diff --git a/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/createExport.ts b/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/createExport.ts
index cee0c80f1..bba29b9ae 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/createExport.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/createExport.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+/* eslint-disable perfectionist/sort-objects */
 import type { PaginatedDocs, PayloadRequest, Sort, User, Where } from 'payload'
 
 import { stringify } from 'csv-stringify/sync'
@@ -10,6 +11,10 @@ import { getSelect } from './getSelect.js'
 
 type Export = {
   collectionSlug: string
+  /**
+   * If true, enables debug logging
+   */
+  debug?: boolean
   drafts?: 'no' | 'yes'
   exportsCollection: string
   fields?: string[]
@@ -42,6 +47,7 @@ export const createExport = async (args: CreateExportArgs) => {
       id,
       name: nameArg,
       collectionSlug,
+      debug = false,
       drafts,
       exportsCollection,
       fields,
@@ -54,6 +60,17 @@ export const createExport = async (args: CreateExportArgs) => {
     req: { locale: localeArg, payload },
     req,
   } = args
+
+  if (debug) {
+    req.payload.logger.info({
+      message: 'Starting export process with args:',
+      collectionSlug,
+      drafts,
+      fields,
+      format,
+    })
+  }
+
   const locale = localeInput ?? localeArg
   const collectionConfig = payload.config.collections.find(({ slug }) => slug === collectionSlug)
   if (!collectionConfig) {
@@ -63,6 +80,10 @@ export const createExport = async (args: CreateExportArgs) => {
   const name = `${nameArg ?? `${getFilename()}-${collectionSlug}`}.${format}`
   const isCSV = format === 'csv'
 
+  if (debug) {
+    req.payload.logger.info({ message: 'Export configuration:', name, isCSV, locale })
+  }
+
   const findArgs = {
     collection: collectionSlug,
     depth: 0,
@@ -77,9 +98,16 @@ export const createExport = async (args: CreateExportArgs) => {
     where,
   }
 
+  if (debug) {
+    req.payload.logger.info({ message: 'Find arguments:', findArgs })
+  }
+
   let result: PaginatedDocs = { hasNextPage: true } as PaginatedDocs
 
   if (download) {
+    if (debug) {
+      req.payload.logger.info('Starting download stream')
+    }
     const encoder = new TextEncoder()
     const stream = new Readable({
       async read() {
@@ -87,12 +115,20 @@ export const createExport = async (args: CreateExportArgs) => {
         let isFirstBatch = true
 
         while (result.docs.length > 0) {
+          if (debug) {
+            req.payload.logger.info(
+              `Processing batch ${findArgs.page + 1} with ${result.docs.length} documents`,
+            )
+          }
           const csvInput = result.docs.map((doc) => flattenObject({ doc, fields }))
           const csvString = stringify(csvInput, { header: isFirstBatch })
           this.push(encoder.encode(csvString))
           isFirstBatch = false
 
           if (!result.hasNextPage) {
+            if (debug) {
+              req.payload.logger.info('Stream complete - no more pages')
+            }
             this.push(null) // End the stream
             break
           }
@@ -111,6 +147,9 @@ export const createExport = async (args: CreateExportArgs) => {
     })
   }
 
+  if (debug) {
+    req.payload.logger.info('Starting file generation')
+  }
   const outputData: string[] = []
   let isFirstBatch = true
 
@@ -118,6 +157,12 @@ export const createExport = async (args: CreateExportArgs) => {
     findArgs.page += 1
     result = await payload.find(findArgs)
 
+    if (debug) {
+      req.payload.logger.info(
+        `Processing batch ${findArgs.page} with ${result.docs.length} documents`,
+      )
+    }
+
     if (isCSV) {
       const csvInput = result.docs.map((doc) => flattenObject({ doc, fields }))
       outputData.push(stringify(csvInput, { header: isFirstBatch }))
@@ -129,8 +174,14 @@ export const createExport = async (args: CreateExportArgs) => {
   }
 
   const buffer = Buffer.from(format === 'json' ? `[${outputData.join(',')}]` : outputData.join(''))
+  if (debug) {
+    req.payload.logger.info(`${format} file generation complete`)
+  }
 
   if (!id) {
+    if (debug) {
+      req.payload.logger.info('Creating new export file')
+    }
     req.file = {
       name,
       data: buffer,
@@ -138,6 +189,9 @@ export const createExport = async (args: CreateExportArgs) => {
       size: buffer.length,
     }
   } else {
+    if (debug) {
+      req.payload.logger.info(`Updating existing export with id: ${id}`)
+    }
     await req.payload.update({
       id,
       collection: exportsCollection,
@@ -151,4 +205,7 @@ export const createExport = async (args: CreateExportArgs) => {
       user,
     })
   }
+  if (debug) {
+    req.payload.logger.info('Export process completed successfully')
+  }
 }
diff --git a/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/download.ts b/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/download.ts
index 86d02b097..bebf8bc36 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/download.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-import-export/src/export/download.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-import type { PayloadHandler } from 'payload'
+import type { PayloadRequest } from 'payload'
 
 import { APIError } from 'payload'
 
 import { createExport } from './createExport.js'
 
-export const download: PayloadHandler = async (req) => {
+export const download = async (req: PayloadRequest, debug = false) => {
   let body
   if (typeof req?.json === 'function') {
     body = await req.json()
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export const download: PayloadHandler = async (req) => {
 
   return createExport({
     download: true,
-    input: body.data,
+    input: { ...body.data, debug },
     req,
   }) as Promise<Response>
 }
diff --git a/packages/plugin-import-export/src/getExportCollection.ts b/packages/plugin-import-export/src/getExportCollection.ts
index 9c863059e..9841c3b15 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-import-export/src/getExportCollection.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-import-export/src/getExportCollection.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,9 @@ export const getExportCollection = ({
     disableDuplicate: true,
     endpoints: [
       {
-        handler: download,
+        handler: (req) => {
+          return download(req, pluginConfig.debug)
+        },
         method: 'post',
         path: '/download',
       },
@@ -63,7 +65,8 @@ export const getExportCollection = ({
         return
       }
       const { user } = req
-      await createExport({ input: { ...args.data, user }, req })
+      const debug = pluginConfig.debug
+      await createExport({ input: { ...args.data, debug, user }, req })
     })
   } else {
     afterChange.push(async ({ doc, operation, req }) => {
diff --git a/packages/plugin-import-export/src/types.ts b/packages/plugin-import-export/src/types.ts
index a53cade0e..91d0c1b39 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-import-export/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-import-export/src/types.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ export type ImportExportPluginConfig = {
    * Defaults to all collections
    */
   collections?: string[]
+  /**
+   * If true, enables debug logging
+   */
+  debug?: boolean
   /**
    * Enable to force the export to run synchronously
    */