diff --git a/example/golang/main.go b/example/golang/main.go
index ffcb6b6..3495ec1 100644
--- a/example/golang/main.go
+++ b/example/golang/main.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	cmd := exec.Command("node", path.Join(cwd, "ts/dist/index.js"))
 
-	ipc, err := kittenipc.NewParent(cmd, &localApi)
+	ipc, err := kittenipc.NewParent(cmd, nil, &localApi)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Panic(err)
 	}
diff --git a/example/ts/src/index.ts b/example/ts/src/index.ts
index 055b2aa..c92deeb 100644
--- a/example/ts/src/index.ts
+++ b/example/ts/src/index.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class TsIpcApi {
 
 async function main() {
     const localApi = new TsIpcApi();
-    const ipc = new ChildIPC(localApi);
+    const ipc = new ChildIPC(undefined, localApi);
     const remoteApi = new GoIpcApi(ipc);
 
     await ipc.start();
diff --git a/lib/golang/child.go b/lib/golang/child.go
index bfbb878..0f52af0 100644
--- a/lib/golang/child.go
+++ b/lib/golang/child.go
@@ -11,13 +11,17 @@ type ChildIPC struct {
 	*ipcCommon
 }
 
-func NewChild(localApis ...any) (*ChildIPC, error) {
+func NewChild(opts *Options, localApis ...any) (*ChildIPC, error) {
+	if opts == nil {
+		opts = &Options{}
+	}
 	c := ChildIPC{
 		ipcCommon: &ipcCommon{
-			localApis:    mapTypeNames(localApis),
-			pendingCalls: make(map[int64]*pendingCall),
-			errCh:        make(chan error, 1),
-			ctx:          context.Background(),
+			localApis:     mapTypeNames(localApis),
+			pendingCalls:  make(map[int64]*pendingCall),
+			errCh:         make(chan error, 1),
+			ctx:           context.Background(),
+			debugMessages: opts.DebugMessages,
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/golang/common.go b/lib/golang/common.go
index 6254dbf..25e4c52 100644
--- a/lib/golang/common.go
+++ b/lib/golang/common.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"net"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
@@ -26,6 +27,10 @@ type pendingCall struct {
 	resultChan chan callResult
 }
 
+type Options struct {
+	DebugMessages bool
+}
+
 type ipcCommon struct {
 	localApis               map[string]any
 	socketPath              string
@@ -38,6 +43,7 @@ type ipcCommon struct {
 	mu                      sync.Mutex
 	writeMu                 sync.Mutex
 	ctx                     context.Context
+	debugMessages           bool
 }
 
 func (ipc *ipcCommon) readConn() {
@@ -46,6 +52,9 @@ func (ipc *ipcCommon) readConn() {
 	for scn.Scan() {
 		var msg Message
 		msgBytes := scn.Bytes()
+		if ipc.debugMessages {
+			log.Printf("[ipc recv] %s", string(msgBytes))
+		}
 		if err := json.Unmarshal(msgBytes, &msg); err != nil {
 			ipc.raiseErr(fmt.Errorf("unmarshal message: %w", err))
 			break
@@ -71,6 +80,9 @@ func (ipc *ipcCommon) sendMsg(msg Message) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("marshal message: %w", err)
 	}
+	if ipc.debugMessages {
+		log.Printf("[ipc send] %s", string(data))
+	}
 	data = append(data, '\n')
 
 	ipc.writeMu.Lock()
diff --git a/lib/golang/lib_test.go b/lib/golang/lib_test.go
index 2e8f877..9d977ff 100644
--- a/lib/golang/lib_test.go
+++ b/lib/golang/lib_test.go
@@ -11,27 +11,27 @@ import (
 func TestNewParent(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("socket argument in command", func(t *testing.T) {
 		cmd := exec.Command("/bin/sh", ipcSocketArg, "/tmp/kek")
-		_, err := NewParent(cmd)
+		_, err := NewParent(cmd, nil)
 		assert.Error(t, err)
 	})
 
 	t.Run("nonexistent binary", func(t *testing.T) {
 		cmd := exec.Command("/nonexistent/binary")
-		p, err := NewParent(cmd)
+		p, err := NewParent(cmd, nil)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 		assert.Error(t, p.Start())
 	})
 
 	t.Run("connection timeout", func(t *testing.T) {
 		cmd := exec.Command("../testdata/sleep15.sh")
-		p, err := NewParent(cmd)
+		p, err := NewParent(cmd, nil)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 		assert.Error(t, p.Start())
 	})
 
 	t.Run("child finished before accepting connection", func(t *testing.T) {
 		cmd := exec.Command("../testdata/sleep3.sh")
-		p, err := NewParent(cmd)
+		p, err := NewParent(cmd, nil)
 		assert.NoError(t, err)
 		start := time.Now()
 		assert.Error(t, p.Start())
diff --git a/lib/golang/parent.go b/lib/golang/parent.go
index 0e84147..4f54bea 100644
--- a/lib/golang/parent.go
+++ b/lib/golang/parent.go
@@ -22,18 +22,22 @@ type ParentIPC struct {
 	cmdErr   error
 }
 
-func NewParent(cmd *exec.Cmd, localApis ...any) (*ParentIPC, error) {
-	return NewParentWithContext(context.Background(), cmd, localApis...)
+func NewParent(cmd *exec.Cmd, opts *Options, localApis ...any) (*ParentIPC, error) {
+	return NewParentWithContext(context.Background(), cmd, opts, localApis...)
 }
 
-func NewParentWithContext(ctx context.Context, cmd *exec.Cmd, localApis ...any) (*ParentIPC, error) {
+func NewParentWithContext(ctx context.Context, cmd *exec.Cmd, opts *Options, localApis ...any) (*ParentIPC, error) {
+	if opts == nil {
+		opts = &Options{}
+	}
 	p := ParentIPC{
 		ipcCommon: &ipcCommon{
-			localApis:    mapTypeNames(localApis),
-			pendingCalls: make(map[int64]*pendingCall),
-			errCh:        make(chan error, 1),
-			socketPath:   filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), fmt.Sprintf("kitten-ipc-%d-%d.sock", os.Getpid(), rand.Int63())),
-			ctx:          ctx,
+			localApis:     mapTypeNames(localApis),
+			pendingCalls:  make(map[int64]*pendingCall),
+			errCh:         make(chan error, 1),
+			socketPath:    filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), fmt.Sprintf("kitten-ipc-%d-%d.sock", os.Getpid(), rand.Int63())),
+			ctx:           ctx,
+			debugMessages: opts.DebugMessages,
 		},
 		cmd: cmd,
 	}
diff --git a/lib/ts/src/child.ts b/lib/ts/src/child.ts
index c0bcef3..218d431 100644
--- a/lib/ts/src/child.ts
+++ b/lib/ts/src/child.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import * as net from 'node:net';
-import {IPCCommon} from './common.js';
+import {IPCCommon, type IPCOptions} from './common.js';
 import {socketPathFromArgs} from './util.js';
 
 export class ChildIPC extends IPCCommon {
-    constructor(...localApis: object[]) {
-        super(localApis, socketPathFromArgs());
+    constructor(opts?: IPCOptions, ...localApis: object[]) {
+        super(localApis, socketPathFromArgs(), opts);
     }
 
     async start(): Promise<void> {
diff --git a/lib/ts/src/common.ts b/lib/ts/src/common.ts
index f82d413..8741ab2 100644
--- a/lib/ts/src/common.ts
+++ b/lib/ts/src/common.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ import {AsyncQueue} from './asyncqueue.js';
 import type {CallMessage, CallResult, Message, ResponseMessage, Vals} from './protocol.js';
 import {MsgType} from './protocol.js';
 
+export interface IPCOptions {
+    debugMessages?: boolean;
+}
+
 export abstract class IPCCommon {
     protected localApis: Record<string, any>;
     protected socketPath: string;
@@ -13,12 +17,14 @@ export abstract class IPCCommon {
     protected stopRequested: boolean = false;
     protected processingCalls: number = 0;
     protected ready = false;
+    protected debugMessages: boolean;
 
     protected errorQueue = new AsyncQueue<Error>();
     protected onClose?: () => void;
 
-    protected constructor(localApis: object[], socketPath: string) {
+    protected constructor(localApis: object[], socketPath: string, opts?: IPCOptions) {
         this.socketPath = socketPath;
+        this.debugMessages = opts?.debugMessages ?? false;
 
         this.localApis = {};
         for (const localApi of localApis) {
@@ -47,6 +53,9 @@ export abstract class IPCCommon {
 
         rl.on('line', (line) => {
             try {
+                if (this.debugMessages) {
+                    console.log(`[ipc recv] ${line}`);
+                }
                 const msg: Message = JSON.parse(line);
                 this.processMsg(msg);
             } catch (e) {
@@ -73,6 +82,9 @@ export abstract class IPCCommon {
 
         try {
             const data = JSON.stringify(msg) + '\n';
+            if (this.debugMessages) {
+                console.log(`[ipc send] ${JSON.stringify(msg)}`);
+            }
             this.conn.write(data);
         } catch (e) {
             this.raiseErr(new Error(`send response for ${ msg.id }: ${ e }`));
diff --git a/lib/ts/src/index.ts b/lib/ts/src/index.ts
index 8055b34..1eb2960 100644
--- a/lib/ts/src/index.ts
+++ b/lib/ts/src/index.ts
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 export {ParentIPC} from './parent.js';
 export {ChildIPC} from './child.js';
+export type {IPCOptions} from './common.js';
diff --git a/lib/ts/src/parent.ts b/lib/ts/src/parent.ts
index 5edd540..a5698f0 100644
--- a/lib/ts/src/parent.ts
+++ b/lib/ts/src/parent.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import * as path from 'node:path';
 import * as fs from 'node:fs';
 import * as crypto from 'node:crypto';
 import {type ChildProcess, spawn} from 'node:child_process';
-import {IPCCommon} from './common.js';
+import {IPCCommon, type IPCOptions} from './common.js';
 import {timeout} from './util.js';
 
 const IPC_SOCKET_ARG = 'ipc-socket';
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ export class ParentIPC extends IPCCommon {
     private cmdExitResult: { code: number | null, signal: string | null } | null = null;
     private cmdExitCallbacks: ((result: { code: number | null, signal: string | null }) => void)[] = [];
 
-    constructor(cmdPath: string, cmdArgs: string[], ...localApis: object[]) {
+    constructor(cmdPath: string, cmdArgs: string[], opts?: IPCOptions, ...localApis: object[]) {
         const socketPath = path.join(os.tmpdir(), `kitten-ipc-${ process.pid }-${ crypto.randomInt(2**48 - 1) }.sock`);
-        super(localApis, socketPath);
+        super(localApis, socketPath, opts);
 
         this.cmdPath = cmdPath;
         if (cmdArgs.includes(`--${ IPC_SOCKET_ARG }`)) {