diff --git a/pkg/registry/apis/query/query.go b/pkg/registry/apis/query/query.go
index f24e0e10ba5..1bbd6ef95a5 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/apis/query/query.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/apis/query/query.go
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ func (r *queryREST) Connect(connectCtx context.Context, name string, _ runtime.O
 		raw := &query.QueryDataRequest{}
 		err := web.Bind(httpreq, raw)
 		if err != nil {
+			b.log.Error("Hit unexpected error when reading query", "err", err)
 			err = errorsK8s.NewBadRequest("error reading query")
 			// TODO: can we wrap the error so details are not lost?!
 			// errutil.BadRequest(
@@ -170,17 +171,22 @@ func (r *queryREST) Connect(connectCtx context.Context, name string, _ runtime.O
 func (b *QueryAPIBuilder) execute(ctx context.Context, req parsedRequestInfo) (qdr *backend.QueryDataResponse, err error) {
 	switch len(req.Requests) {
 	case 0:
+		b.log.Debug("executing empty query")
 		qdr = &backend.QueryDataResponse{}
 	case 1:
+		b.log.Debug("executing single query")
 		qdr, err = b.handleQuerySingleDatasource(ctx, req.Requests[0])
 		if alertQueryWithoutExpression(req) {
+			b.log.Debug("handling alert query without expression")
 			qdr, err = b.convertQueryWithoutExpression(ctx, req.Requests[0], qdr)
 		}
 	default:
+		b.log.Debug("executing concurrent queries")
 		qdr, err = b.executeConcurrentQueries(ctx, req.Requests)
 	}
 
 	if len(req.Expressions) > 0 {
+		b.log.Debug("executing expressions")
 		qdr, err = b.handleExpressions(ctx, req, qdr)
 	}
 
@@ -330,6 +336,9 @@ func (b *QueryAPIBuilder) executeConcurrentQueries(ctx context.Context, requests
 func (b *QueryAPIBuilder) handleExpressions(ctx context.Context, req parsedRequestInfo, data *backend.QueryDataResponse) (qdr *backend.QueryDataResponse, err error) {
 	start := time.Now()
 	ctx, span := b.tracer.Start(ctx, "Query.handleExpressions")
+	traceId := span.SpanContext().TraceID()
+	expressionsLogger := b.log.New("traceId", traceId.String())
+	expressionsLogger.Debug("handling expressions")
 	defer func() {
 		var respStatus string
 		switch {
@@ -363,10 +372,12 @@ func (b *QueryAPIBuilder) handleExpressions(ctx context.Context, req parsedReque
 					allowLongFrames := false // TODO -- depends on input type and only if SQL?
 					_, res, err := b.converter.Convert(ctx, req.RefIDTypes[refId], dr.Frames, allowLongFrames)
 					if err != nil {
+						expressionsLogger.Error("error converting frames for expressions", "error", err)
 						res.Error = err
 					}
 					vars[refId] = res
 				} else {
+					expressionsLogger.Error("missing variable in handle expressions", "refId", refId, "expressionRefId", expression.RefID)
 					// This should error in the parsing phase
 					err := fmt.Errorf("missing variable %s for %s", refId, expression.RefID)
 					qdr.Responses[refId] = backend.DataResponse{
@@ -380,6 +391,7 @@ func (b *QueryAPIBuilder) handleExpressions(ctx context.Context, req parsedReque
 		refId := expression.RefID
 		results, err := expression.Command.Execute(ctx, now, vars, b.tracer)
 		if err != nil {
+			expressionsLogger.Error("error executing expression", "error", err)
 			results.Error = err
 		}
 		qdr.Responses[refId] = backend.DataResponse{