diff --git a/inst/include/Rcpp.h b/inst/include/Rcpp.h
index 99d7681..71967a2 100644
--- a/inst/include/Rcpp.h
+++ b/inst/include/Rcpp.h
@@ -53,9 +53,14 @@
 
 namespace Rcpp{
     
-    inline const char* short_file_name(const char* file) {
+    // we need to copy to a buffer because destruction of the string can
+    // remove the contents of the short file name
+    static char sfn[1024];
+    inline char* short_file_name(const char* file) {
         std::string f(file) ;
-        return f.substr( f.find_last_of("/") + 1 ).c_str() ;
+        std::string substr = f.substr( f.find_last_of("/") + 1 );
+        strncpy(sfn, substr.c_str(), 1024);
+        return sfn;
     }
 
     class String ;
@@ -205,6 +210,8 @@ namespace Rcpp{
 #include <Rcpp/sugar/sugar.h>
 #include <Rcpp/stats/stats.h>
 
+#include <Rcpp/macros/logger.h>
+
 #include <Rcpp/Rmath.h>
 
 #include <Rcpp/api/meat/meat.h>
diff --git a/inst/include/Rcpp/logger.h b/inst/include/Rcpp/logger.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cdf3154
--- /dev/null
+++ b/inst/include/Rcpp/logger.h
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+#ifndef Rcpp__logger__h
+#define Rcpp__logger__h
+
+namespace Rcpp {
+
+#ifdef RCPP_DEBUG_MODE
+
+#define NARGS(...) VA_NUM_ARGS_IMPL(__VA_ARGS__, 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1)
+#define VA_NUM_ARGS_IMPL(_1,_2,_3,_4,_5,_6,_7,_8,_9,_10,N,...) N
+
+#ifndef log_message
+#define log_message(fmt, ...) do { \
+    static char buff[1024 * 8 + 1]; \
+    snprintf(buff, 1024 * 8, fmt, __VA_ARGS__); \
+    Rprintf("(%s:%d):  %s\n\n", short_file_name(__FILE__), __LINE__, buff); \
+} while (0)
+#else
+#warning "log_message already defined!"
+#endif
+
+#ifndef log_value
+#define log_value(x, ...) do { \
+    if (NARGS(__VA_ARGS__)) { \
+        std::string msg = tfm::format(__VA_ARGS__); \
+        Rprintf("(%s:%d):  Object '%s' value (%s):\n", short_file_name(__FILE__), __LINE__, #x, msg.c_str()); \
+    } else { \
+        Rprintf("(%s:%d):  Object '%s' value:\n", short_file_name(__FILE__), __LINE__, #x); \
+    } \
+    Rf_PrintValue(x); \
+    Rprintf("\n"); \
+} while (0)
+#else
+#warning "log_value already defined!"
+#endif
+
+#ifndef log_str
+#define log_str(x, ...) do { \
+    if (NARGS(__VA_ARGS__)) { \
+        std::string msg = tfm::format(__VA_ARGS__);  \
+        Rprintf("(%s:%d):  Object '%s' structure (%s):\n", short_file_name(__FILE__), __LINE__, #x, msg.c_str()); \
+    } else { \
+        Rprintf("(%s:%d):  Object '%s' structure:\n", short_file_name(__FILE__), __LINE__, #x); \
+    } \
+    Shield<SEXP> call(Rf_lang2( Rf_install("str"), x )); \
+    Rf_eval(call, R_GlobalEnv); \
+    Rprintf("\n"); \
+} while (0)
+#else
+#warning "log_str already defined!"
+#endif
+
+#ifndef log_internals
+#define log_internals(x, ...) do { \
+    if (NARGS(__VA_ARGS__)) { \
+        std::string msg = tfm::format(__VA_ARGS__); \
+        Rprintf("(%s:%d):  Object '%s' internals (%s):\n", short_file_name(__FILE__), __LINE__, #x, msg.c_str()); \
+    } else { \
+        Rprintf("(%s:%d):  Object '%s' internals:\n", short_file_name(__FILE__), __LINE__, #x); \
+    } \
+    Shield<SEXP> innercall(Rf_lang2( Rf_install("inspect"), x )); \
+    Shield<SEXP> call(Rf_lang2( Rf_install(".Internal"), innercall )); \
+    Rf_eval(call, R_GlobalEnv); \
+    Rprintf("\n"); \
+} while (0)
+#else
+#warning "log_inspect already defined!"
+#endif
+
+#else // RCPP_DEBUG_MODE off
+
+#ifndef log_message
+#define log_message
+#endif
+
+#ifndef log_value
+#define log_value
+#endif
+
+#ifndef log_str
+#define log_str
+#endif
+
+#ifndef log_internals
+#define log_internals
+#endif
+
+#endif
+
+} // namespace Rcpp
+
+#ifdef __GNUC__
+#pragma GCC diagnostic pop
+#endif
+
+#endif
diff --git a/inst/include/Rcpp/macros/debug.h b/inst/include/Rcpp/macros/debug.h
index 0485ada..df7954a 100644
--- a/inst/include/Rcpp/macros/debug.h
+++ b/inst/include/Rcpp/macros/debug.h
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #ifndef Rcpp_macros_debug_h
 #define Rcpp_macros_debug_h
 
+#include <iostream>
+#include <fstream>
+
 // simple logging help
 #ifndef RCPP_DEBUG_LEVEL
     #define RCPP_DEBUG_LEVEL 0