diff --git a/platform/whatsNew/src/com/intellij/platform/whatsNew/WhatsNewAction.kt b/platform/whatsNew/src/com/intellij/platform/whatsNew/WhatsNewAction.kt
index bc8803251945..1524f6683f5d 100644
--- a/platform/whatsNew/src/com/intellij/platform/whatsNew/WhatsNewAction.kt
+++ b/platform/whatsNew/src/com/intellij/platform/whatsNew/WhatsNewAction.kt
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ internal class WhatsNewAction : AnAction(), com.intellij.openapi.project.DumbAwa
   val content: WhatsNewContent? = WhatsNewContent.getWhatsNewContent()
 
   suspend fun openWhatsNew(project: Project) {
+    LOG.info("Open What's New page requested.")
     val dataContext = LOG.runAndLogException { DataManager.getInstance().dataContextFromFocusAsync.await() }
     openWhatsNewPage(project, dataContext)
   }
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ internal class WhatsNewAction : AnAction(), com.intellij.openapi.project.DumbAwa
     check(JBCefApp.isSupported()) { "JCEF is not supported on this system" }
     val title = IdeBundle.message("update.whats.new", ApplicationNamesInfo.getInstance().fullProductName)
     withContext(Dispatchers.EDT) {
+      LOG.info("Opening What's New in editor.")
       openEditor(project, title, whatsNewContent.getRequest(dataContext))?.let {
         project.serviceAsync<FileEditorManager>().addTopComponent(it, ReactionsPanel.createPanel(PLACE, reactionChecker))
         WhatsNewCounterUsageCollector.openedPerformed(project, byClient)
diff --git a/platform/whatsNew/src/com/intellij/platform/whatsNew/WhatsNewContentVersionChecker.kt b/platform/whatsNew/src/com/intellij/platform/whatsNew/WhatsNewContentVersionChecker.kt
index f3d96cd4115a..b8c3725b04b5 100644
--- a/platform/whatsNew/src/com/intellij/platform/whatsNew/WhatsNewContentVersionChecker.kt
+++ b/platform/whatsNew/src/com/intellij/platform/whatsNew/WhatsNewContentVersionChecker.kt
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package com.intellij.platform.whatsNew
 
 import com.intellij.ide.util.PropertiesComponent
 import com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.logger
-import com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.trace
 
 internal class WhatsNewContentVersionChecker {
   companion object {
@@ -13,7 +12,7 @@ internal class WhatsNewContentVersionChecker {
 
     fun isNeedToShowContent(whatsNewContent: WhatsNewContent): Boolean {
       val savedVersionInfo = PropertiesComponent.getInstance().getValue(LAST_SHOWN_EAP_VERSION_PROP) ?: run {
-        LOG.trace("$LAST_SHOWN_EAP_VERSION_PROP is not defined. Will show What's New.")
+        LOG.info("$LAST_SHOWN_EAP_VERSION_PROP is not defined. Will show What's New.")
         return true
       }
       val savedVersion = WhatsNewContent.ContentVersion.parse(savedVersionInfo) ?: run {
@@ -27,12 +26,12 @@ internal class WhatsNewContentVersionChecker {
       }
 
       val result = newVersion > savedVersion || (newVersion.releaseInfoEquals(savedVersion) && newVersion.hash != savedVersion.hash)
-      LOG.trace { "Comparing versions $newVersion > $savedVersion: $result." }
+      LOG.info("Comparing versions $newVersion > $savedVersion: $result.")
       return result
     }
 
     fun saveLastShownContent(content: WhatsNewContent) {
-      LOG.trace { "EapWhatsNew version saved '${content.getVersion()}'" }
+      LOG.info("EapWhatsNew version saved '${content.getVersion()}'")
       val version = content.getVersion() ?: run {
         LOG.error("What's New content $content returned a null version.")
         return
diff --git a/platform/whatsNew/src/com/intellij/platform/whatsNew/WhatsNewShowOnStartCheckService.kt b/platform/whatsNew/src/com/intellij/platform/whatsNew/WhatsNewShowOnStartCheckService.kt
index 374266943637..8cbf4b23761b 100644
--- a/platform/whatsNew/src/com/intellij/platform/whatsNew/WhatsNewShowOnStartCheckService.kt
+++ b/platform/whatsNew/src/com/intellij/platform/whatsNew/WhatsNewShowOnStartCheckService.kt
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package com.intellij.platform.whatsNew
 
 import com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.ActionManager
 import com.intellij.openapi.components.service
+import com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.logger
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project
 import com.intellij.openapi.startup.ProjectActivity
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.registry.Registry
@@ -17,10 +18,13 @@ internal class WhatsNewShowOnStartCheckService : ProjectActivity {
   override suspend fun execute(project: Project) {
     if (ourStarted.getAndSet(true)) return
     if (application.isHeadlessEnvironment || application.isUnitTestMode || isPlaybackMode) return
+    logger.info("Checking whether to show the What's New page on startup.")
 
     val content = WhatsNewContent.getWhatsNewContent()
+    logger.info("Got What's New content: $content")
     if (content != null) {
-      if (isWhatsNewTestMode || WhatsNewContentVersionChecker.isNeedToShowContent(content)) {
+      if (isWhatsNewTestMode.also { logger.info("What's New test mode: $it") }
+          || WhatsNewContentVersionChecker.isNeedToShowContent(content).also { logger.info("Should show What's New: $it") }) {
         val whatsNewAction = service<ActionManager>().getAction("WhatsNewAction") as? WhatsNewAction
         whatsNewAction?.openWhatsNew(project)
       }
@@ -30,3 +34,5 @@ internal class WhatsNewShowOnStartCheckService : ProjectActivity {
 
 internal val isWhatsNewTestMode: Boolean
   get() = Registry.`is`("whats.new.test.mode")
+
+private val logger = logger<WhatsNewShowOnStartCheckService>()
\ No newline at end of file