diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 877a51b..f1d761c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 - Add `aarch64` sentry-cli ([#39](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-maven-plugin/pull/39))
   - This is used when the build is executed inside a docker container on an Apple silicon chip (e.g. M1)
 - Allow usage of the plugin with JDK 8 ([#37](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-maven-plugin/pull/37))
+- Add `debug` flag ([#38](https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-maven-plugin/pull/38))
 
 ### Dependencies
 
diff --git a/examples/sentry-maven-plugin-example/pom.xml b/examples/sentry-maven-plugin-example/pom.xml
index c767458..126c112 100644
--- a/examples/sentry-maven-plugin-example/pom.xml
+++ b/examples/sentry-maven-plugin-example/pom.xml
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
                 <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
                 <extensions>true</extensions>
                 <configuration>
+                    <!-- for showing debug output -->
+                    <debug>false</debug>
                     <!-- for showing output of sentry-cli -->
                     <debugSentryCli>true</debugSentryCli>
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/sentry/config/ConfigParser.java b/src/main/java/io/sentry/config/ConfigParser.java
index a9a326a..6900283 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/sentry/config/ConfigParser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/sentry/config/ConfigParser.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ public class ConfigParser {
   private static final @NotNull String SKIP_REPORT_DEPENDENCIES_FLAG = "skipReportDependencies";
   private static final @NotNull String SKIP_SOURCE_BUNDLE_FLAG = "skipSourceBundle";
   private static final @NotNull String DEBUG_SENTRY_CLI_FLAG = "debugSentryCli";
+  private static final @NotNull String DEBUG_FLAG = "debug";
   private static final @NotNull String ORG_OPTION = "org";
   private static final @NotNull String PROJECT_OPTION = "project";
   private static final @NotNull String URL_OPTION = "url";
@@ -65,6 +66,10 @@ public class ConfigParser {
           dom.getChild(DEBUG_SENTRY_CLI_FLAG) != null
               && Boolean.parseBoolean(dom.getChild(DEBUG_SENTRY_CLI_FLAG).getValue()));
 
+      pluginConfig.setDebug(
+          dom.getChild(DEBUG_FLAG) != null
+              && Boolean.parseBoolean(dom.getChild(DEBUG_FLAG).getValue()));
+
       pluginConfig.setOrg(
           dom.getChild(ORG_OPTION) == null ? null : dom.getChild(ORG_OPTION).getValue());
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/sentry/config/PluginConfig.java b/src/main/java/io/sentry/config/PluginConfig.java
index 31b4c4e..00b5d4d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/sentry/config/PluginConfig.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/sentry/config/PluginConfig.java
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ public class PluginConfig {
   public static final @NotNull String DEFAULT_SKIP_TELEMETRY_STRING = "false";
   public static final boolean DEFAULT_DEBUG_SENTRY_CLI = false;
   public static final @NotNull String DEFAULT_DEBUG_SENTRY_CLI_STRING = "false";
+  public static final boolean DEFAULT_DEBUG = false;
+  public static final @NotNull String DEFAULT_DEBUG_STRING = "false";
 
   private boolean skip = DEFAULT_SKIP;
   private boolean skipAutoInstall = DEFAULT_SKIP_AUTO_INSTALL;
@@ -23,6 +25,7 @@ public class PluginConfig {
   private boolean skipReportDependencies = DEFAULT_SKIP_REPORT_DEPENDENCIES;
   private boolean skipSourceBundle = DEFAULT_SKIP_SOURCE_BUNDLE;
   private boolean debugSentryCli = DEFAULT_DEBUG_SENTRY_CLI;
+  private boolean debug = DEFAULT_DEBUG;
 
   private @Nullable String org;
   private @Nullable String project;
@@ -35,7 +38,15 @@ public void setDebugSentryCli(final boolean debugSentryCli) {
   }
 
   public boolean isDebugSentryCli() {
-    return debugSentryCli;
+    return debugSentryCli || debug;
+  }
+
+  public void setDebug(final boolean debug) {
+    this.debug = debug;
+  }
+
+  public boolean isDebug() {
+    return debug;
   }
 
   public void setSentryCliExecutablePath(final @Nullable String sentryCliExecutablePath) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/sentry/telemetry/SentryTelemetryService.java b/src/main/java/io/sentry/telemetry/SentryTelemetryService.java
index 1f28cf7..531066a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/sentry/telemetry/SentryTelemetryService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/sentry/telemetry/SentryTelemetryService.java
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ public void start(
         Sentry.init(
             (options) -> {
               options.setDsn(SENTRY_SAAS_DSN);
-              options.setDebug(true);
+              options.setDebug(pluginConfig.isDebug());
               options.setEnablePrettySerializationOutput(false);
               options.setEnvironment("JVM");
               options.setSendModules(false);