diff --git a/hf_xet/Cargo.lock b/hf_xet/Cargo.lock
index 1cefd30e..38563790 100644
--- a/hf_xet/Cargo.lock
+++ b/hf_xet/Cargo.lock
@@ -444,6 +444,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "cas_types",
  "http 1.1.0",
  "lz4_flex",
+ "merkledb",
  "merklehash",
  "tempfile",
  "tracing",
@@ -1433,6 +1434,8 @@ dependencies = [
  "parutils",
  "pyo3",
  "tokio",
+ "tracing",
+ "tracing-subscriber",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
diff --git a/hf_xet/Cargo.toml b/hf_xet/Cargo.toml
index 32d0989f..e35a59b8 100644
--- a/hf_xet/Cargo.toml
+++ b/hf_xet/Cargo.toml
@@ -17,4 +17,6 @@ pyo3 = { version = "0.20.2", features = [
 data = { path = "../data" }
 tokio = { version = "1.36", features = ["full"] }
 parutils = { path = "../parutils" }
+tracing = "0.1.*"
+tracing-subscriber = { version = "0.3", features = ["tracing-log"] }
 
diff --git a/hf_xet/src/lib.rs b/hf_xet/src/lib.rs
index 8e3dc2b4..3524caa7 100644
--- a/hf_xet/src/lib.rs
+++ b/hf_xet/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 mod data_client;
 mod config;
+mod log;
 
 use pyo3::{pyfunction, PyResult};
 use pyo3::exceptions::PyException;
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ impl PyPointerFile {
 
 #[pymodule]
 pub fn hf_xet(_py: Python<'_>, m: &PyModule) -> PyResult<()> {
+    log::initialize_logging();
     m.add_function(wrap_pyfunction!(upload_files, m)?)?;
     m.add_function(wrap_pyfunction!(download_files, m)?)?;
     m.add_class::<PyPointerFile>()?;
diff --git a/hf_xet/src/log.rs b/hf_xet/src/log.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e564264d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hf_xet/src/log.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+use tracing_subscriber::{layer::SubscriberExt, util::SubscriberInitExt, EnvFilter};
+
+/// Default log level for the library to use. Override using `RUST_LOG` env variable.
+/// TODO: probably change default to warn or error before shipping.
+const DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL: &str = "info";
+
+pub fn initialize_logging() {
+    // TODO: maybe have an env variable for writing to a log file instead of stderr
+    let fmt_layer = tracing_subscriber::fmt::layer()
+        .with_line_number(true)
+        .with_file(true)
+        .with_target(false)
+        .json();
+
+    let filter_layer = EnvFilter::try_from_default_env()
+        .or_else(|_| EnvFilter::try_new(DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL))
+        .unwrap_or_default();
+    tracing_subscriber::registry()
+        .with(fmt_layer)
+        .with(filter_layer)
+        .init();
+}