diff --git a/embed/etcd.go b/embed/etcd.go
index e5da45ad80f..d36d732a62c 100644
--- a/embed/etcd.go
+++ b/embed/etcd.go
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ func StartEtcd(inCfg *Config) (e *Etcd, err error) {
 		AuthToken:               cfg.AuthToken,
 		InitialCorruptCheck:     cfg.ExperimentalInitialCorruptCheck,
 		CorruptCheckTime:        cfg.ExperimentalCorruptCheckTime,
+		Debug:                   cfg.Debug,
 	}
 
 	if e.Server, err = etcdserver.NewServer(srvcfg); err != nil {
diff --git a/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/grpc.go b/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/grpc.go
index 3fd8e864a0f..5adb3e6efa8 100644
--- a/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/grpc.go
+++ b/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/grpc.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ package v3rpc
 
 import (
 	"crypto/tls"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"math"
 	"os"
 
@@ -36,10 +37,6 @@ const (
 	maxSendBytes      = math.MaxInt32
 )
 
-func init() {
-	grpclog.SetLoggerV2(grpclog.NewLoggerV2(os.Stderr, os.Stderr, os.Stderr))
-}
-
 func Server(s *etcdserver.EtcdServer, tls *tls.Config, gopts ...grpc.ServerOption) *grpc.Server {
 	var opts []grpc.ServerOption
 	opts = append(opts, grpc.CustomCodec(&codec{}))
@@ -70,5 +67,13 @@ func Server(s *etcdserver.EtcdServer, tls *tls.Config, gopts ...grpc.ServerOptio
 	// set zero values for metrics registered for this grpc server
 	grpc_prometheus.Register(grpcServer)
 
+	if s.Cfg.Debug {
+		grpc.EnableTracing = true
+		// enable info, warning, error
+		grpclog.SetLoggerV2(grpclog.NewLoggerV2(os.Stderr, os.Stderr, os.Stderr))
+	} else {
+		// only discard info
+		grpclog.SetLoggerV2(grpclog.NewLoggerV2(ioutil.Discard, os.Stderr, os.Stderr))
+	}
 	return grpcServer
 }
diff --git a/etcdserver/config.go b/etcdserver/config.go
index 80d8219436e..249e8d5fc13 100644
--- a/etcdserver/config.go
+++ b/etcdserver/config.go
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ type ServerConfig struct {
 	// before serving any peer/client traffic.
 	InitialCorruptCheck bool
 	CorruptCheckTime    time.Duration
+
+	Debug bool
 }
 
 // VerifyBootstrap sanity-checks the initial config for bootstrap case