diff --git a/DDG4/python/DDSim/DD4hepSimulation.py b/DDG4/python/DDSim/DD4hepSimulation.py
index 50b258792955c4c56bab9f880f05f00c766e1604..b42b59b8e3565a29925817e576e3a820fb9abbff 100644
--- a/DDG4/python/DDSim/DD4hepSimulation.py
+++ b/DDG4/python/DDSim/DD4hepSimulation.py
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@ Based on M. Frank and F. Gaede runSim.py
 
 """
 from __future__ import absolute_import, unicode_literals, division, print_function
-__RCSID__ = "$Id$"
-import sys
+
 import os
+import sys
+import traceback
 from DDSim.Helper.Meta import Meta
 from DDSim.Helper.LCIO import LCIO
 from DDSim.Helper.HepMC3 import HepMC3
@@ -250,6 +251,9 @@ class DD4hepSimulation(object):
 
     self._consistencyChecks()
 
+    if self.printLevel <= 2:  # VERBOSE or DEBUG
+      logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
+
     # self.__treatUnknownArgs( parsed, unknown )
     self.__parseAllHelper(parsed)
     if self._errorMessages and not (self._dumpParameter or self._dumpSteeringFile):
@@ -570,6 +574,8 @@ class DD4hepSimulation(object):
               obj.setOption(var, parsedDict[key])
             except RuntimeError as e:
               self._errorMessages.append("ERROR: %s " % e)
+              if logger.level <= logging.DEBUG:
+                self._errorMessages.append(traceback.format_exc())
 
   def __checkOutputLevel(self, level):
     """return outputlevel as int so we don't have to import anything for faster startup"""