diff --git a/src/__tests__/config.test.ts b/src/__tests__/config.test.ts
index dc454bea9..8150ef188 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/config.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/config.test.ts
@@ -14,9 +14,10 @@ test('configure() overrides existing config values', () => {
   configure({ defaultDebugOptions: { message: 'debug message' } });
   expect(getConfig()).toEqual({
     asyncUtilTimeout: 5000,
+    concurrentRoot: true,
+    debug: false,
     defaultDebugOptions: { message: 'debug message' },
     defaultIncludeHiddenElements: false,
-    concurrentRoot: true,
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/src/config.ts b/src/config.ts
index e861d0eb1..793e2ae9e 100644
--- a/src/config.ts
+++ b/src/config.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ export type Config = {
    * Otherwise `render` will default to concurrent rendering.
    */
   concurrentRoot: boolean;
+
+  /**
+   * Verbose logging for the library.
+   */
+  debug: boolean;
 };
 
 export type ConfigAliasOptions = {
@@ -30,6 +35,7 @@ const defaultConfig: Config = {
   asyncUtilTimeout: 1000,
   defaultIncludeHiddenElements: false,
   concurrentRoot: true,
+  debug: false,
 };
 
 let config = { ...defaultConfig };
diff --git a/src/fire-event.ts b/src/fire-event.ts
index c659fcfe4..1a6fca35d 100644
--- a/src/fire-event.ts
+++ b/src/fire-event.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ import type {
 import type { ReactTestInstance } from 'react-test-renderer';
 import act from './act';
 import { isElementMounted, isHostElement } from './helpers/component-tree';
+import { formatElement } from './helpers/format-element';
 import { isHostScrollView, isHostTextInput } from './helpers/host-component-names';
+import { debugLogger } from './helpers/logger';
 import { isPointerEventEnabled } from './helpers/pointer-events';
 import { isEditableTextInput } from './helpers/text-input';
 import { nativeState } from './native-state';
@@ -47,29 +49,43 @@ const textInputEventsIgnoringEditableProp = new Set([
   'onScroll',
 ]);
 
-export function isEventEnabled(
+type EventHandlerState = {
+  enabled: boolean;
+  reason?: string;
+};
+
+function getEventHandlerState(
   element: ReactTestInstance,
   eventName: string,
   nearestTouchResponder?: ReactTestInstance,
-) {
+): EventHandlerState {
   if (nearestTouchResponder != null && isHostTextInput(nearestTouchResponder)) {
-    return (
-      isEditableTextInput(nearestTouchResponder) ||
-      textInputEventsIgnoringEditableProp.has(eventName)
-    );
+    if (isEditableTextInput(nearestTouchResponder)) {
+      return { enabled: true };
+    }
+
+    if (textInputEventsIgnoringEditableProp.has(eventName)) {
+      return { enabled: true };
+    }
+
+    return { enabled: false, reason: '"editable" prop' };
   }
 
   if (eventsAffectedByPointerEventsProp.has(eventName) && !isPointerEventEnabled(element)) {
-    return false;
+    return { enabled: false, reason: '"pointerEvents" prop' };
   }
 
   const touchStart = nearestTouchResponder?.props.onStartShouldSetResponder?.();
   const touchMove = nearestTouchResponder?.props.onMoveShouldSetResponder?.();
   if (touchStart || touchMove) {
-    return true;
+    return { enabled: true };
+  }
+
+  if (touchStart === undefined && touchMove === undefined) {
+    return { enabled: true };
   }
 
-  return touchStart === undefined && touchMove === undefined;
+  return { enabled: false, reason: 'not being a touch responder' };
 }
 
 function findEventHandler(
@@ -80,7 +96,19 @@ function findEventHandler(
   const touchResponder = isTouchResponder(element) ? element : nearestTouchResponder;
 
   const handler = getEventHandler(element, eventName);
-  if (handler && isEventEnabled(element, eventName, touchResponder)) return handler;
+  if (handler) {
+    const handlerState = getEventHandlerState(element, eventName, touchResponder);
+
+    if (handlerState.enabled) {
+      return handler;
+    } else {
+      debugLogger.warn(
+        `FireEvent: "${eventName}" event handler is disabled on ${formatElement(element, {
+          compact: true,
+        })} due to ${handlerState.reason}.`,
+      );
+    }
+  }
 
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/prefer-optional-chain
   if (element.parent === null || element.parent.parent === null) {
@@ -129,6 +157,12 @@ function fireEvent(element: ReactTestInstance, eventName: EventName, ...data: un
 
   const handler = findEventHandler(element, eventName);
   if (!handler) {
+    debugLogger.warn(
+      `FireEvent: no enabled event handler for "${eventName}" found on ${formatElement(element, {
+        compact: true,
+      })} or its ancestors.`,
+    );
+
     return;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/helpers/format-element.ts b/src/helpers/format-element.ts
index 2170f83b2..b5e2a3587 100644
--- a/src/helpers/format-element.ts
+++ b/src/helpers/format-element.ts
@@ -31,26 +31,48 @@ export function formatElement(
   const { children, ...props } = element.props;
   const childrenToDisplay = typeof children === 'string' ? [children] : undefined;
 
-  return prettyFormat(
-    {
-      // This prop is needed persuade the prettyFormat that the element is
-      // a ReactTestRendererJSON instance, so it is formatted as JSX.
-      $$typeof: Symbol.for('react.test.json'),
-      type: `${element.type}`,
-      props: mapProps ? mapProps(props) : props,
-      children: childrenToDisplay,
-    },
-    // See: https://www.npmjs.com/package/pretty-format#usage-with-options
-    {
-      plugins: [plugins.ReactTestComponent, plugins.ReactElement],
-      printFunctionName: false,
-      printBasicPrototype: false,
-      highlight: highlight,
-      min: compact,
-    },
+  return (
+    (typeof element.type === 'string' ? '' : 'composite ') +
+    prettyFormat(
+      {
+        // This prop is needed persuade the prettyFormat that the element is
+        // a ReactTestRendererJSON instance, so it is formatted as JSX.
+        $$typeof: Symbol.for('react.test.json'),
+        type: formatElementName(element.type),
+        props: mapProps ? mapProps(props) : props,
+        children: childrenToDisplay,
+      },
+      // See: https://www.npmjs.com/package/pretty-format#usage-with-options
+      {
+        plugins: [plugins.ReactTestComponent, plugins.ReactElement],
+        printFunctionName: false,
+        printBasicPrototype: false,
+        highlight: highlight,
+        min: compact,
+      },
+    )
   );
 }
 
+function formatElementName(type: ReactTestInstance['type']) {
+  if (typeof type === 'function') {
+    return type.displayName ?? type.name;
+  }
+
+  if (typeof type === 'object') {
+    if ('type' in type) {
+      // @ts-expect-error: despite typing this can happen for React.memo.
+      return formatElementName(type.type);
+    }
+    if ('render' in type) {
+      // @ts-expect-error: despite typing this can happen for React.forwardRefs.
+      return formatElementName(type.render);
+    }
+  }
+
+  return `${type}`;
+}
+
 export function formatElementList(elements: ReactTestInstance[], options?: FormatElementOptions) {
   if (elements.length === 0) {
     return '(no elements)';
diff --git a/src/helpers/logger.ts b/src/helpers/logger.ts
index eccb4dc37..1710b6343 100644
--- a/src/helpers/logger.ts
+++ b/src/helpers/logger.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import chalk from 'chalk';
 import * as nodeConsole from 'console';
 import redent from 'redent';
 import * as nodeUtil from 'util';
+import { getConfig } from '../config';
 
 export const logger = {
   debug(message: unknown, ...args: unknown[]) {
@@ -25,6 +26,32 @@ export const logger = {
   },
 };
 
+export const debugLogger = {
+  debug(message: unknown, ...args: unknown[]) {
+    if (getConfig().debug) {
+      logger.debug(message, ...args);
+    }
+  },
+
+  info(message: unknown, ...args: unknown[]) {
+    if (getConfig().debug) {
+      logger.info(message, ...args);
+    }
+  },
+
+  warn(message: unknown, ...args: unknown[]) {
+    if (getConfig().debug) {
+      logger.warn(message, ...args);
+    }
+  },
+
+  error(message: unknown, ...args: unknown[]) {
+    if (getConfig().debug) {
+      logger.error(message, ...args);
+    }
+  },
+};
+
 function formatMessage(symbol: string, message: unknown, ...args: unknown[]) {
   const formatted = nodeUtil.format(message, ...args);
   const indented = redent(formatted, 4);
diff --git a/src/user-event/utils/dispatch-event.ts b/src/user-event/utils/dispatch-event.ts
index 3ae2551de..566652ad5 100644
--- a/src/user-event/utils/dispatch-event.ts
+++ b/src/user-event/utils/dispatch-event.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import type { ReactTestInstance } from 'react-test-renderer';
 import act from '../../act';
 import { isElementMounted } from '../../helpers/component-tree';
+import { formatElement } from '../../helpers/format-element';
+import { debugLogger } from '../../helpers/logger';
 
 /**
  * Basic dispatch event function used by User Event module.
@@ -16,6 +18,11 @@ export function dispatchEvent(element: ReactTestInstance, eventName: string, ...
 
   const handler = getEventHandler(element, eventName);
   if (!handler) {
+    debugLogger.debug(
+      `User Event: no event handler for "${eventName}" found on ${formatElement(element, {
+        compact: true,
+      })}`,
+    );
     return;
   }