diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 8191032d..636006ea 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ jobs:
               uses: actions/checkout@v2
 
             - name: Build and run tests
+              if: "!contains(github.event.commits[0].message, '[debug]')"
               env:
                   PDO_INTERPRETER: ${{ matrix.interpreter }}
               run: |
@@ -30,3 +31,18 @@ jobs:
                   git checkout -b ci-test-branch
                   . build/common-config.sh
                   make -C docker test
+
+            - name: Build and run tests (DEBUG MODE)
+              if: "contains(github.event.commits[0].message, '[debug]')"
+              env:
+                  PDO_INTERPRETER: ${{ matrix.interpreter }}
+                  PDO_DEBUG_BUILD: 1
+                  PDO_LOG_LEVEL: debug
+              run: |
+                  # The creation of a dummy branch is necessary for the CI tests
+                  # to work on PRs. Based on empirical results, in the absence of
+                  # this command, CI tests work on the main branch and on local
+                  # branches. However, they fail as a PR is created.
+                  git checkout -b ci-test-branch
+                  . build/common-config.sh
+                  make -C docker test
diff --git a/build/tests/unit-test.sh b/build/tests/unit-test.sh
index 0a1fca1f..bcdd2ab4 100755
--- a/build/tests/unit-test.sh
+++ b/build/tests/unit-test.sh
@@ -21,24 +21,32 @@ check_python_version
 
 PDO_LOG_LEVEL=${PDO_LOG_LEVEL:-info}
 
+OUTFILE='/dev/null'
+CMAKE_TEST_ARGS=''
+
+if [ "${PDO_LOG_LEVEL,,}" == 'debug' ]; then
+    CMAKE_TEST_ARGS='ARGS=-V'
+    OUTFILE='/dev/stdout'
+fi
+
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------
 yell run unit tests for python, common, contracts and eservice
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------
-say run unit tests for python package
-cd ${PDO_SOURCE_ROOT}/python
-try make TEST_LOG_LEVEL=${PDO_LOG_LEVEL} test > /dev/null
-
 say run unit tests for common library
 cd ${PDO_SOURCE_ROOT}/common/build
-try make TEST_LOG_LEVEL=${PDO_LOG_LEVEL} test > /dev/null
+try make TEST_LOG_LEVEL=${PDO_LOG_LEVEL} ${CMAKE_TEST_ARGS} test > ${OUTFILE}
+
+say run unit tests for python package
+cd ${PDO_SOURCE_ROOT}/python
+try make TEST_LOG_LEVEL=${PDO_LOG_LEVEL} test > ${OUTFILE}
 
 say run unit tests for eservice
 cd ${PDO_SOURCE_ROOT}/eservice
-try make TEST_LOG_LEVEL=${PDO_LOG_LEVEL} test > /dev/null
+try make TEST_LOG_LEVEL=${PDO_LOG_LEVEL} test > ${OUTFILE}
 
 say run unit tests for contracts
 cd ${PDO_SOURCE_ROOT}/contracts
-try make TEST_LOG_LEVEL=${PDO_LOG_LEVEL} test > /dev/null
+try make TEST_LOG_LEVEL=${PDO_LOG_LEVEL} test > ${OUTFILE}
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------
 yell start tests without provisioning or enclave services
diff --git a/docker/client_base.yaml b/docker/client_base.yaml
index 9dbd3836..0929529b 100644
--- a/docker/client_base.yaml
+++ b/docker/client_base.yaml
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ services:
         PDO_LEDGER_TYPE: ccf
         PDO_HOSTNAME: ${PDO_HOSTNAME}
         PDO_LEDGER_URL: ${PDO_LEDGER_URL}
+        PDO_LOG_LEVEL: ${PDO_LOG_LEVEL:-info}
+        PDO_DEBUG_BUILD: ${PDO_DEBUG_BUILD:-0}
     depends_on:
       - ccf_container
       - services_container
diff --git a/docker/pdo_client.dockerfile b/docker/pdo_client.dockerfile
index 84c1f75d..0a47a00b 100644
--- a/docker/pdo_client.dockerfile
+++ b/docker/pdo_client.dockerfile
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ ENV PDO_INTERPRETER=${PDO_INTERPRETER}
 ARG WASM_MEM_CONFIG=MEDIUM
 ENV WASM_MEM_CONFIG=${WASM_MEM_CONFIG}
 
+ARG PDO_LOG_LEVEL=info
+ENV PDO_LOG_LEVEL=${PDO_LOG_LEVEL}
+
 # copy the source files into the image
 WORKDIR /project/pdo
 COPY --chown=${UNAME}:${UNAME} repository /project/pdo/src
diff --git a/docker/pdo_services.dockerfile b/docker/pdo_services.dockerfile
index d6413066..a3deab47 100644
--- a/docker/pdo_services.dockerfile
+++ b/docker/pdo_services.dockerfile
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ ENV PDO_INTERPRETER=${PDO_INTERPRETER}
 ARG WASM_MEM_CONFIG=MEDIUM
 ENV WASM_MEM_CONFIG=${WASM_MEM_CONFIG}
 
+ARG PDO_LOG_LEVEL=info
+ENV PDO_LOG_LEVEL=${PDO_LOG_LEVEL}
+
 # copy the source files into the image
 WORKDIR /project/pdo
 COPY --chown=${UNAME}:${UNAME} repository /project/pdo/src
diff --git a/docker/pdo_services_base.dockerfile b/docker/pdo_services_base.dockerfile
index 073aab03..111e6305 100644
--- a/docker/pdo_services_base.dockerfile
+++ b/docker/pdo_services_base.dockerfile
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ FROM pdo_base
 ARG UBUNTU_VERSION=20.04
 ARG UBUNTU_NAME=focal
 
-ARG SGX=2.21
-ARG OPENSSL=3.0.10
-ARG SGXSSL=3.0-rc2
+ARG SGX=2.22
+ARG OPENSSL=3.0.12
+ARG SGXSSL=3.0_Rev1
 
-ARG SGX_MODE SIM
+ARG SGX_MODE=SIM
 ENV SGX_MODE $SGX_MODE
 
 RUN echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://download.01.org/intel-sgx/sgx_repo/ubuntu ${UBUNTU_NAME} main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list \
@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@ RUN . /opt/intel/sgxsdk/environment \
     && git clone --depth 1 --branch ${SGXSSL} 'https://github.com/intel/intel-sgx-ssl.git' \
     && wget -q -P /tmp/intel-sgx-ssl/openssl_source https://www.openssl.org/source/openssl-${OPENSSL}.tar.gz \
     && cd /tmp/intel-sgx-ssl/Linux \
-    && bash -c "make SGX_MODE=SIM NO_THREADS=1 DESTDIR=/opt/intel/sgxssl VERBOSE=0 all &> /dev/null" \
+    && if [ $SGX_MODE = SIM ] ; then SKIP_INTELCPU_CHECK=TRUE ; else SKIP_INTELCPU_CHECK=FALSE ; fi \
+    && bash -c "make SKIP_INTELCPU_CHECK=$SKIP_INTELCPU_CHECK SGX_MODE=$SGX_MODE NO_THREADS=1 DESTDIR=/opt/intel/sgxssl VERBOSE=0 all &> /dev/null" \
     && make install \
     && make clean \
     && rm -rf /tmp/intel-sgx-ssl
diff --git a/docker/services_base.yaml b/docker/services_base.yaml
index 3287781b..72c619e2 100644
--- a/docker/services_base.yaml
+++ b/docker/services_base.yaml
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ services:
         PDO_LEDGER_TYPE: ccf
         PDO_LEDGER_URL: ${PDO_LEDGER_URL}
         SGX_MODE: ${SGX_MODE:-SIM}
+        PDO_LOG_LEVEL: ${PDO_LOG_LEVEL:-info}
+        PDO_DEBUG_BUILD: ${PDO_DEBUG_BUILD:-0}
     container_name: services_container
     network_mode: "host"
     depends_on:
diff --git a/docker/test.yaml b/docker/test.yaml
index e36e7fb4..cbb71d0a 100644
--- a/docker/test.yaml
+++ b/docker/test.yaml
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ services:
       args:
         PDO_HOSTNAME: localhost
         PDO_LEDGER_URL: http://localhost:6600
+        PDO_LOG_LEVEL: ${PDO_LOG_LEVEL:-info}
+        PDO_DEBUG_BUILD: ${PDO_DEBUG_BUILD:-0}
     entrypoint: /project/pdo/tools/run_services_tests.sh
 
   client_container:
@@ -34,4 +36,6 @@ services:
       args:
         PDO_HOSTNAME: localhost
         PDO_LEDGER_URL: http://localhost:6600
+        PDO_LOG_LEVEL: ${PDO_LOG_LEVEL:-info}
+        PDO_DEBUG_BUILD: ${PDO_DEBUG_BUILD:-0}
     entrypoint: /project/pdo/tools/run_client_tests.sh