diff --git a/src/mesh/FEM_utilities.f90 b/src/mesh/FEM_utilities.f90
index f7e00f42c..3bced3b57 100644
--- a/src/mesh/FEM_utilities.f90
+++ b/src/mesh/FEM_utilities.f90
@@ -104,7 +104,8 @@ subroutine FEM_utilities_init
   character(len=pStringLen) :: petsc_optionsOrder
   class(tNode), pointer :: &
     num_mesh, &
-    num_generic
+    num_generic, &
+    debug_mesh
   integer :: structOrder                                                                            !< order of displacement shape functions
   character(len=pStringLen) :: &
     petsc_options
@@ -120,7 +121,9 @@ subroutine FEM_utilities_init
 
 !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ! set debugging parameters
-  debugPETSc      = iand(debug_level(debug_SPECTRAL),debug_SPECTRALPETSC)      /= 0
+  debug_mesh      => debug_root%get('mesh',defaultVal=emptyList)
+  debugPETSc      =  debug_mesh%contains('petsc')
+ 
   if(debugPETSc) write(6,'(3(/,a),/)') &
                  ' Initializing PETSc with debug options: ', &
                  trim(PETScDebug), &
diff --git a/src/mesh/discretization_mesh.f90 b/src/mesh/discretization_mesh.f90
index eb6c2b9af..7e725ecee 100644
--- a/src/mesh/discretization_mesh.f90
+++ b/src/mesh/discretization_mesh.f90
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ subroutine discretization_mesh_init(restart)
   integer, allocatable, dimension(:) :: chunkPos
   integer :: dimPlex, &
     mesh_Nnodes, &                                                                                  !< total number of nodes in mesh
-    j, l
+    j, l, &
+    debug_e, debug_i
   integer, parameter :: &
     mesh_ElemType=1                                                                                 !< Element type of the mesh (only support homogeneous meshes)
   PetscSF :: sf
@@ -89,12 +90,20 @@ subroutine discretization_mesh_init(restart)
     num_mesh
   integer :: integrationOrder                                                                       !< order of quadrature rule required
 
-  num_mesh => numerics_root%get('mesh',defaultVal=emptyDict)
-  integrationOrder = num_mesh%get_asInt('integrationorder',defaultVal = 2)
-
   
   write(6,'(/,a)')   ' <<<+-  mesh init  -+>>>'
 
+!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+! read numerics parameter
+  num_mesh => numerics_root%get('mesh',defaultVal=emptyDict)
+  integrationOrder = num_mesh%get_asInt('integrationorder',defaultVal = 2)
+
+!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+! read debug parameters
+  debug_e = debug_root%get_asInt('element',defaultVal=1)
+  debug_i = debug_root%get_asInt('integrationpoint',defaultVal=1)
+
+ 
   ! read in file
   call DMPlexCreateFromFile(PETSC_COMM_WORLD,geometryFile,PETSC_TRUE,globalMesh,ierr)
   CHKERRQ(ierr)