diff --git a/doc/developer-notes.md b/doc/developer-notes.md
index c3ab3fa953..f06902e624 100644
--- a/doc/developer-notes.md
+++ b/doc/developer-notes.md
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ Developer Notes
         - [`debug.log`](#debuglog)
         - [Signet, testnet, and regtest modes](#signet-testnet-and-regtest-modes)
         - [DEBUG_LOCKORDER](#debug_lockorder)
+        - [DEBUG_LOCKCONTENTION](#debug_lockcontention)
         - [Valgrind suppressions file](#valgrind-suppressions-file)
         - [Compiling for test coverage](#compiling-for-test-coverage)
         - [Performance profiling with perf](#performance-profiling-with-perf)
@@ -362,6 +363,19 @@ configure option adds `-DDEBUG_LOCKORDER` to the compiler flags. This inserts
 run-time checks to keep track of which locks are held and adds warnings to the
 `debug.log` file if inconsistencies are detected.
 
+### DEBUG_LOCKCONTENTION
+
+Defining `DEBUG_LOCKCONTENTION` adds a "lock" logging category to the logging
+RPC that, when enabled, logs the location and duration of each lock contention
+to the `debug.log` file.
+
+To enable it, run configure with `-DDEBUG_LOCKCONTENTION` added to your
+CPPFLAGS, e.g. `CPPFLAGS="-DDEBUG_LOCKCONTENTION"`, then build and run bitcoind.
+
+You can then use the `-debug=lock` configuration option at bitcoind startup or
+`bitcoin-cli logging '["lock"]'` at runtime to turn on lock contention logging.
+It can be toggled off again with `bitcoin-cli logging [] '["lock"]'`.
+
 ### Assertions and Checks
 
 The util file `src/util/check.h` offers helpers to protect against coding and
diff --git a/src/logging.cpp b/src/logging.cpp
index 764941c8ea..a5e5fdb4cd 100644
--- a/src/logging.cpp
+++ b/src/logging.cpp
@@ -160,7 +160,9 @@ const CLogCategoryDesc LogCategories[] =
     {BCLog::VALIDATION, "validation"},
     {BCLog::I2P, "i2p"},
     {BCLog::IPC, "ipc"},
+#ifdef DEBUG_LOCKCONTENTION
     {BCLog::LOCK, "lock"},
+#endif
     {BCLog::UTIL, "util"},
     {BCLog::BLOCKSTORE, "blockstorage"},
     {BCLog::ALL, "1"},
diff --git a/src/logging.h b/src/logging.h
index 710e6c4c32..ae8cad906c 100644
--- a/src/logging.h
+++ b/src/logging.h
@@ -60,7 +60,9 @@ namespace BCLog {
         VALIDATION  = (1 << 21),
         I2P         = (1 << 22),
         IPC         = (1 << 23),
+#ifdef DEBUG_LOCKCONTENTION
         LOCK        = (1 << 24),
+#endif
         UTIL        = (1 << 25),
         BLOCKSTORE  = (1 << 26),
         ALL         = ~(uint32_t)0,
diff --git a/src/net.h b/src/net.h
index db09ce564e..1bc011c748 100644
--- a/src/net.h
+++ b/src/net.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <crypto/siphash.h>
 #include <hash.h>
 #include <i2p.h>
+#include <logging.h>
 #include <net_permissions.h>
 #include <netaddress.h>
 #include <netbase.h>
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <deque>
 #include <functional>
+#include <list>
 #include <map>
 #include <memory>
 #include <optional>
diff --git a/src/sync.h b/src/sync.h
index 85000a9151..af7595e6fa 100644
--- a/src/sync.h
+++ b/src/sync.h
@@ -6,8 +6,11 @@
 #ifndef BITCOIN_SYNC_H
 #define BITCOIN_SYNC_H
 
+#ifdef DEBUG_LOCKCONTENTION
 #include <logging.h>
 #include <logging/timer.h>
+#endif
+
 #include <threadsafety.h>
 #include <util/macros.h>
 
@@ -136,8 +139,10 @@ private:
     void Enter(const char* pszName, const char* pszFile, int nLine)
     {
         EnterCritical(pszName, pszFile, nLine, Base::mutex());
+#ifdef DEBUG_LOCKCONTENTION
         if (Base::try_lock()) return;
         LOG_TIME_MICROS_WITH_CATEGORY(strprintf("lock contention %s, %s:%d", pszName, pszFile, nLine), BCLog::LOCK);
+#endif
         Base::lock();
     }
 
diff --git a/src/test/checkqueue_tests.cpp b/src/test/checkqueue_tests.cpp
index 153ccd984b..0d95bd7670 100644
--- a/src/test/checkqueue_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/checkqueue_tests.cpp
@@ -19,13 +19,17 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 /**
- * Identical to TestingSetup but excludes lock contention logging, as some of
- * these tests are designed to be heavily contested to trigger race conditions
- * or other issues.
+ * Identical to TestingSetup but excludes lock contention logging if
+ * `DEBUG_LOCKCONTENTION` is defined, as some of these tests are designed to be
+ * heavily contested to trigger race conditions or other issues.
  */
 struct NoLockLoggingTestingSetup : public TestingSetup {
     NoLockLoggingTestingSetup()
+#ifdef DEBUG_LOCKCONTENTION
         : TestingSetup{CBaseChainParams::MAIN, /*extra_args=*/{"-debugexclude=lock"}} {}
+#else
+        : TestingSetup{CBaseChainParams::MAIN} {}
+#endif
 };
 
 BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_SUITE(checkqueue_tests, NoLockLoggingTestingSetup)
diff --git a/test/functional/rpc_misc.py b/test/functional/rpc_misc.py
index 2f1796d7cc..f64aae7223 100755
--- a/test/functional/rpc_misc.py
+++ b/test/functional/rpc_misc.py
@@ -56,9 +56,6 @@ class RpcMiscTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
 
         self.log.info("test logging rpc and help")
 
-        # Test logging RPC returns the expected number of logging categories.
-        assert_equal(len(node.logging()), 27)
-
         # Test toggling a logging category on/off/on with the logging RPC.
         assert_equal(node.logging()['qt'], True)
         node.logging(exclude=['qt'])