diff --git a/libs/pbd/debug.cc b/libs/pbd/debug.cc
index 39fa600899..c0c6ab65db 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/debug.cc
+++ b/libs/pbd/debug.cc
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ DebugBits PBD::DEBUG::Timing = PBD::new_debug_bit ("timing");
 DebugBits PBD::DEBUG::Threads = PBD::new_debug_bit ("threads");
 DebugBits PBD::DEBUG::Locale = PBD::new_debug_bit ("locale");
 DebugBits PBD::DEBUG::StringConvert = PBD::new_debug_bit ("stringconvert");
+DebugBits PBD::DEBUG::DebugTimestamps = PBD::new_debug_bit ("debugtimestamps");
 
 /* These are debug bits that are used by backends. Since these are loaded dynamically,
    after command-line parsing, defining them in code that is part of the backend
@@ -98,6 +99,9 @@ PBD::new_debug_bit (const char* name)
 void
 PBD::debug_print (const char* prefix, string str)
 {
+	if ((PBD::debug_bits & DEBUG::DebugTimestamps).any()) {
+		cout << g_get_monotonic_time() << ' ';
+	}
 	cout << prefix << ": " << str;
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/pbd/pbd/debug.h b/libs/pbd/pbd/debug.h
index c4d1b0ede8..7d3a901a11 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/pbd/debug.h
+++ b/libs/pbd/pbd/debug.h
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ namespace PBD {
 		LIBPBD_API extern DebugBits Threads;
 		LIBPBD_API extern DebugBits Locale;
 		LIBPBD_API extern DebugBits StringConvert;
+		LIBPBD_API extern DebugBits DebugTimestamps;
 
 		/* See notes in ../debug.cc on why these are defined here */