diff --git a/include/SDL3/SDL_hints.h b/include/SDL3/SDL_hints.h
index d330c1d681..09c918b13a 100644
--- a/include/SDL3/SDL_hints.h
+++ b/include/SDL3/SDL_hints.h
@@ -4396,26 +4396,29 @@ extern "C" {
 #define SDL_HINT_PEN_TOUCH_EVENTS "SDL_PEN_TOUCH_EVENTS"
 
 /**
- * A variable controlling whether SDL backend information is logged.
+ * A variable controlling whether SDL logs some debug information.
  *
  * The variable can be set to the following values:
  *
- * - "0": Subsystem information will not be logged. (default)
- * - "1": Subsystem information will be logged.
+ * - "0": SDL debug information will not be logged. (default)
+ * - "1": SDL debug information will be logged.
  *
  * This is generally meant to be used as an environment variable to let
- * end-users report what subsystems were chosen on their system, to aid in
- * debugging. Logged information is sent through SDL_Log(), which means by
- * default they appear on stdout on most platforms or maybe
- * OutputDebugString() on Windows, and can be funneled by the app with
- * SDL_SetLogOutputFunction(), etc.
+ * end-users report what subsystems were chosen on their system, perhaps what
+ * sort of hardware they are running on, etc, to aid in debugging. Logged
+ * information is sent through SDL_Log(), which means by default they appear
+ * on stdout on most platforms, or maybe OutputDebugString() on Windows, and
+ * can be funneled by the app with SDL_SetLogOutputFunction(), etc.
+ *
+ * The specific output might change between SDL versions; more information
+ * might be deemed useful in the future.
  *
  * This hint can be set anytime, but the specific logs are generated during
  * subsystem init.
  *
  * \since This hint is available since SDL 3.4.0.
  */
-#define SDL_HINT_LOG_BACKENDS "SDL_LOG_BACKENDS"
+#define SDL_HINT_DEBUG_LOGGING "SDL_DEBUG_LOGGING"
 
 /**
  * An enumeration of hint priorities.
diff --git a/src/SDL_utils.c b/src/SDL_utils.c
index ec2c435a92..47fa28c06d 100644
--- a/src/SDL_utils.c
+++ b/src/SDL_utils.c
@@ -553,11 +553,12 @@ char *SDL_CreateDeviceName(Uint16 vendor, Uint16 product, const char *vendor_nam
     return name;
 }
 
-void SDL_LogBackend(const char *subsystem, const char *backend)
+#define SDL_DEBUG_LOG_INTRO "SDL_DEBUG: "
+
+void SDL_DebugLogBackend(const char *subsystem, const char *backend)
 {
-    if (SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_LOG_BACKENDS, false)) {
-        SDL_Log("SDL_BACKEND: %s -> '%s'", subsystem, backend);
+    if (SDL_GetHintBoolean(SDL_HINT_DEBUG_LOGGING, false)) {
+        SDL_Log(SDL_DEBUG_LOG_INTRO "chose %s backend '%s'", subsystem, backend);
     }
 }
 
-
diff --git a/src/SDL_utils_c.h b/src/SDL_utils_c.h
index 2929e7f1f1..b70b64e963 100644
--- a/src/SDL_utils_c.h
+++ b/src/SDL_utils_c.h
@@ -76,6 +76,6 @@ extern const char *SDL_GetPersistentString(const char *string);
 extern char *SDL_CreateDeviceName(Uint16 vendor, Uint16 product, const char *vendor_name, const char *product_name, const char *default_name);
 
 // Log what backend a subsystem chose, if a hint was set to do so. Useful for debugging.
-extern void SDL_LogBackend(const char *subsystem, const char *backend);
+extern void SDL_DebugLogBackend(const char *subsystem, const char *backend);
 
 #endif // SDL_utils_h_
diff --git a/src/audio/SDL_audio.c b/src/audio/SDL_audio.c
index 56033912c4..b1956175c6 100644
--- a/src/audio/SDL_audio.c
+++ b/src/audio/SDL_audio.c
@@ -1007,7 +1007,7 @@ bool SDL_InitAudio(const char *driver_name)
     }
 
     if (initialized) {
-        SDL_LogBackend("audio", current_audio.name);
+        SDL_DebugLogBackend("audio", current_audio.name);
     } else {
         // specific drivers will set the error message if they fail, but otherwise we do it here.
         if (!tried_to_init) {
diff --git a/src/camera/SDL_camera.c b/src/camera/SDL_camera.c
index 7385426afc..48c6b500df 100644
--- a/src/camera/SDL_camera.c
+++ b/src/camera/SDL_camera.c
@@ -1525,7 +1525,7 @@ bool SDL_CameraInit(const char *driver_name)
     }
 
     if (initialized) {
-        SDL_LogBackend("camera", camera_driver.name);
+        SDL_DebugLogBackend("camera", camera_driver.name);
     } else {
         // specific drivers will set the error message if they fail, but otherwise we do it here.
         if (!tried_to_init) {
diff --git a/src/gpu/SDL_gpu.c b/src/gpu/SDL_gpu.c
index 3e0002f058..ad5a16da3f 100644
--- a/src/gpu/SDL_gpu.c
+++ b/src/gpu/SDL_gpu.c
@@ -711,7 +711,7 @@ SDL_GPUDevice *SDL_CreateGPUDeviceWithProperties(SDL_PropertiesID props)
 
     selectedBackend = SDL_GPUSelectBackend(props);
     if (selectedBackend != NULL) {
-        SDL_LogBackend("gpu", selectedBackend->name);
+        SDL_DebugLogBackend("gpu", selectedBackend->name);
         debug_mode = SDL_GetBooleanProperty(props, SDL_PROP_GPU_DEVICE_CREATE_DEBUGMODE_BOOLEAN, true);
         preferLowPower = SDL_GetBooleanProperty(props, SDL_PROP_GPU_DEVICE_CREATE_PREFERLOWPOWER_BOOLEAN, false);
 
diff --git a/src/io/io_uring/SDL_asyncio_liburing.c b/src/io/io_uring/SDL_asyncio_liburing.c
index 8b4738f9ca..4aef5f4b12 100644
--- a/src/io/io_uring/SDL_asyncio_liburing.c
+++ b/src/io/io_uring/SDL_asyncio_liburing.c
@@ -512,12 +512,12 @@ static void MaybeInitializeLibUring(void)
 {
     if (SDL_ShouldInit(&liburing_init)) {
         if (LoadLibUring()) {
-            SDL_LogBackend("asyncio", "liburing");
+            SDL_DebugLogBackend("asyncio", "liburing");
             CreateAsyncIOQueue = SDL_SYS_CreateAsyncIOQueue_liburing;
             QuitAsyncIO = SDL_SYS_QuitAsyncIO_liburing;
             AsyncIOFromFile = SDL_SYS_AsyncIOFromFile_liburing;
         } else {  // can't use liburing? Use the "generic" threadpool implementation instead.
-            SDL_LogBackend("asyncio", "generic");
+            SDL_DebugLogBackend("asyncio", "generic");
             CreateAsyncIOQueue = SDL_SYS_CreateAsyncIOQueue_Generic;
             QuitAsyncIO = SDL_SYS_QuitAsyncIO_Generic;
             AsyncIOFromFile = SDL_SYS_AsyncIOFromFile_Generic;
diff --git a/src/io/windows/SDL_asyncio_windows_ioring.c b/src/io/windows/SDL_asyncio_windows_ioring.c
index fd65921015..52683c6ab2 100644
--- a/src/io/windows/SDL_asyncio_windows_ioring.c
+++ b/src/io/windows/SDL_asyncio_windows_ioring.c
@@ -511,12 +511,12 @@ static void MaybeInitializeWinIoRing(void)
 {
     if (SDL_ShouldInit(&ioring_init)) {
         if (LoadWinIoRing()) {
-            SDL_LogBackend("asyncio", "ioring");
+            SDL_DebugLogBackend("asyncio", "ioring");
             CreateAsyncIOQueue = SDL_SYS_CreateAsyncIOQueue_ioring;
             QuitAsyncIO = SDL_SYS_QuitAsyncIO_ioring;
             AsyncIOFromFile = SDL_SYS_AsyncIOFromFile_ioring;
         } else {  // can't use ioring? Use the "generic" threadpool implementation instead.
-            SDL_LogBackend("asyncio", "generic");
+            SDL_DebugLogBackend("asyncio", "generic");
             CreateAsyncIOQueue = SDL_SYS_CreateAsyncIOQueue_Generic;
             QuitAsyncIO = SDL_SYS_QuitAsyncIO_Generic;
             AsyncIOFromFile = SDL_SYS_AsyncIOFromFile_Generic;
diff --git a/src/render/SDL_render.c b/src/render/SDL_render.c
index a3351ce1fc..e139d3754b 100644
--- a/src/render/SDL_render.c
+++ b/src/render/SDL_render.c
@@ -1064,7 +1064,7 @@ SDL_Renderer *SDL_CreateRendererWithProperties(SDL_PropertiesID props)
         }
 
         if (rc) {
-            SDL_LogBackend("render", renderer->name);
+            SDL_DebugLogBackend("render", renderer->name);
         } else {
             if (driver_name) {
                 SDL_SetError("%s not available", driver_name);
diff --git a/src/storage/SDL_storage.c b/src/storage/SDL_storage.c
index dd3343b0e2..643a2be1c1 100644
--- a/src/storage/SDL_storage.c
+++ b/src/storage/SDL_storage.c
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ SDL_Storage *SDL_OpenTitleStorage(const char *override, SDL_PropertiesID props)
         }
     }
     if (storage) {
-        SDL_LogBackend("title_storage", titlebootstrap[i]->name);
+        SDL_DebugLogBackend("title_storage", titlebootstrap[i]->name);
     } else {
         if (driver_name) {
             SDL_SetError("%s not available", driver_name);
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ SDL_Storage *SDL_OpenUserStorage(const char *org, const char *app, SDL_Propertie
         }
     }
     if (storage) {
-        SDL_LogBackend("user_storage", userbootstrap[i]->name);
+        SDL_DebugLogBackend("user_storage", userbootstrap[i]->name);
     } else {
         if (driver_name) {
             SDL_SetError("%s not available", driver_name);
diff --git a/src/video/SDL_video.c b/src/video/SDL_video.c
index 1b29fc42d3..72b6149f44 100644
--- a/src/video/SDL_video.c
+++ b/src/video/SDL_video.c
@@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ bool SDL_VideoInit(const char *driver_name)
         }
     }
     if (video) {
-        SDL_LogBackend("video", bootstrap[i]->name);
+        SDL_DebugLogBackend("video", bootstrap[i]->name);
     } else {
         if (driver_name) {
             SDL_SetError("%s not available", driver_name);