diff --git a/cmd/airgap/listimages.go b/cmd/airgap/listimages.go
index e27e506cc547..ea66ff77ed6c 100644
--- a/cmd/airgap/listimages.go
+++ b/cmd/airgap/listimages.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package airgap
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/internal"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/airgap"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/config"
 
@@ -26,13 +27,17 @@ import (
 )
 
 func NewAirgapListImagesCmd() *cobra.Command {
-	var all bool
+	var (
+		debugFlags internal.DebugFlags
+		all        bool
+	)
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:     "list-images",
-		Short:   "List image names and version needed for air-gap install",
-		Example: `k0s airgap list-images`,
-		Args:    cobra.NoArgs,
+		Use:              "list-images",
+		Short:            "List image names and version needed for air-gap install",
+		Example:          `k0s airgap list-images`,
+		Args:             cobra.NoArgs,
+		PersistentPreRun: debugFlags.Run,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 			opts, err := config.GetCmdOpts(cmd)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -54,6 +59,8 @@ func NewAirgapListImagesCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		},
 	}
 
+	debugFlags.AddToFlagSet(cmd.PersistentFlags())
+
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
 	flags.AddFlagSet(config.GetPersistentFlagSet())
 	flags.AddFlagSet(config.FileInputFlag())
diff --git a/cmd/api/api.go b/cmd/api/api.go
index c2391a8aec84..64a30cd2efff 100644
--- a/cmd/api/api.go
+++ b/cmd/api/api.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
-	internallog "github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/log"
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/internal"
 	mw "github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/middleware"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/apis/k0s/v1beta1"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/config"
@@ -52,17 +52,15 @@ import (
 )
 
 func NewAPICmd() *cobra.Command {
+	var debugFlags internal.DebugFlags
+
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "api",
 		Short: "Run the controller API",
 		Long: `Run the controller API.
 Reads the runtime configuration from standard input.`,
-		Args: cobra.NoArgs,
-		PersistentPreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			logrus.SetOutput(cmd.OutOrStdout())
-			internallog.SetInfoLevel()
-			return config.CallParentPersistentPreRun(cmd, args)
-		},
+		Args:             cobra.NoArgs,
+		PersistentPreRun: debugFlags.Run,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 			var run func() error
 
@@ -76,6 +74,8 @@ Reads the runtime configuration from standard input.`,
 		},
 	}
 
+	debugFlags.LongRunning().AddToFlagSet(cmd.PersistentFlags())
+
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
 	config.GetPersistentFlagSet().VisitAll(func(f *pflag.Flag) {
 		switch f.Name {
diff --git a/cmd/backup/backup_unix.go b/cmd/backup/backup_unix.go
index d0bd1111cd3e..cda6f9701982 100644
--- a/cmd/backup/backup_unix.go
+++ b/cmd/backup/backup_unix.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/internal"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/dir"
 	k0sv1beta1 "github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/apis/k0s/v1beta1"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/backup"
@@ -38,12 +39,16 @@ import (
 type command config.CLIOptions
 
 func NewBackupCmd() *cobra.Command {
-	var savePath string
+	var (
+		debugFlags internal.DebugFlags
+		savePath   string
+	)
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "backup",
-		Short: "Back-Up k0s configuration. Must be run as root (or with sudo)",
-		Args:  cobra.NoArgs,
+		Use:              "backup",
+		Short:            "Back-Up k0s configuration. Must be run as root (or with sudo)",
+		Args:             cobra.NoArgs,
+		PersistentPreRun: debugFlags.Run,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 			opts, err := config.GetCmdOpts(cmd)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -61,6 +66,8 @@ func NewBackupCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		},
 	}
 
+	debugFlags.AddToFlagSet(cmd.PersistentFlags())
+
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
 	flags.AddFlagSet(config.GetPersistentFlagSet())
 	flags.StringVar(&savePath, "save-path", "", "destination directory path for backup assets, use '-' for stdout")
diff --git a/cmd/config/config.go b/cmd/config/config.go
index 9971b1d76e65..ae846bf95b59 100644
--- a/cmd/config/config.go
+++ b/cmd/config/config.go
@@ -17,21 +17,30 @@ limitations under the License.
 package config
 
 import (
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/internal"
+
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 )
 
 func NewConfigCmd() *cobra.Command {
+	var debugFlags internal.DebugFlags
+
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "config",
-		Short: "Configuration related sub-commands",
-		Args:  cobra.NoArgs,
-		RunE:  func(*cobra.Command, []string) error { return pflag.ErrHelp }, // Enforce arg validation
+		Use:              "config",
+		Short:            "Configuration related sub-commands",
+		Args:             cobra.NoArgs,
+		PersistentPreRun: debugFlags.Run,
+		RunE:             func(*cobra.Command, []string) error { return pflag.ErrHelp }, // Enforce arg validation
 	}
+
+	debugFlags.AddToFlagSet(cmd.PersistentFlags())
+
 	cmd.AddCommand(NewCreateCmd())
 	cmd.AddCommand(NewEditCmd())
 	cmd.AddCommand(NewStatusCmd())
 	cmd.AddCommand(NewValidateCmd())
+
 	return cmd
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/config/create.go b/cmd/config/create.go
index 6c8177017521..530d1ea7f451 100644
--- a/cmd/config/create.go
+++ b/cmd/config/create.go
@@ -17,13 +17,15 @@ limitations under the License.
 package config
 
 import (
-	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
-	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/yaml"
-
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/apis/k0s/v1beta1"
 	k0sscheme "github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/client/clientset/scheme"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/config"
+
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1/unstructured"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/yaml"
 )
 
 func NewCreateCmd() *cobra.Command {
@@ -57,7 +59,11 @@ func NewCreateCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	}
 
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
-	flags.AddFlagSet(config.GetPersistentFlagSet())
+	config.GetPersistentFlagSet().VisitAll(func(f *pflag.Flag) {
+		f.Hidden = true
+		f.Deprecated = "it has no effect and will be removed in a future release"
+		cmd.PersistentFlags().AddFlag(f)
+	})
 	flags.BoolVar(&includeImages, "include-images", false, "include the default images in the output")
 
 	return cmd
diff --git a/cmd/config/validate.go b/cmd/config/validate.go
index 1a9916e1b624..56278f98676d 100644
--- a/cmd/config/validate.go
+++ b/cmd/config/validate.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/config"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 )
 
 func NewValidateCmd() *cobra.Command {
@@ -63,7 +64,11 @@ func NewValidateCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	}
 
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
-	flags.AddFlagSet(config.GetPersistentFlagSet())
+	config.GetPersistentFlagSet().VisitAll(func(f *pflag.Flag) {
+		f.Hidden = true
+		f.Deprecated = "it has no effect and will be removed in a future release"
+		cmd.PersistentFlags().AddFlag(f)
+	})
 	flags.AddFlagSet(config.FileInputFlag())
 	_ = cmd.MarkFlagRequired("config")
 
diff --git a/cmd/controller/controller.go b/cmd/controller/controller.go
index 78fa13269715..21838015c906 100644
--- a/cmd/controller/controller.go
+++ b/cmd/controller/controller.go
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/avast/retry-go"
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/internal"
 	workercmd "github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/worker"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/dir"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/file"
-	internallog "github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/log"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/stringmap"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/sysinfo"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/sync/value"
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ type command config.CLIOptions
 
 func NewControllerCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	var (
+		debugFlags            internal.DebugFlags
 		controllerFlags       config.ControllerOptions
 		ignorePreFlightChecks bool
 	)
@@ -88,12 +89,8 @@ func NewControllerCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	or CLI flag:
 	$ k0s controller --token-file [path_to_file]
 	Note: Token can be passed either as a CLI argument or as a flag`,
-		Args: cobra.MaximumNArgs(1),
-		PersistentPreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			logrus.SetOutput(cmd.OutOrStdout())
-			internallog.SetInfoLevel()
-			return config.CallParentPersistentPreRun(cmd, args)
-		},
+		Args:             cobra.MaximumNArgs(1),
+		PersistentPreRun: debugFlags.Run,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			opts, err := config.GetCmdOpts(cmd)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -122,10 +119,12 @@ func NewControllerCmd() *cobra.Command {
 
 			ctx, cancel := signal.NotifyContext(cmd.Context(), os.Interrupt, syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGTERM)
 			defer cancel()
-			return c.start(ctx, &controllerFlags)
+			return c.start(ctx, &controllerFlags, debugFlags.IsDebug())
 		},
 	}
 
+	debugFlags.LongRunning().AddToFlagSet(cmd.PersistentFlags())
+
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
 	flags.AddFlagSet(config.GetPersistentFlagSet())
 	flags.AddFlagSet(config.GetControllerFlags(&controllerFlags))
@@ -136,7 +135,7 @@ func NewControllerCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	return cmd
 }
 
-func (c *command) start(ctx context.Context, flags *config.ControllerOptions) error {
+func (c *command) start(ctx context.Context, flags *config.ControllerOptions, debug bool) error {
 	perfTimer := performance.NewTimer("controller-start").Buffer().Start()
 
 	nodeConfig, err := c.K0sVars.NodeConfig()
@@ -274,8 +273,8 @@ func (c *command) start(ctx context.Context, flags *config.ControllerOptions) er
 		nodeComponents.Add(ctx, &cplb.Keepalived{
 			K0sVars:         c.K0sVars,
 			Config:          cplbCfg.Keepalived,
-			DetailedLogging: c.Debug,
-			LogConfig:       c.Debug,
+			DetailedLogging: debug,
+			LogConfig:       debug,
 			KubeConfigPath:  c.K0sVars.AdminKubeConfigPath,
 			APIPort:         nodeConfig.Spec.API.Port,
 		})
diff --git a/cmd/controller/controller_test.go b/cmd/controller/controller_test.go
index 16d05c94faca..62e38434f806 100644
--- a/cmd/controller/controller_test.go
+++ b/cmd/controller/controller_test.go
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ Flags:
   -c, --config string                                  config file, use '-' to read the config from stdin (default `+defaultConfigPath+`)
       --cri-socket string                              container runtime socket to use, default to internal containerd. Format: [remote|docker]:[path-to-socket]
       --data-dir string                                Data Directory for k0s. DO NOT CHANGE for an existing setup, things will break! (default `+defaultDataDir+`)
-  -d, --debug                                          Debug logging (default: false)
+  -d, --debug                                          Debug logging (implies verbose logging)
       --debugListenOn string                           Http listenOn for Debug pprof handler (default ":6060")
       --disable-components strings                     disable components (valid items: applier-manager,autopilot,control-api,coredns,csr-approver,endpoint-reconciler,helm,konnectivity-server,kube-controller-manager,kube-proxy,kube-scheduler,metrics-server,network-provider,node-role,system-rbac,windows-node,worker-config)
       --enable-cloud-provider                          Whether or not to enable cloud provider support in kubelet
@@ -88,6 +88,6 @@ Flags:
       --status-socket string                           Full file path to the socket file. (default: <rundir>/status.sock)
       --taints strings                                 Node taints, list of key=value:effect strings
       --token-file string                              Path to the file containing join-token.
-  -v, --verbose                                        Verbose logging (default: false)
+  -v, --verbose                                        Verbose logging (default true)
 `, out.String())
 }
diff --git a/cmd/etcd/etcd.go b/cmd/etcd/etcd.go
index 3259789bf81f..1aec84c804d4 100644
--- a/cmd/etcd/etcd.go
+++ b/cmd/etcd/etcd.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/internal"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/apis/k0s/v1beta1"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/config"
 
@@ -28,14 +29,14 @@ import (
 )
 
 func NewEtcdCmd() *cobra.Command {
+	var debugFlags internal.DebugFlags
+
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "etcd",
 		Short: "Manage etcd cluster",
 		Args:  cobra.NoArgs,
 		PersistentPreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			if err := config.CallParentPersistentPreRun(cmd, args); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
+			debugFlags.Run(cmd, args)
 
 			opts, err := config.GetCmdOpts(cmd)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -56,7 +57,9 @@ func NewEtcdCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		RunE: func(*cobra.Command, []string) error { return pflag.ErrHelp }, // Enforce arg validation
 	}
 
-	cmd.PersistentFlags().AddFlagSet(config.GetPersistentFlagSet())
+	pflags := cmd.PersistentFlags()
+	debugFlags.AddToFlagSet(pflags)
+	pflags.AddFlagSet(config.GetPersistentFlagSet())
 
 	cmd.AddCommand(etcdLeaveCmd())
 	cmd.AddCommand(etcdListCmd())
diff --git a/cmd/install/controller_test.go b/cmd/install/controller_test.go
index 33abab182580..f40124b2de60 100644
--- a/cmd/install/controller_test.go
+++ b/cmd/install/controller_test.go
@@ -60,8 +60,6 @@ Flags:
   -c, --config string                                  config file, use '-' to read the config from stdin (default `+defaultConfigPath+`)
       --cri-socket string                              container runtime socket to use, default to internal containerd. Format: [remote|docker]:[path-to-socket]
       --data-dir string                                Data Directory for k0s. DO NOT CHANGE for an existing setup, things will break! (default `+defaultDataDir+`)
-  -d, --debug                                          Debug logging (default: false)
-      --debugListenOn string                           Http listenOn for Debug pprof handler (default ":6060")
       --disable-components strings                     disable components (valid items: applier-manager,autopilot,control-api,coredns,csr-approver,endpoint-reconciler,helm,konnectivity-server,kube-controller-manager,kube-proxy,kube-scheduler,metrics-server,network-provider,node-role,system-rbac,windows-node,worker-config)
       --enable-cloud-provider                          Whether or not to enable cloud provider support in kubelet
       --enable-dynamic-config                          enable cluster-wide dynamic config based on custom resource
@@ -83,10 +81,12 @@ Flags:
       --status-socket string                           Full file path to the socket file. (default: <rundir>/status.sock)
       --taints strings                                 Node taints, list of key=value:effect strings
       --token-file string                              Path to the file containing join-token.
-  -v, --verbose                                        Verbose logging (default: false)
 
 Global Flags:
-  -e, --env stringArray   set environment variable
-      --force             force init script creation
+  -d, --debug                  Debug logging (implies verbose logging)
+      --debugListenOn string   Http listenOn for Debug pprof handler (default ":6060")
+  -e, --env stringArray        set environment variable
+      --force                  force init script creation
+  -v, --verbose                Verbose logging
 `, out.String())
 }
diff --git a/cmd/install/install.go b/cmd/install/install.go
index 8bc7adcb37d6..8e4ac32f9f93 100644
--- a/cmd/install/install.go
+++ b/cmd/install/install.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package install
 
 import (
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/internal"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
@@ -28,16 +29,21 @@ type installFlags struct {
 }
 
 func NewInstallCmd() *cobra.Command {
-	var installFlags installFlags
+	var (
+		debugFlags   internal.DebugFlags
+		installFlags installFlags
+	)
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "install",
-		Short: "Install k0s on a brand-new system. Must be run as root (or with sudo)",
-		Args:  cobra.NoArgs,
-		RunE:  func(*cobra.Command, []string) error { return pflag.ErrHelp }, // Enforce arg validation
+		Use:              "install",
+		Short:            "Install k0s on a brand-new system. Must be run as root (or with sudo)",
+		Args:             cobra.NoArgs,
+		PersistentPreRun: debugFlags.Run,
+		RunE:             func(*cobra.Command, []string) error { return pflag.ErrHelp }, // Enforce arg validation
 	}
 
 	pflags := cmd.PersistentFlags()
+	debugFlags.AddToFlagSet(pflags)
 	config.GetPersistentFlagSet().VisitAll(func(f *pflag.Flag) {
 		f.Hidden = true
 		f.Deprecated = "it has no effect and will be removed in a future release"
diff --git a/cmd/internal/debug.go b/cmd/internal/debug.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cc50590dc20a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/internal/debug.go
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2025 k0s authors
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package internal
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"net/http"
+	_ "net/http/pprof"
+	"os"
+	"strconv"
+
+	internallog "github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/log"
+
+	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
+)
+
+type DebugFlags struct {
+	logsToStdout     bool
+	verbose          bool
+	verboseByDefault bool
+	debug            bool
+	debugListenOn    string
+}
+
+func (f *DebugFlags) IsDebug() bool {
+	return f.debug
+}
+
+// Configures the debug flags for long-running commands.
+// Must be called before adding the flags to a FlagSet.
+func (f *DebugFlags) LongRunning() *DebugFlags {
+	f.logsToStdout = true
+
+	// The default value won't be reflected in the flag set
+	// once the flags have been added.
+	f.verboseByDefault = true
+
+	return f
+}
+
+// Adds the debug flags to the given FlagSet.
+func (f *DebugFlags) AddToFlagSet(flags *pflag.FlagSet) {
+	flags.BoolVarP(&f.verbose, "verbose", "v", f.verboseByDefault, "Verbose logging")
+	flags.BoolVarP(&f.debug, "debug", "d", false, "Debug logging (implies verbose logging)")
+	flags.StringVar(&f.debugListenOn, "debugListenOn", ":6060", "Http listenOn for Debug pprof handler")
+}
+
+// Adds the debug flags to the given FlagSet when in "kubectl" mode.
+// This won't use shorthands, as this will interfere with kubectl's flags.
+func (f *DebugFlags) AddToKubectlFlagSet(flags *pflag.FlagSet) {
+	debugDefault := false
+	if v, ok := os.LookupEnv("DEBUG"); ok {
+		debugDefault, _ = strconv.ParseBool(v)
+	}
+
+	flags.BoolVar(&f.debug, "debug", debugDefault, "Debug logging [$DEBUG]")
+}
+
+func (f *DebugFlags) Run(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) {
+	if f.logsToStdout {
+		logrus.SetOutput(cmd.OutOrStdout())
+	}
+
+	switch {
+	case f.debug:
+		internallog.SetDebugLevel()
+
+		if f.verbose {
+			if !f.verboseByDefault {
+				logrus.Debug("--debug already implies --verbose")
+			}
+		} else if f.verboseByDefault {
+			logrus.Debug("--debug overrides --verbose=false")
+		}
+
+		go func() {
+			log := logrus.WithField("debug_server", f.debugListenOn)
+			log.Debug("Starting debug server")
+			if err := http.ListenAndServe(f.debugListenOn, nil); !errors.Is(err, http.ErrServerClosed) {
+				log.WithError(err).Debug("Failed to start debug server")
+			} else {
+				log.Debug("Debug server closed")
+			}
+		}()
+
+	case f.verbose:
+		internallog.SetInfoLevel()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/kubeconfig/kubeconfig.go b/cmd/kubeconfig/kubeconfig.go
index 869a0d257067..66ef9eebc07a 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeconfig/kubeconfig.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeconfig/kubeconfig.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package kubeconfig
 
 import (
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/internal"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/config"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -24,17 +25,22 @@ import (
 )
 
 func NewKubeConfigCmd() *cobra.Command {
+	var debugFlags internal.DebugFlags
+
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "kubeconfig [command]",
-		Short: "Create a kubeconfig file for a specified user",
-		Args:  cobra.NoArgs,
-		RunE:  func(*cobra.Command, []string) error { return pflag.ErrHelp }, // Enforce arg validation
+		Use:              "kubeconfig [command]",
+		Short:            "Create a kubeconfig file for a specified user",
+		Args:             cobra.NoArgs,
+		PersistentPreRun: debugFlags.Run,
+		RunE:             func(*cobra.Command, []string) error { return pflag.ErrHelp }, // Enforce arg validation
 	}
 
+	pflags := cmd.PersistentFlags()
+	debugFlags.AddToFlagSet(pflags)
 	config.GetPersistentFlagSet().VisitAll(func(f *pflag.Flag) {
 		f.Hidden = true
 		f.Deprecated = "it has no effect and will be removed in a future release"
-		cmd.PersistentFlags().AddFlag(f)
+		pflags.AddFlag(f)
 	})
 
 	cmd.AddCommand(kubeconfigCreateCmd())
diff --git a/cmd/kubectl/kubectl.go b/cmd/kubectl/kubectl.go
index 5fa636b5df66..bb09ae99f351 100644
--- a/cmd/kubectl/kubectl.go
+++ b/cmd/kubectl/kubectl.go
@@ -26,9 +26,11 @@ import (
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/internal"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/config"
 
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions"
+	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericiooptions"
 	"k8s.io/component-base/logs"
 	kubectl "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/plugin"
@@ -70,7 +72,7 @@ func (h *kubectlPluginHandler) Execute(executablePath string, cmdArgs, environme
 func NewK0sKubectlCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	// Create a new kubectl command without a plugin handler.
 	kubectlCmd := kubectl.NewKubectlCommand(kubectl.KubectlOptions{
-		IOStreams: genericclioptions.IOStreams{
+		IOStreams: genericiooptions.IOStreams{
 			In:     os.Stdin,
 			Out:    os.Stdout,
 			ErrOut: os.Stderr,
@@ -104,6 +106,7 @@ func hookKubectlPluginHandler(kubectlCmd *cobra.Command) {
 	// Intercept kubectl's PreRunE, so that generic k0s flags are honored and
 	// kubectl plugins may be handled properly, e.g. so that `k0s kc foo bar`
 	// works as expected when there's a `kubectl-foo` plugin installed.
+	var debugFlags internal.DebugFlags
 	originalPreRunE := kubectlCmd.PersistentPreRunE
 	kubectlCmd.PersistentPreRunE = func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		handleKubectlPlugins(kubectlCmd)
@@ -126,9 +129,7 @@ func hookKubectlPluginHandler(kubectlCmd *cobra.Command) {
 		logs.InitLogs()
 		cobra.OnFinalize(logs.FlushLogs)
 
-		if err := config.CallParentPersistentPreRun(kubectlCmd, args); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+		debugFlags.Run(kubectlCmd, args)
 
 		if err := fallbackToK0sKubeconfig(cmd); err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -136,6 +137,8 @@ func hookKubectlPluginHandler(kubectlCmd *cobra.Command) {
 
 		return originalPreRunE(cmd, args)
 	}
+
+	debugFlags.AddToKubectlFlagSet(kubectlCmd.PersistentFlags())
 }
 
 // handleKubectlPlugins calls kubectl's plugin handler and execs the plugin
diff --git a/cmd/reset/reset.go b/cmd/reset/reset.go
index 47bf8f871a12..065df7090085 100644
--- a/cmd/reset/reset.go
+++ b/cmd/reset/reset.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/internal"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/cleanup"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/component/status"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/config"
@@ -34,20 +35,25 @@ import (
 type command config.CLIOptions
 
 func NewResetCmd() *cobra.Command {
+	var debugFlags internal.DebugFlags
+
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "reset",
-		Short: "Uninstall k0s. Must be run as root (or with sudo)",
-		Args:  cobra.NoArgs,
+		Use:              "reset",
+		Short:            "Uninstall k0s. Must be run as root (or with sudo)",
+		Args:             cobra.NoArgs,
+		PersistentPreRun: debugFlags.Run,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 			opts, err := config.GetCmdOpts(cmd)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 			c := (*command)(opts)
-			return c.reset()
+			return c.reset(debugFlags.IsDebug())
 		},
 	}
 
+	debugFlags.AddToFlagSet(cmd.PersistentFlags())
+
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
 	flags.AddFlagSet(config.GetPersistentFlagSet())
 	flags.AddFlagSet(config.GetCriSocketFlag())
@@ -57,7 +63,7 @@ func NewResetCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	return cmd
 }
 
-func (c *command) reset() error {
+func (c *command) reset(debug bool) error {
 	if os.Geteuid() != 0 {
 		return errors.New("this command must be run as root!")
 	}
@@ -76,7 +82,7 @@ func (c *command) reset() error {
 	}
 
 	// Get Cleanup Config
-	cfg, err := cleanup.NewConfig(c.Debug, c.K0sVars, nodeCfg.Spec.Install.SystemUsers, c.WorkerOptions.CriSocket)
+	cfg, err := cleanup.NewConfig(debug, c.K0sVars, nodeCfg.Spec.Install.SystemUsers, c.WorkerOptions.CriSocket)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to configure cleanup: %w", err)
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/restore/restore_unix.go b/cmd/restore/restore_unix.go
index a8e4b0ea0846..d10e665bd753 100644
--- a/cmd/restore/restore_unix.go
+++ b/cmd/restore/restore_unix.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/internal"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/dir"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/file"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/backup"
@@ -43,12 +44,16 @@ type command struct {
 }
 
 func NewRestoreCmd() *cobra.Command {
-	var restoredConfigPath string
+	var (
+		debugFlags         internal.DebugFlags
+		restoredConfigPath string
+	)
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "restore filename",
-		Short: "restore k0s state from given backup archive. Use '-' as filename to read from stdin. Must be run as root (or with sudo)",
-		Args:  cobra.ExactArgs(1),
+		Use:              "restore filename",
+		Short:            "restore k0s state from given backup archive. Use '-' as filename to read from stdin. Must be run as root (or with sudo)",
+		Args:             cobra.ExactArgs(1),
+		PersistentPreRun: debugFlags.Run,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			opts, err := config.GetCmdOpts(cmd)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -61,6 +66,8 @@ func NewRestoreCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		},
 	}
 
+	debugFlags.AddToFlagSet(cmd.PersistentFlags())
+
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
 	flags.AddFlagSet(config.GetPersistentFlagSet())
 	flags.StringVar(&restoredConfigPath, "config-out", "", "Specify desired name and full path for the restored k0s.yaml file (default: k0s_<archive timestamp>.yaml")
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index cd224bee8ae7..187d8e2d9952 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -18,12 +18,11 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"errors"
-	"net/http"
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/airgap"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/api"
-	configcmd "github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/config"
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/config"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/ctr"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/etcd"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/install"
@@ -36,11 +35,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/validate"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/version"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/worker"
-	internallog "github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/log"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/build"
-	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/config"
 
-	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra/doc"
 )
@@ -52,33 +48,12 @@ func NewRootCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		Use:          "k0s",
 		Short:        "k0s - Zero Friction Kubernetes",
 		SilenceUsage: true,
-
-		PersistentPreRun: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
-			if config.Verbose {
-				internallog.SetInfoLevel()
-			}
-
-			if config.Debug {
-				// TODO: check if it actually works and is not overwritten by something else
-				internallog.SetDebugLevel()
-
-				go func() {
-					log := logrus.WithField("debug_server", config.DebugListenOn)
-					log.Debug("Starting debug server")
-					if err := http.ListenAndServe(config.DebugListenOn, nil); !errors.Is(err, http.ErrServerClosed) {
-						log.WithError(err).Debug("Failed to start debug server")
-					} else {
-						log.Debug("Debug server closed")
-					}
-				}()
-			}
-		},
 	}
 
 	cmd.AddCommand(airgap.NewAirgapCmd())
 	cmd.AddCommand(api.NewAPICmd())
 	cmd.AddCommand(ctr.NewCtrCommand())
-	cmd.AddCommand(configcmd.NewConfigCmd())
+	cmd.AddCommand(config.NewConfigCmd())
 	cmd.AddCommand(etcd.NewEtcdCmd())
 	cmd.AddCommand(install.NewInstallCmd())
 	cmd.AddCommand(kubeconfig.NewKubeConfigCmd())
@@ -125,7 +100,7 @@ func newDocsCmd() *cobra.Command {
 }
 
 func newDefaultConfigCmd() *cobra.Command {
-	cmd := configcmd.NewCreateCmd()
+	cmd := config.NewCreateCmd()
 	cmd.Hidden = true
 	cmd.Deprecated = "use 'k0s config create' instead"
 	cmd.Use = "default-config"
diff --git a/cmd/start/start.go b/cmd/start/start.go
index 46197c08a0f7..42a992c65f4f 100644
--- a/cmd/start/start.go
+++ b/cmd/start/start.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
 
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/internal"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/install"
 
 	"github.com/kardianos/service"
@@ -28,10 +29,13 @@ import (
 )
 
 func NewStartCmd() *cobra.Command {
-	return &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "start",
-		Short: "Start the k0s service configured on this host. Must be run as root (or with sudo)",
-		Args:  cobra.NoArgs,
+	var debugFlags internal.DebugFlags
+
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:              "start",
+		Short:            "Start the k0s service configured on this host. Must be run as root (or with sudo)",
+		Args:             cobra.NoArgs,
+		PersistentPreRun: debugFlags.Run,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 			if runtime.GOOS != "windows" && os.Geteuid() != 0 {
 				return errors.New("this command must be run as root")
@@ -48,4 +52,7 @@ func NewStartCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		},
 	}
 
+	debugFlags.AddToFlagSet(cmd.PersistentFlags())
+
+	return cmd
 }
diff --git a/cmd/status/status.go b/cmd/status/status.go
index a743ded8f726..3d4d0cb61ec1 100644
--- a/cmd/status/status.go
+++ b/cmd/status/status.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/internal"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/component/status"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/config"
 
@@ -31,13 +32,17 @@ import (
 )
 
 func NewStatusCmd() *cobra.Command {
-	var output string
+	var (
+		debugFlags internal.DebugFlags
+		output     string
+	)
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:     "status",
-		Short:   "Get k0s instance status information",
-		Example: `The command will return information about system init, PID, k0s role, kubeconfig and similar.`,
-		Args:    cobra.NoArgs,
+		Use:              "status",
+		Short:            "Get k0s instance status information",
+		Example:          `The command will return information about system init, PID, k0s role, kubeconfig and similar.`,
+		PersistentPreRun: debugFlags.Run,
+		Args:             cobra.NoArgs,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 			opts, err := config.GetCmdOpts(cmd)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -57,7 +62,9 @@ func NewStatusCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		},
 	}
 
-	cmd.PersistentFlags().String("status-socket", "", "Full file path to the socket file. (default: <rundir>/status.sock)")
+	pflags := cmd.PersistentFlags()
+	debugFlags.AddToFlagSet(pflags)
+	pflags.String("status-socket", "", "Full file path to the socket file. (default: <rundir>/status.sock)")
 
 	cmd.AddCommand(NewStatusSubCmdComponents())
 
diff --git a/cmd/stop/stop.go b/cmd/stop/stop.go
index 7c1368505186..bac1d5ba65e9 100644
--- a/cmd/stop/stop.go
+++ b/cmd/stop/stop.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
 
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/internal"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/install"
 
 	"github.com/kardianos/service"
@@ -28,10 +29,13 @@ import (
 )
 
 func NewStopCmd() *cobra.Command {
-	return &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "stop",
-		Short: "Stop the k0s service configured on this host. Must be run as root (or with sudo)",
-		Args:  cobra.NoArgs,
+	var debugFlags internal.DebugFlags
+
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:              "stop",
+		Short:            "Stop the k0s service configured on this host. Must be run as root (or with sudo)",
+		Args:             cobra.NoArgs,
+		PersistentPreRun: debugFlags.Run,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 			if runtime.GOOS != "windows" && os.Geteuid() != 0 {
 				return errors.New("this command must be run as root")
@@ -51,4 +55,7 @@ func NewStopCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		},
 	}
 
+	debugFlags.AddToFlagSet(cmd.PersistentFlags())
+
+	return cmd
 }
diff --git a/cmd/sysinfo/sysinfo.go b/cmd/sysinfo/sysinfo.go
index 160d585ddfff..d58cf1fcb030 100644
--- a/cmd/sysinfo/sysinfo.go
+++ b/cmd/sysinfo/sysinfo.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/internal"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/sysinfo"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/sysinfo/probes"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/constant"
@@ -34,15 +35,18 @@ import (
 )
 
 func NewSysinfoCmd() *cobra.Command {
-
-	var sysinfoSpec sysinfo.K0sSysinfoSpec
-	var outputFormat string
+	var (
+		debugFlags   internal.DebugFlags
+		sysinfoSpec  sysinfo.K0sSysinfoSpec
+		outputFormat string
+	)
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "sysinfo",
-		Short: "Display system information",
-		Long:  `Runs k0s's pre-flight checks and issues the results to stdout.`,
-		Args:  cobra.NoArgs,
+		Use:              "sysinfo",
+		Short:            "Display system information",
+		Long:             `Runs k0s's pre-flight checks and issues the results to stdout.`,
+		Args:             cobra.NoArgs,
+		PersistentPreRun: debugFlags.Run,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 			sysinfoSpec.AddDebugProbes = true
 			probes := sysinfoSpec.NewSysinfoProbes()
@@ -76,6 +80,8 @@ func NewSysinfoCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		},
 	}
 
+	debugFlags.AddToFlagSet(cmd.PersistentFlags())
+
 	// append flags
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
 	flags.BoolVar(&sysinfoSpec.ControllerRoleEnabled, "controller", true, "Include controller-specific sysinfo")
diff --git a/cmd/token/preshared.go b/cmd/token/preshared.go
index 231d79952aeb..9694fdb99688 100644
--- a/cmd/token/preshared.go
+++ b/cmd/token/preshared.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package token
 import (
 	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
@@ -28,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime/serializer/json"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/runtime"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/scheme"
 	bootstraptokenv1 "k8s.io/kubernetes/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/bootstraptoken/v1"
 
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/token"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 )
 
 func preSharedCmd() *cobra.Command {
@@ -52,38 +53,29 @@ func preSharedCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		Short:   "Generates token and secret and stores them as a files",
 		Example: `k0s token pre-shared --role worker --cert <path>/<to>/ca.crt --url https://<controller-ip>:<port>/`,
 		Args:    cobra.NoArgs,
-		PreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
-			err := checkTokenRole(preSharedRole)
-			if err != nil {
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
+			if err := checkTokenRole(preSharedRole); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			if certPath == "" {
-				return errors.New("please, provide --cert argument")
-			}
-			if joinURL == "" {
-				return errors.New("please, provide --url argument")
-			}
 
-			return nil
-		},
-		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 			t, err := createSecret(preSharedRole, validity, outDir)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 
-			err = createKubeConfig(t, preSharedRole, joinURL, certPath, outDir)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			return nil
+			return createKubeConfig(t, preSharedRole, joinURL, certPath, outDir)
 		},
 	}
 
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
-	flags.AddFlagSet(config.GetPersistentFlagSet())
+	config.GetPersistentFlagSet().VisitAll(func(f *pflag.Flag) {
+		f.Hidden = true
+		flags.AddFlag(f)
+	})
 	flags.StringVar(&certPath, "cert", "", "path to the CA certificate file")
+	runtime.Must(cobra.MarkFlagRequired(flags, "cert"))
 	flags.StringVar(&joinURL, "url", "", "url of the api server to join")
+	runtime.Must(cobra.MarkFlagRequired(flags, "url"))
 	flags.StringVar(&preSharedRole, "role", "worker", "token role. valid values: worker, controller. Default: worker")
 	flags.StringVar(&outDir, "out", ".", "path to the output directory. Default: current dir")
 	flags.DurationVar(&validity, "valid", 0, "how long token is valid, in Go duration format")
diff --git a/cmd/token/token.go b/cmd/token/token.go
index 2df982b3de2d..094c210bca3b 100644
--- a/cmd/token/token.go
+++ b/cmd/token/token.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package token
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/internal"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/token"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -26,13 +27,18 @@ import (
 )
 
 func NewTokenCmd() *cobra.Command {
+	var debugFlags internal.DebugFlags
+
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "token",
-		Short: "Manage join tokens",
-		Args:  cobra.NoArgs,
-		RunE:  func(*cobra.Command, []string) error { return pflag.ErrHelp }, // Enforce arg validation
+		Use:              "token",
+		Short:            "Manage join tokens",
+		Args:             cobra.NoArgs,
+		PersistentPreRun: debugFlags.Run,
+		RunE:             func(*cobra.Command, []string) error { return pflag.ErrHelp }, // Enforce arg validation
 	}
 
+	debugFlags.AddToFlagSet(cmd.PersistentFlags())
+
 	cmd.AddCommand(tokenListCmd())
 	cmd.AddCommand(tokenInvalidateCmd())
 	cmd.AddCommand(preSharedCmd())
diff --git a/cmd/worker/worker.go b/cmd/worker/worker.go
index 79d8b7fe8b0d..6d89d2c743c0 100644
--- a/cmd/worker/worker.go
+++ b/cmd/worker/worker.go
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ import (
 	"runtime"
 	"syscall"
 
+	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/cmd/internal"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/flags"
-	internallog "github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/log"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/stringmap"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/internal/pkg/sysinfo"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/component/iptables"
@@ -54,7 +54,10 @@ type EmbeddingController interface {
 }
 
 func NewWorkerCmd() *cobra.Command {
-	var ignorePreFlightChecks bool
+	var (
+		debugFlags            internal.DebugFlags
+		ignorePreFlightChecks bool
+	)
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "worker [join-token]",
@@ -66,12 +69,8 @@ func NewWorkerCmd() *cobra.Command {
 	or CLI flag:
 	$ k0s worker --token-file [path_to_file]
 	Note: Token can be passed either as a CLI argument or as a flag`,
-		Args: cobra.MaximumNArgs(1),
-		PersistentPreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			logrus.SetOutput(cmd.OutOrStdout())
-			internallog.SetInfoLevel()
-			return config.CallParentPersistentPreRun(cmd, args)
-		},
+		Args:             cobra.MaximumNArgs(1),
+		PersistentPreRun: debugFlags.Run,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			opts, err := config.GetCmdOpts(cmd)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -108,6 +107,8 @@ func NewWorkerCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		},
 	}
 
+	debugFlags.LongRunning().AddToFlagSet(cmd.PersistentFlags())
+
 	flags := cmd.Flags()
 	flags.AddFlagSet(config.GetPersistentFlagSet())
 	flags.AddFlagSet(config.GetWorkerFlags())
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 007a235e2fad..2fe16510115f 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 package main
 
 import (
-	_ "net/http/pprof"
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"strings"
diff --git a/pkg/config/cli.go b/pkg/config/cli.go
index 8d5348e21fba..79298a4b73d6 100644
--- a/pkg/config/cli.go
+++ b/pkg/config/cli.go
@@ -18,9 +18,7 @@ package config
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
 	"slices"
-	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -28,28 +26,21 @@ import (
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/constant"
 	"github.com/k0sproject/k0s/pkg/k0scloudprovider"
 
-	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 )
 
 var (
-	CfgFile       string
-	Debug         bool
-	DebugListenOn string
-	K0sVars       CfgVars
-	workerOpts    WorkerOptions
-	Verbose       bool
+	CfgFile    string
+	K0sVars    CfgVars
+	workerOpts WorkerOptions
 )
 
 // This struct holds all the CLI options & settings required by the
 // different k0s sub-commands
 type CLIOptions struct {
 	WorkerOptions
-	CfgFile       string
-	Debug         bool
-	DebugListenOn string
-	K0sVars       *CfgVars
-	Verbose       bool
+	CfgFile string
+	K0sVars *CfgVars
 }
 
 type ControllerMode uint8
@@ -221,25 +212,14 @@ func (f *logLevelsFlag) String() string {
 
 func GetPersistentFlagSet() *pflag.FlagSet {
 	flagset := &pflag.FlagSet{}
-	flagset.BoolVarP(&Debug, "debug", "d", false, "Debug logging (default: false)")
-	flagset.BoolVarP(&Verbose, "verbose", "v", false, "Verbose logging (default: false)")
 	flagset.String("data-dir", constant.DataDirDefault, "Data Directory for k0s. DO NOT CHANGE for an existing setup, things will break!")
 	flagset.String("status-socket", "", "Full file path to the socket file. (default: <rundir>/status.sock)")
-	flagset.StringVar(&DebugListenOn, "debugListenOn", ":6060", "Http listenOn for Debug pprof handler")
 	return flagset
 }
 
-// XX: not a pretty hack, but we need the data-dir flag for the kubectl subcommand
-// XX: when other global flags cannot be used (specifically -d and -c)
 func GetKubeCtlFlagSet() *pflag.FlagSet {
-	debugDefault := false
-	if v, ok := os.LookupEnv("DEBUG"); ok {
-		debugDefault, _ = strconv.ParseBool(v)
-	}
-
 	flagset := &pflag.FlagSet{}
 	flagset.String("data-dir", constant.DataDirDefault, "Data Directory for k0s. DO NOT CHANGE for an existing setup, things will break!")
-	flagset.BoolVar(&Debug, "debug", debugDefault, "Debug logging [$DEBUG]")
 	return flagset
 }
 
@@ -333,41 +313,7 @@ func GetCmdOpts(cobraCmd command) (*CLIOptions, error) {
 	return &CLIOptions{
 		WorkerOptions: workerOpts,
 
-		CfgFile:       CfgFile,
-		Debug:         Debug,
-		Verbose:       Verbose,
-		K0sVars:       k0sVars,
-		DebugListenOn: DebugListenOn,
+		CfgFile: CfgFile,
+		K0sVars: k0sVars,
 	}, nil
 }
-
-// CallParentPersistentPreRun runs the parent command's persistent pre-run.
-// Cobra does not do this automatically.
-//
-// See: https://github.com/spf13/cobra/issues/216
-// See: https://github.com/spf13/cobra/blob/v1.4.0/command.go#L833-L843
-func CallParentPersistentPreRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-	for p := cmd.Parent(); p != nil; p = p.Parent() {
-		preRunE := p.PersistentPreRunE
-		preRun := p.PersistentPreRun
-
-		p.PersistentPreRunE = nil
-		p.PersistentPreRun = nil
-
-		defer func() {
-			p.PersistentPreRunE = preRunE
-			p.PersistentPreRun = preRun
-		}()
-
-		if preRunE != nil {
-			return preRunE(cmd, args)
-		}
-
-		if preRun != nil {
-			preRun(cmd, args)
-			return nil
-		}
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}