diff --git a/Lib/cookielib.py b/Lib/cookielib.py
index 5fdcd11..808eca6 100644
--- a/Lib/cookielib.py
+++ b/Lib/cookielib.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 __all__ = ['Cookie', 'CookieJar', 'CookiePolicy', 'DefaultCookiePolicy',
            'FileCookieJar', 'LWPCookieJar', 'LoadError', 'MozillaCookieJar']
 
-import re, urlparse, copy, time, urllib, logging
+import re, urlparse, copy, time, urllib
 try:
     import threading as _threading
 except ImportError:
@@ -36,7 +36,18 @@
 import httplib  # only for the default HTTP port
 from calendar import timegm
 
-debug = logging.getLogger("cookielib").debug
+debug = 0   # set to true to enable debugging via the logging module
+logger = None
+
+def _debug(*args):
+    global logger
+    if not debug:
+        return
+    if not logger:
+        import logging
+        logger = logging.getLogger("cookielib")
+    return logger.debug(*args)
+
 
 DEFAULT_HTTP_PORT = str(httplib.HTTP_PORT)
 MISSING_FILENAME_TEXT = ("a filename was not supplied (nor was the CookieJar "
@@ -611,7 +622,7 @@
         try:
             int(port)
         except ValueError:
-            debug("nonnumeric port: '%s'", port)
+            _debug("nonnumeric port: '%s'", port)
             return None
     else:
         port = DEFAULT_HTTP_PORT
@@ -902,7 +913,7 @@
         strict about which cookies to accept).
 
         """
-        debug(" - checking cookie %s=%s", cookie.name, cookie.value)
+        _debug(" - checking cookie %s=%s", cookie.name, cookie.value)
 
         assert cookie.name is not None
 
@@ -918,25 +929,25 @@
         if cookie.version is None:
             # Version is always set to 0 by parse_ns_headers if it's a Netscape
             # cookie, so this must be an invalid RFC 2965 cookie.
-            debug("   Set-Cookie2 without version attribute (%s=%s)",
-                  cookie.name, cookie.value)
+            _debug("   Set-Cookie2 without version attribute (%s=%s)",
+                   cookie.name, cookie.value)
             return False
         if cookie.version > 0 and not self.rfc2965:
-            debug("   RFC 2965 cookies are switched off")
+            _debug("   RFC 2965 cookies are switched off")
             return False
         elif cookie.version == 0 and not self.netscape:
-            debug("   Netscape cookies are switched off")
+            _debug("   Netscape cookies are switched off")
             return False
         return True
 
     def set_ok_verifiability(self, cookie, request):
         if request.is_unverifiable() and is_third_party(request):
             if cookie.version > 0 and self.strict_rfc2965_unverifiable:
-                debug("   third-party RFC 2965 cookie during "
+                _debug("   third-party RFC 2965 cookie during "
                              "unverifiable transaction")
                 return False
             elif cookie.version == 0 and self.strict_ns_unverifiable:
-                debug("   third-party Netscape cookie during "
+                _debug("   third-party Netscape cookie during "
                              "unverifiable transaction")
                 return False
         return True
@@ -946,7 +957,7 @@
         # servers that know both V0 and V1 protocols.
         if (cookie.version == 0 and self.strict_ns_set_initial_dollar and
             cookie.name.startswith("$")):
-            debug("   illegal name (starts with '$'): '%s'", cookie.name)
+            _debug("   illegal name (starts with '$'): '%s'", cookie.name)
             return False
         return True
 
@@ -956,17 +967,17 @@
             if ((cookie.version > 0 or
                  (cookie.version == 0 and self.strict_ns_set_path)) and
                 not req_path.startswith(cookie.path)):
-                debug("   path attribute %s is not a prefix of request "
-                      "path %s", cookie.path, req_path)
+                _debug("   path attribute %s is not a prefix of request "
+                       "path %s", cookie.path, req_path)
                 return False
         return True
 
     def set_ok_domain(self, cookie, request):
         if self.is_blocked(cookie.domain):
-            debug("   domain %s is in user block-list", cookie.domain)
+            _debug("   domain %s is in user block-list", cookie.domain)
             return False
         if self.is_not_allowed(cookie.domain):
-            debug("   domain %s is not in user allow-list", cookie.domain)
+            _debug("   domain %s is not in user allow-list", cookie.domain)
             return False
         if cookie.domain_specified:
             req_host, erhn = eff_request_host(request)
@@ -985,7 +996,7 @@
                        "info", "jobs", "mobi", "museum", "name", "pro",
                        "travel", "eu") and len(tld) == 2:
                         # domain like .co.uk
-                        debug("   country-code second level domain %s", domain)
+                        _debug("   country-code second level domain %s", domain)
                         return False
             if domain.startswith("."):
                 undotted_domain = domain[1:]
@@ -993,30 +1004,30 @@
                 undotted_domain = domain
             embedded_dots = (undotted_domain.find(".") >= 0)
             if not embedded_dots and domain != ".local":
-                debug("   non-local domain %s contains no embedded dot",
-                      domain)
+                _debug("   non-local domain %s contains no embedded dot",
+                       domain)
                 return False
             if cookie.version == 0:
                 if (not erhn.endswith(domain) and
                     (not erhn.startswith(".") and
                      not ("."+erhn).endswith(domain))):
-                    debug("   effective request-host %s (even with added "
-                          "initial dot) does not end end with %s",
-                          erhn, domain)
+                    _debug("   effective request-host %s (even with added "
+                           "initial dot) does not end end with %s",
+                           erhn, domain)
                     return False
             if (cookie.version > 0 or
                 (self.strict_ns_domain & self.DomainRFC2965Match)):
                 if not domain_match(erhn, domain):
-                    debug("   effective request-host %s does not domain-match "
-                          "%s", erhn, domain)
+                    _debug("   effective request-host %s does not domain-match "
+                           "%s", erhn, domain)
                     return False
             if (cookie.version > 0 or
                 (self.strict_ns_domain & self.DomainStrictNoDots)):
                 host_prefix = req_host[:-len(domain)]
                 if (host_prefix.find(".") >= 0 and
                     not IPV4_RE.search(req_host)):
-                    debug("   host prefix %s for domain %s contains a dot",
-                          host_prefix, domain)
+                    _debug("   host prefix %s for domain %s contains a dot",
+                           host_prefix, domain)
                     return False
         return True
 
@@ -1031,13 +1042,13 @@
                 try:
                     int(p)
                 except ValueError:
-                    debug("   bad port %s (not numeric)", p)
+                    _debug("   bad port %s (not numeric)", p)
                     return False
                 if p == req_port:
                     break
             else:
-                debug("   request port (%s) not found in %s",
-                      req_port, cookie.port)
+                _debug("   request port (%s) not found in %s",
+                       req_port, cookie.port)
                 return False
         return True
 
@@ -1050,7 +1061,7 @@
         """
         # Path has already been checked by .path_return_ok(), and domain
         # blocking done by .domain_return_ok().
-        debug(" - checking cookie %s=%s", cookie.name, cookie.value)
+        _debug(" - checking cookie %s=%s", cookie.name, cookie.value)
 
         for n in "version", "verifiability", "secure", "expires", "port", "domain":
             fn_name = "return_ok_"+n
@@ -1061,34 +1072,34 @@
 
     def return_ok_version(self, cookie, request):
         if cookie.version > 0 and not self.rfc2965:
-            debug("   RFC 2965 cookies are switched off")
+            _debug("   RFC 2965 cookies are switched off")
             return False
         elif cookie.version == 0 and not self.netscape:
-            debug("   Netscape cookies are switched off")
+            _debug("   Netscape cookies are switched off")
             return False
         return True
 
     def return_ok_verifiability(self, cookie, request):
         if request.is_unverifiable() and is_third_party(request):
             if cookie.version > 0 and self.strict_rfc2965_unverifiable:
-                debug("   third-party RFC 2965 cookie during unverifiable "
-                      "transaction")
+                _debug("   third-party RFC 2965 cookie during unverifiable "
+                       "transaction")
                 return False
             elif cookie.version == 0 and self.strict_ns_unverifiable:
-                debug("   third-party Netscape cookie during unverifiable "
-                      "transaction")
+                _debug("   third-party Netscape cookie during unverifiable "
+                       "transaction")
                 return False
         return True
 
     def return_ok_secure(self, cookie, request):
         if cookie.secure and request.get_type() != "https":
-            debug("   secure cookie with non-secure request")
+            _debug("   secure cookie with non-secure request")
             return False
         return True
 
     def return_ok_expires(self, cookie, request):
         if cookie.is_expired(self._now):
-            debug("   cookie expired")
+            _debug("   cookie expired")
             return False
         return True
 
@@ -1101,8 +1112,8 @@
                 if p == req_port:
                     break
             else:
-                debug("   request port %s does not match cookie port %s",
-                      req_port, cookie.port)
+                _debug("   request port %s does not match cookie port %s",
+                       req_port, cookie.port)
                 return False
         return True
 
@@ -1114,17 +1125,17 @@
         if (cookie.version == 0 and
             (self.strict_ns_domain & self.DomainStrictNonDomain) and
             not cookie.domain_specified and domain != erhn):
-            debug("   cookie with unspecified domain does not string-compare "
-                  "equal to request domain")
+            _debug("   cookie with unspecified domain does not string-compare "
+                   "equal to request domain")
             return False
 
         if cookie.version > 0 and not domain_match(erhn, domain):
-            debug("   effective request-host name %s does not domain-match "
-                  "RFC 2965 cookie domain %s", erhn, domain)
+            _debug("   effective request-host name %s does not domain-match "
+                   "RFC 2965 cookie domain %s", erhn, domain)
             return False
         if cookie.version == 0 and not ("."+erhn).endswith(domain):
-            debug("   request-host %s does not match Netscape cookie domain "
-                  "%s", req_host, domain)
+            _debug("   request-host %s does not match Netscape cookie domain "
+                   "%s", req_host, domain)
             return False
         return True
 
@@ -1137,24 +1148,24 @@
         if not erhn.startswith("."):
             erhn = "."+erhn
         if not (req_host.endswith(domain) or erhn.endswith(domain)):
-            #debug("   request domain %s does not match cookie domain %s",
-            #      req_host, domain)
+            #_debug("   request domain %s does not match cookie domain %s",
+            #       req_host, domain)
             return False
 
         if self.is_blocked(domain):
-            debug("   domain %s is in user block-list", domain)
+            _debug("   domain %s is in user block-list", domain)
             return False
         if self.is_not_allowed(domain):
-            debug("   domain %s is not in user allow-list", domain)
+            _debug("   domain %s is not in user allow-list", domain)
             return False
 
         return True
 
     def path_return_ok(self, path, request):
-        debug("- checking cookie path=%s", path)
+        _debug("- checking cookie path=%s", path)
         req_path = request_path(request)
         if not req_path.startswith(path):
-            debug("  %s does not path-match %s", req_path, path)
+            _debug("  %s does not path-match %s", req_path, path)
             return False
         return True
 
@@ -1216,7 +1227,7 @@
         cookies = []
         if not self._policy.domain_return_ok(domain, request):
             return []
-        debug("Checking %s for cookies to return", domain)
+        _debug("Checking %s for cookies to return", domain)
         cookies_by_path = self._cookies[domain]
         for path in cookies_by_path.keys():
             if not self._policy.path_return_ok(path, request):
@@ -1224,9 +1235,9 @@
             cookies_by_name = cookies_by_path[path]
             for cookie in cookies_by_name.values():
                 if not self._policy.return_ok(cookie, request):
-                    debug("   not returning cookie")
+                    _debug("   not returning cookie")
                     continue
-                debug("   it's a match")
+                _debug("   it's a match")
                 cookies.append(cookie)
         return cookies
 
@@ -1303,7 +1314,7 @@
         The Cookie2 header is also added unless policy.hide_cookie2 is true.
 
         """
-        debug("add_cookie_header")
+        _debug("add_cookie_header")
         self._cookies_lock.acquire()
 
         self._policy._now = self._now = int(time.time())
@@ -1380,7 +1391,7 @@
                     continue
                 if k == "domain":
                     if v is None:
-                        debug("   missing value for domain attribute")
+                        _debug("   missing value for domain attribute")
                         bad_cookie = True
                         break
                     # RFC 2965 section 3.3.3
@@ -1390,7 +1401,7 @@
                         # Prefer max-age to expires (like Mozilla)
                         continue
                     if v is None:
-                        debug("   missing or invalid value for expires "
+                        _debug("   missing or invalid value for expires "
                               "attribute: treating as session cookie")
                         continue
                 if k == "max-age":
@@ -1398,7 +1409,7 @@
                     try:
                         v = int(v)
                     except ValueError:
-                        debug("   missing or invalid (non-numeric) value for "
+                        _debug("   missing or invalid (non-numeric) value for "
                               "max-age attribute")
                         bad_cookie = True
                         break
@@ -1411,7 +1422,7 @@
                 if (k in value_attrs) or (k in boolean_attrs):
                     if (v is None and
                         k not in ("port", "comment", "commenturl")):
-                        debug("   missing value for %s attribute" % k)
+                        _debug("   missing value for %s attribute" % k)
                         bad_cookie = True
                         break
                     standard[k] = v
@@ -1497,8 +1508,8 @@
                 self.clear(domain, path, name)
             except KeyError:
                 pass
-            debug("Expiring cookie, domain='%s', path='%s', name='%s'",
-                  domain, path, name)
+            _debug("Expiring cookie, domain='%s', path='%s', name='%s'",
+                   domain, path, name)
             return None
 
         return Cookie(version,
@@ -1613,13 +1624,13 @@
 
     def extract_cookies(self, response, request):
         """Extract cookies from response, where allowable given the request."""
-        debug("extract_cookies: %s", response.info())
+        _debug("extract_cookies: %s", response.info())
         self._cookies_lock.acquire()
         self._policy._now = self._now = int(time.time())
 
         for cookie in self.make_cookies(response, request):
             if self._policy.set_ok(cookie, request):
-                debug(" setting cookie: %s", cookie)
+                _debug(" setting cookie: %s", cookie)
                 self.set_cookie(cookie)
         self._cookies_lock.release()