diff --git a/src/biolink.ts b/src/biolink.ts
index d9b7e25..1bab044 100644
--- a/src/biolink.ts
+++ b/src/biolink.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { BioLink } from 'biolink-model';
-import Debug from 'debug';
+import { Debug } from "./debug";
 const debug = Debug('bte:biothings-explorer-trapi:EdgeReverse');
 
 class BioLinkModel {
diff --git a/src/debug.ts b/src/debug.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad31b00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/debug.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+import debug, { Debugger } from 'debug';
+import async_hooks from 'async_hooks';
+
+const debugInstances: {[namespace: string]: {[postfix: string]: Debugger}} = {};
+const asyncContext = new Map();
+
+// any child async calls/promises will inherit the asyncContex from their parent (triggerAsyncId)
+async_hooks.createHook({
+  init(asyncId, type, triggerAsyncId, resource) {
+    if (asyncContext.has(triggerAsyncId)) {
+      asyncContext.set(asyncId, asyncContext.get(triggerAsyncId));
+    }
+  },
+  destroy(asyncId) {
+    asyncContext.delete(asyncId);
+  }
+}).enable();
+
+export function withDebugContext<F extends (...args: any[]) => any>(postfix: string, fn: F) {
+  return async (...args: Parameters<F>): Promise<Awaited<ReturnType<F>>> => {
+    // associates the promise created by this function with the postfix to be added to the debug namespace
+    const asyncId = async_hooks.executionAsyncId();
+    asyncContext.set(asyncId, postfix);
+
+    try {
+      return await fn(...args);
+    } finally {
+      asyncContext.delete(asyncId);
+    }
+  };
+}
+
+function getContext() {
+    const asyncId = async_hooks.executionAsyncId();
+    return asyncContext.get(asyncId);
+}
+
+export function Debug(namespace: string) {
+  // debug instances are organized by postfix to the namespace (default is no postfix)
+  debugInstances[namespace] = {'': debug(namespace)};
+  return function(...args: Parameters<Debugger>) {
+    // getContext gives the postfix to the namespace (create new debug instance if we don't have one yet)
+    if (!debugInstances[namespace][getContext() ?? '']) {
+      debugInstances[namespace][getContext()] = debug(namespace + getContext());
+    }
+    debugInstances[namespace][getContext() ?? ''](...args);
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 064e864..f27a01f 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -4,3 +4,4 @@ export * from "./telemetry";
 export * from "./misc";
 export * from "./redis-client";
 export * from "./biolink";
+export * from "./debug";
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/redis-client.ts b/src/redis-client.ts
index f4cad3d..6ba5584 100644
--- a/src/redis-client.ts
+++ b/src/redis-client.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import Redis, { Cluster, RedisKey } from "ioredis";
-import Debug from "debug";
+import { Debug } from "./debug";
 const debug = Debug("bte:biothings-explorer-trapi:redis-client");
 import Redlock, { RedlockAbortSignal } from "redlock";
 
diff --git a/src/telemetry.ts b/src/telemetry.ts
index caf75ab..eab38e0 100644
--- a/src/telemetry.ts
+++ b/src/telemetry.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import * as Sentry from "@sentry/node";
-import Debug from "debug";
+import { Debug } from "./debug";
 import opentelemetry, {
   Span as OtelSpan,
   SpanStatusCode,