diff --git a/cli/src/client/connection.ts b/cli/src/client/connection.ts
index 931f803da..dcbe8e518 100644
--- a/cli/src/client/connection.ts
+++ b/cli/src/client/connection.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@ export async function connect(
 ): Promise<void> {
   try {
     await client.connect(transport);
+
+    if (client.getServerCapabilities()?.logging) {
+      // default logging level is undefined in the spec, but the user of the
+      // inspector most likely wants debug.
+      await client.setLoggingLevel("debug");
+    }
   } catch (error) {
     throw new Error(
       `Failed to connect to MCP server: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)}`,
diff --git a/client/src/App.tsx b/client/src/App.tsx
index 3836aa9b8..537f80bfa 100644
--- a/client/src/App.tsx
+++ b/client/src/App.tsx
@@ -260,6 +260,7 @@ const App = () => {
       window.location.hash = "elicitations";
     },
     getRoots: () => rootsRef.current,
+    defaultLoggingLevel: logLevel,
   });
 
   useEffect(() => {
diff --git a/client/src/lib/hooks/useConnection.ts b/client/src/lib/hooks/useConnection.ts
index edc21d92f..78dfa6df6 100644
--- a/client/src/lib/hooks/useConnection.ts
+++ b/client/src/lib/hooks/useConnection.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import {
   ToolListChangedNotificationSchema,
   PromptListChangedNotificationSchema,
   Progress,
+  LoggingLevel,
   ElicitRequestSchema,
 } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/types.js";
 import { RequestOptions } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/shared/protocol.js";
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ interface UseConnectionOptions {
   onElicitationRequest?: (request: any, resolve: any) => void;
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
   getRoots?: () => any[];
+  defaultLoggingLevel?: LoggingLevel;
 }
 
 export function useConnection({
@@ -90,6 +92,7 @@ export function useConnection({
   onPendingRequest,
   onElicitationRequest,
   getRoots,
+  defaultLoggingLevel,
 }: UseConnectionOptions) {
   const [connectionStatus, setConnectionStatus] =
     useState<ConnectionStatus>("disconnected");
@@ -560,6 +563,10 @@ export function useConnection({
         });
       }
 
+      if (capabilities?.logging && defaultLoggingLevel) {
+        await client.setLoggingLevel(defaultLoggingLevel);
+      }
+
       if (onElicitationRequest) {
         client.setRequestHandler(ElicitRequestSchema, async (request) => {
           return new Promise((resolve) => {