diff --git a/src/cache.js b/src/cache.js
index 2444bb12..b0de55e0 100644
--- a/src/cache.js
+++ b/src/cache.js
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ const handleCache = async function (directory, params) {
     cacheIdentifier,
     cacheDirectory,
     cacheCompression,
+    logger,
   } = params;
 
   const file = path.join(directory, filename(source, cacheIdentifier, options));
@@ -97,8 +98,12 @@ const handleCache = async function (directory, params) {
   try {
     // No errors mean that the file was previously cached
     // we just need to return it
+    logger.debug(`reading cache file '${file}'`);
     return await read(file, cacheCompression);
-  } catch {}
+  } catch {
+    // conitnue if cache can't be read
+    logger.debug(`discarded cache as it can not be read`);
+  }
 
   const fallback =
     typeof cacheDirectory !== "string" && directory !== os.tmpdir();
@@ -106,6 +111,7 @@ const handleCache = async function (directory, params) {
   // Make sure the directory exists.
   try {
     // overwrite directory if exists
+    logger.debug(`creating cache folder '${directory}'`);
     await mkdir(directory, { recursive: true });
   } catch (err) {
     if (fallback) {
@@ -117,12 +123,14 @@ const handleCache = async function (directory, params) {
 
   // Otherwise just transform the file
   // return it to the user asap and write it in cache
+  logger.debug(`applying Babel transform`);
   const result = await transform(source, options);
 
   // Do not cache if there are external dependencies,
   // since they might change and we cannot control it.
   if (!result.externalDependencies.length) {
     try {
+      logger.debug(`writing result to cache file '${file}'`);
       await write(file, cacheCompression, result);
     } catch (err) {
       if (fallback) {
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 5ba55e3e..05a23088 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ function makeLoader(callback) {
 
 async function loader(source, inputSourceMap, overrides) {
   const filename = this.resourcePath;
+  const logger = this.getLogger("babel-loader");
 
   let loaderOptions = this.getOptions();
   validateOptions(schema, loaderOptions, {
@@ -78,17 +79,20 @@ async function loader(source, inputSourceMap, overrides) {
       );
     }
 
+    logger.debug(`loading customize override: '${loaderOptions.customize}'`);
     let override = require(loaderOptions.customize);
     if (override.__esModule) override = override.default;
 
     if (typeof override !== "function") {
       throw new Error("Custom overrides must be functions.");
     }
+    logger.debug("applying customize override to @babel/core");
     overrides = override(babel);
   }
 
   let customOptions;
   if (overrides && overrides.customOptions) {
+    logger.debug("applying overrides customOptions() to loader options");
     const result = await overrides.customOptions.call(this, loaderOptions, {
       source,
       map: inputSourceMap,
@@ -113,6 +117,7 @@ async function loader(source, inputSourceMap, overrides) {
     );
   }
 
+  logger.debug("normalizing loader options");
   // Standardize on 'sourceMaps' as the key passed through to Webpack, so that
   // users may safely use either one alongside our default use of
   // 'this.sourceMap' below without getting error about conflicting aliases.
@@ -149,12 +154,14 @@ async function loader(source, inputSourceMap, overrides) {
   delete programmaticOptions.cacheCompression;
   delete programmaticOptions.metadataSubscribers;
 
+  logger.debug("resolving Babel configs");
   const config = await babel.loadPartialConfigAsync(
     injectCaller(programmaticOptions, this.target),
   );
   if (config) {
     let options = config.options;
     if (overrides && overrides.config) {
+      logger.debug("applying overrides config() to Babel config");
       options = await overrides.config.call(this, config, {
         source,
         map: inputSourceMap,
@@ -185,6 +192,7 @@ async function loader(source, inputSourceMap, overrides) {
 
     let result;
     if (cacheDirectory) {
+      logger.debug("cache is enabled");
       result = await cache({
         source,
         options,
@@ -192,15 +200,21 @@ async function loader(source, inputSourceMap, overrides) {
         cacheDirectory,
         cacheIdentifier,
         cacheCompression,
+        logger,
       });
     } else {
+      logger.debug("cache is disabled, applying Babel transform");
       result = await transform(source, options);
     }
 
-    config.files.forEach(configFile => this.addDependency(configFile));
+    config.files.forEach(configFile => {
+      this.addDependency(configFile);
+      logger.debug(`added '${configFile}' to webpack dependencies`);
+    });
 
     if (result) {
       if (overrides && overrides.result) {
+        logger.debug("applying overrides result() to Babel transform results");
         result = await overrides.result.call(this, result, {
           source,
           map: inputSourceMap,
@@ -212,9 +226,13 @@ async function loader(source, inputSourceMap, overrides) {
 
       const { code, map, metadata, externalDependencies } = result;
 
-      externalDependencies?.forEach(dep => this.addDependency(dep));
+      externalDependencies?.forEach(dep => {
+        this.addDependency(dep);
+        logger.debug(`added '${dep}' to webpack dependencies`);
+      });
       metadataSubscribers.forEach(subscriber => {
         subscribe(subscriber, metadata, this);
+        logger.debug(`invoked metadata subscriber '${String(subscriber)}'`);
       });
 
       return [code, map];
diff --git a/test/cache.test.js b/test/cache.test.js
index 71290b36..ed38c035 100644
--- a/test/cache.test.js
+++ b/test/cache.test.js
@@ -325,3 +325,34 @@ test("should allow to specify the .babelrc file", async t => {
   const files = fs.readdirSync(t.context.cacheDirectory);
   t.true(files.length === 2);
 });
+
+test("should output debug logs when stats.loggingDebug includes babel-loader", async t => {
+  const config = Object.assign({}, globalConfig, {
+    output: {
+      path: t.context.directory,
+    },
+    module: {
+      rules: [
+        {
+          test: /\.jsx?/,
+          loader: babelLoader,
+          exclude: /node_modules/,
+          options: {
+            cacheDirectory: true,
+            presets: ["@babel/preset-env"],
+          },
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+    stats: {
+      loggingDebug: ["babel-loader"],
+    },
+  });
+
+  const stats = await webpackAsync(config);
+
+  t.regex(
+    stats.toString(config.stats),
+    /normalizing loader options\n\s+resolving Babel configs\n\s+cache is enabled\n\s+reading cache file.+\n\s+discarded cache as it can not be read\n\s+creating cache folder.+/,
+  );
+});
diff --git a/test/loader.test.js b/test/loader.test.js
index b622bb5f..49285e5d 100644
--- a/test/loader.test.js
+++ b/test/loader.test.js
@@ -194,3 +194,20 @@ test("should track external dependencies", async t => {
   t.true(stats.compilation.fileDependencies.has(dep));
   t.deepEqual(stats.compilation.warnings, []);
 });
+
+test("should output debug logs when stats.loggingDebug includes babel-loader", async t => {
+  const config = Object.assign({}, globalConfig, {
+    output: {
+      path: t.context.directory,
+    },
+    stats: {
+      loggingDebug: ["babel-loader"],
+    },
+  });
+
+  const stats = await webpackAsync(config);
+  t.regex(
+    stats.toString(config.stats),
+    /normalizing loader options\n\s+resolving Babel configs\n\s+cache is disabled, applying Babel transform/,
+  );
+});