diff --git a/.vscode/launch.json b/.vscode/launch.json
index c353737a35..e83c03796a 100644
--- a/.vscode/launch.json
+++ b/.vscode/launch.json
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@
       "args": [
         // "--user-data-dir=${workspaceFolder}/target/code",
         "--disable-extensions",
-        "--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}/editors/code"
+        "--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}/editors/code",
+        "--log rust-lang.rust-analyzer:debug"
       ],
       "outFiles": [
         "${workspaceFolder}/editors/code/out/**/*.js"
@@ -36,7 +37,8 @@
       "runtimeExecutable": "${execPath}",
       "args": [
         "--disable-extensions",
-        "--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}/editors/code"
+        "--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}/editors/code",
+        "--log rust-lang.rust-analyzer:debug"
       ],
       "outFiles": [
         "${workspaceFolder}/editors/code/out/**/*.js"
@@ -57,7 +59,8 @@
       "runtimeExecutable": "${execPath}",
       "args": [
         "--disable-extensions",
-        "--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}/editors/code"
+        "--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}/editors/code",
+        "--log rust-lang.rust-analyzer:debug"
       ],
       "outFiles": [
         "${workspaceFolder}/editors/code/out/**/*.js"
@@ -79,7 +82,8 @@
       "runtimeExecutable": "${execPath}",
       "args": [
         "--disable-extension", "rust-lang.rust-analyzer",
-        "--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}/editors/code"
+        "--extensionDevelopmentPath=${workspaceFolder}/editors/code",
+        "--log rust-lang.rust-analyzer:debug"
       ],
       "outFiles": [
         "${workspaceFolder}/editors/code/out/**/*.js"
diff --git a/editors/code/package.json b/editors/code/package.json
index 49defa5dea..da06f133d0 100644
--- a/editors/code/package.json
+++ b/editors/code/package.json
@@ -483,6 +483,7 @@
                     },
                     "rust-analyzer.trace.extension": {
                         "description": "Enable logging of VS Code extensions itself.",
+                        "markdownDeprecationMessage": "Log level is now controlled by the [Developer: Set Log Level...](command:workbench.action.setLogLevel) command.You can set the log level for the current session and also the default log level from there. This is also available by clicking the gear icon on the OUTPUT tab when Rust Analyzer Client is visible or by passing the --log rust-lang.rust-analyzer:debug parameter to VS Code.",
                         "type": "boolean",
                         "default": false
                     }
diff --git a/editors/code/src/bootstrap.ts b/editors/code/src/bootstrap.ts
index 527edf19eb..42dd0760d6 100644
--- a/editors/code/src/bootstrap.ts
+++ b/editors/code/src/bootstrap.ts
@@ -117,9 +117,11 @@ export function isValidExecutable(path: string, extraEnv: Env): boolean {
         env: { ...process.env, ...extraEnv },
     });
 
-    const printOutput = res.error ? log.warn : log.info;
-    printOutput(path, "--version:", res);
-
+    if (res.error) {
+        log.warn(path, "--version:", res);
+    } else {
+        log.info(path, "--version:", res);
+    }
     return res.status === 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/editors/code/src/config.ts b/editors/code/src/config.ts
index 75fbcdacae..dc0165df71 100644
--- a/editors/code/src/config.ts
+++ b/editors/code/src/config.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ export class Config {
     }
 
     private refreshLogging() {
-        log.setEnabled(this.traceExtension ?? false);
         log.info(
             "Extension version:",
             vscode.extensions.getExtension(this.extensionId)!.packageJSON.version,
@@ -253,10 +252,6 @@ export class Config {
         await this.cfg.update("checkOnSave", !(value || false), target || null, overrideInLanguage);
     }
 
-    get traceExtension() {
-        return this.get<boolean>("trace.extension");
-    }
-
     get discoverProjectRunner(): string | undefined {
         return this.get<string | undefined>("discoverProjectRunner");
     }
diff --git a/editors/code/src/ctx.ts b/editors/code/src/ctx.ts
index 49e002627d..0f2a758db4 100644
--- a/editors/code/src/ctx.ts
+++ b/editors/code/src/ctx.ts
@@ -249,7 +249,8 @@ export class Ctx implements RustAnalyzerExtensionApi {
 
             message +=
                 'See the logs in "OUTPUT > Rust Analyzer Client" (should open automatically). ';
-            message += 'To enable verbose logs use { "rust-analyzer.trace.extension": true }';
+            message +=
+                'To enable verbose logs, click the gear icon in the "OUTPUT" tab and select "Debug".';
 
             log.error("Bootstrap error", err);
             throw new Error(message);
diff --git a/editors/code/src/util.ts b/editors/code/src/util.ts
index dd1cbe38ff..eb98425abf 100644
--- a/editors/code/src/util.ts
+++ b/editors/code/src/util.ts
@@ -17,49 +17,44 @@ export type Env = {
     [name: string]: string;
 };
 
-export const log = new (class {
-    private enabled = true;
-    private readonly output = vscode.window.createOutputChannel("Rust Analyzer Client");
+class Log {
+    private readonly output = vscode.window.createOutputChannel("Rust Analyzer Client", {
+        log: true,
+    });
 
-    setEnabled(yes: boolean): void {
-        log.enabled = yes;
+    debug(...messages: [unknown, ...unknown[]]): void {
+        this.output.debug(this.stringify(messages));
     }
 
-    // Hint: the type [T, ...T[]] means a non-empty array
-    debug(...msg: [unknown, ...unknown[]]): void {
-        if (!log.enabled) return;
-        log.write("DEBUG", ...msg);
+    info(...messages: [unknown, ...unknown[]]): void {
+        this.output.info(this.stringify(messages));
     }
 
-    info(...msg: [unknown, ...unknown[]]): void {
-        log.write("INFO", ...msg);
+    warn(...messages: [unknown, ...unknown[]]): void {
+        this.output.warn(this.stringify(messages));
     }
 
-    warn(...msg: [unknown, ...unknown[]]): void {
-        debugger;
-        log.write("WARN", ...msg);
+    error(...messages: [unknown, ...unknown[]]): void {
+        this.output.error(this.stringify(messages));
+        this.output.show(true);
     }
 
-    error(...msg: [unknown, ...unknown[]]): void {
-        debugger;
-        log.write("ERROR", ...msg);
-        log.output.show(true);
+    private stringify(messages: unknown[]): string {
+        return messages
+            .map((message) => {
+                if (typeof message === "string") {
+                    return message;
+                }
+                if (message instanceof Error) {
+                    return message.stack || message.message;
+                }
+                return inspect(message, { depth: 6, colors: false });
+            })
+            .join(" ");
     }
+}
 
-    private write(label: string, ...messageParts: unknown[]): void {
-        const message = messageParts.map(log.stringify).join(" ");
-        const dateTime = new Date().toLocaleString();
-        log.output.appendLine(`${label} [${dateTime}]: ${message}`);
-    }
-
-    private stringify(val: unknown): string {
-        if (typeof val === "string") return val;
-        return inspect(val, {
-            colors: false,
-            depth: 6, // heuristic
-        });
-    }
-})();
+export const log = new Log();
 
 export function sleep(ms: number) {
     return new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
@@ -135,7 +130,7 @@ export function execute(command: string, options: ExecOptions): Promise<string>
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
         exec(command, options, (err, stdout, stderr) => {
             if (err) {
-                log.error(err);
+                log.error("error:", err);
                 reject(err);
                 return;
             }