diff --git a/platform/completion/common/src/LookupElementLogging.kt b/platform/completion/common/src/LookupElementLogging.kt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..1b71991f6459
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platform/completion/common/src/LookupElementLogging.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// Copyright 2000-2026 JetBrains s.r.o. and contributors. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license.
+package com.intellij.platform.completion.common
+
+import com.intellij.codeInsight.lookup.LookupElement
+
+/**
+ * Identifies a [LookupElement] in a log message **without** disclosing its text.
+ *
+ * `LookupElement.toString()` is the element's `lookupString`, which is user-derived — in a terminal or a scratch buffer
+ * it can be a secret the user just typed (IJPL-252788). Levels that are enabled by default (`INFO`, `WARN`, `ERROR`,
+ * including the `details` of [com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.errorWithWarnDetails], which are logged at `WARN`) must
+ * use this instead. The full element still belongs in a paired `debug { }` line, which is off unless someone is
+ * investigating.
+ */
+fun LookupElement.logId(): String = "${javaClass.name}@${Integer.toHexString(System.identityHashCode(this))}"
diff --git a/platform/completion/common/src/protocol/modCommand/ModCommandDeserializer.kt b/platform/completion/common/src/protocol/modCommand/ModCommandDeserializer.kt
index 87fa2b980587..baf9e703e045 100644
--- a/platform/completion/common/src/protocol/modCommand/ModCommandDeserializer.kt
+++ b/platform/completion/common/src/protocol/modCommand/ModCommandDeserializer.kt
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import com.intellij.modcommand.ModRegisterTabOut
 import com.intellij.modcommand.ModStartRename
 import com.intellij.modcommand.ModUpdateFileText
 import com.intellij.modcommand.ModUpdateReferences
+import com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.debug
 import com.intellij.openapi.editor.colors.TextAttributesKey
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.TextRange
 import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.VirtualFile
@@ -147,6 +148,7 @@ private fun findFile(path: String): VirtualFile? =
 private fun RpcTextRange.toTextRange(): TextRange = TextRange(startOffset, endOffset)
 
 private fun logFileNotFound(commandType: String, path: String): Nothing? {
-  ccLogger.warn("ModCommandDeserializer: file not found for $commandType: $path")
+  ccLogger.debug { "ModCommandDeserializer: file not found for $commandType: $path" }
+  ccLogger.warn("ModCommandDeserializer: file not found for $commandType")
   return null
 }