diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/define/ProductionFlag.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/define/ProductionFlag.java
index 52c066a44..a14398f64 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/define/ProductionFlag.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/define/ProductionFlag.java
@@ -23,4 +23,9 @@ public final class ProductionFlag {
 
     public static final boolean IS_EXPERIMENTAL = false;
     public static final boolean IS_INTERNAL = false;
+
+    // When false, IS_EXPERIMENTAL_DEBUG suggests that all guarded class-private DEBUG flags should
+    // be false, and any privacy controls should be enforced.  IS_EXPERIMENTAL_DEBUG should be false
+    // for any released build.
+    public static final boolean IS_EXPERIMENTAL_DEBUG = false;
 }
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/MainLogBuffer.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/MainLogBuffer.java
index b027643a1..0185e5fc0 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/MainLogBuffer.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/MainLogBuffer.java
@@ -20,18 +20,19 @@ import android.util.Log;
 
 import com.android.inputmethod.latin.Dictionary;
 import com.android.inputmethod.latin.Suggest;
+import com.android.inputmethod.latin.define.ProductionFlag;
 
 import java.util.Random;
 
 public class MainLogBuffer extends LogBuffer {
     private static final String TAG = MainLogBuffer.class.getSimpleName();
-    // For privacy reasons, be sure to set to "false" for production code.
-    private static final boolean DEBUG = false;
+    private static final boolean DEBUG = false && ProductionFlag.IS_EXPERIMENTAL_DEBUG;
 
     // The size of the n-grams logged.  E.g. N_GRAM_SIZE = 2 means to sample bigrams.
     private static final int N_GRAM_SIZE = 2;
     // The number of words between n-grams to omit from the log.
-    private static final int DEFAULT_NUMBER_OF_WORDS_BETWEEN_SAMPLES = DEBUG ? 2 : 18;
+    private static final int DEFAULT_NUMBER_OF_WORDS_BETWEEN_SAMPLES =
+            ProductionFlag.IS_EXPERIMENTAL_DEBUG ? 2 : 18;
 
     private final ResearchLog mResearchLog;
     private Suggest mSuggest;
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/ResearchLog.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/ResearchLog.java
index f0a1317b2..3c8731995 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/ResearchLog.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/ResearchLog.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
  */
 public class ResearchLog {
     private static final String TAG = ResearchLog.class.getSimpleName();
-    private static final boolean DEBUG = false;
+    private static final boolean DEBUG = false && ProductionFlag.IS_EXPERIMENTAL_DEBUG;
     private static final long FLUSH_DELAY_IN_MS = 1000 * 5;
     private static final int ABORT_TIMEOUT_IN_MS = 1000 * 4;
 
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/ResearchLogger.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/ResearchLogger.java
index 38c30017d..9f65f5d3f 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/ResearchLogger.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/ResearchLogger.java
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ import java.util.UUID;
  */
 public class ResearchLogger implements SharedPreferences.OnSharedPreferenceChangeListener {
     private static final String TAG = ResearchLogger.class.getSimpleName();
-    private static final boolean DEBUG = false;
+    private static final boolean DEBUG = false && ProductionFlag.IS_EXPERIMENTAL_DEBUG;
     private static final boolean LOG_EVERYTHING = false;  // true will disclose private info
     public static final boolean DEFAULT_USABILITY_STUDY_MODE = false;
     /* package */ static boolean sIsLogging = false;
@@ -804,7 +804,8 @@ public class ResearchLogger implements SharedPreferences.OnSharedPreferenceChang
     private static final LogStatement LOGSTATEMENT_LATIN_IME_ON_START_INPUT_VIEW_INTERNAL =
             new LogStatement("LatinImeOnStartInputViewInternal", false, false, "uuid",
                     "packageName", "inputType", "imeOptions", "fieldId", "display", "model",
-                    "prefs", "versionCode", "versionName", "outputFormatVersion", "logEverything");
+                    "prefs", "versionCode", "versionName", "outputFormatVersion", "logEverything",
+                    "isExperimentalDebug");
     public static void latinIME_onStartInputViewInternal(final EditorInfo editorInfo,
             final SharedPreferences prefs) {
         final ResearchLogger researchLogger = getInstance();
@@ -825,7 +826,8 @@ public class ResearchLogger implements SharedPreferences.OnSharedPreferenceChang
                         Integer.toHexString(editorInfo.inputType),
                         Integer.toHexString(editorInfo.imeOptions), editorInfo.fieldId,
                         Build.DISPLAY, Build.MODEL, prefs, versionCode, versionName,
-                        OUTPUT_FORMAT_VERSION, LOG_EVERYTHING);
+                        OUTPUT_FORMAT_VERSION, LOG_EVERYTHING,
+                        ProductionFlag.IS_EXPERIMENTAL_DEBUG);
             } catch (NameNotFoundException e) {
                 e.printStackTrace();
             }
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/Statistics.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/Statistics.java
index 90d7f38b3..23d1050cb 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/Statistics.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/research/Statistics.java
@@ -19,10 +19,11 @@ package com.android.inputmethod.research;
 import android.util.Log;
 
 import com.android.inputmethod.latin.Constants;
+import com.android.inputmethod.latin.define.ProductionFlag;
 
 public class Statistics {
     private static final String TAG = Statistics.class.getSimpleName();
-    private static final boolean DEBUG = false;
+    private static final boolean DEBUG = false && ProductionFlag.IS_EXPERIMENTAL_DEBUG;
 
     // Number of characters entered during a typing session
     int mCharCount;