diff --git a/beacon_node/Cargo.toml b/beacon_node/Cargo.toml
index 0bc7de4cc..43e75d0a6 100644
--- a/beacon_node/Cargo.toml
+++ b/beacon_node/Cargo.toml
@@ -23,3 +23,4 @@ futures = "0.1.25"
 exit-future = "0.1.3"
 state_processing = { path = "../eth2/state_processing" }
 slog = { version = "^2.2.3" , features = ["max_level_trace", "release_max_level_debug"] }
+env_logger = "0.6.1"
diff --git a/beacon_node/src/main.rs b/beacon_node/src/main.rs
index 60b51303a..96353ddf9 100644
--- a/beacon_node/src/main.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/src/main.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ mod run;
 
 use clap::{App, Arg};
 use client::{ClientConfig, Eth2Config};
+use env_logger::{Builder, Env};
 use eth2_config::{get_data_dir, read_from_file, write_to_file};
 use slog::{crit, o, Drain};
 use std::path::PathBuf;
@@ -12,6 +13,9 @@ pub const CLIENT_CONFIG_FILENAME: &str = "beacon-node.toml";
 pub const ETH2_CONFIG_FILENAME: &str = "eth2-spec.toml";
 
 fn main() {
+    // debugging output for libp2p and external crates
+    Builder::from_env(Env::default()).init();
+
     let matches = App::new("Lighthouse")
         .version(version::version().as_str())
         .author("Sigma Prime <contact@sigmaprime.io>")