ctx
diff --git a/virtcontainers/kata_agent_test.go b/virtcontainers/kata_agent_test.go
index dfab29ed3..b1e27f1d9 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/kata_agent_test.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/kata_agent_test.go
@@ -934,3 +934,26 @@ func TestKataCleanupSandbox(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("%s still exists\n", dir)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestKataAgentKernelParams(t *testing.T) {
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+
+	config := KataAgentConfig{}
+
+	params := KataAgentKernelParams(config)
+	assert.Empty(params)
+
+	config.Debug = true
+
+	params = KataAgentKernelParams(config)
+	assert.NotEmpty(params)
+
+	assert.Len(params, 1)
+
+	expected := Param{
+		Key:   "agent.log",
+		Value: "debug",
+	}
+
+	assert.Equal(params[0], expected)
+}
diff --git a/virtcontainers/vm_test.go b/virtcontainers/vm_test.go
index 90025d238..7b3583b4b 100644
--- a/virtcontainers/vm_test.go
+++ b/virtcontainers/vm_test.go
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ func TestVMConfigGrpc(t *testing.T) {
 		HypervisorType:   QemuHypervisor,
 		HypervisorConfig: newQemuConfig(),
 		AgentType:        KataContainersAgent,
-		AgentConfig:      KataAgentConfig{false, true},
+		AgentConfig:      KataAgentConfig{false, true, false},
 		ProxyType:        NoopProxyType,
 	}