diff --git a/extensions/openpower-pels/pel.cpp b/extensions/openpower-pels/pel.cpp
index 2e675cb..f94a1fc 100644
--- a/extensions/openpower-pels/pel.cpp
+++ b/extensions/openpower-pels/pel.cpp
@@ -48,11 +48,18 @@
          const AdditionalData& additionalData, const PelFFDC& ffdcFiles,
          const DataInterfaceBase& dataIface)
 {
+    std::map<std::string, std::vector<std::string>> debugData;
+
     _ph = std::make_unique<PrivateHeader>(regEntry.componentID, obmcLogID,
                                           timestamp);
     _uh = std::make_unique<UserHeader>(regEntry, severity, dataIface);
 
     auto src = std::make_unique<SRC>(regEntry, additionalData, dataIface);
+    if (!src->getDebugData().empty())
+    {
+        // Something didn't go as planned
+        debugData.emplace("SRC", src->getDebugData());
+    }
 
     auto euh = std::make_unique<ExtendedUserHeader>(dataIface, regEntry, *src);
 
@@ -63,31 +70,13 @@
     _optionalSections.push_back(std::move(mtms));
 
     auto ud = util::makeSysInfoUserDataSection(additionalData, dataIface);
-    _optionalSections.push_back(std::move(ud));
+    addUserDataSection(std::move(ud));
 
     // Create a UserData section from AdditionalData.
     if (!additionalData.empty())
     {
         ud = util::makeADUserDataSection(additionalData);
-
-        // Shrink the section if necessary.
-        if (size() + ud->header().size > _maxPELSize)
-        {
-            if (ud->shrink(_maxPELSize - size()))
-            {
-                _optionalSections.push_back(std::move(ud));
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                log<level::WARNING>(
-                    "Dropping AdditionalData UserData section",
-                    entry("SECTION_SIZE=%d\n", ud->header().size));
-            }
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            _optionalSections.push_back(std::move(ud));
-        }
+        addUserDataSection(std::move(ud));
     }
 
     // Add any FFDC files into UserData sections
@@ -96,31 +85,46 @@
         ud = util::makeFFDCuserDataSection(regEntry.componentID, file);
         if (!ud)
         {
-            log<level::WARNING>(
-                "Could not make PEL FFDC UserData section from file",
-                entry("COMPONENT_ID=0x%02X", regEntry.componentID),
-                entry("SUBTYPE=0x%X", file.subType),
-                entry("VERSION=0x%X", file.version));
+            // Add this error into the debug data UserData section
+            std::ostringstream msg;
+            msg << "Could not make PEL FFDC UserData section from file"
+                << std::hex << regEntry.componentID << " " << file.subType
+                << " " << file.version;
+            if (debugData.count("FFDC File"))
+            {
+                debugData.at("FFDC File").push_back(msg.str());
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                debugData.emplace("FFDC File",
+                                  std::vector<std::string>{msg.str()});
+            }
+
             continue;
         }
 
-        // Shrink it if necessary
-        if (size() + ud->header().size > _maxPELSize)
-        {
-            if (!ud->shrink(_maxPELSize - size()))
-            {
-                log<level::WARNING>(
-                    "Could not shrink FFDC UserData section",
-                    entry("COMPONENT_ID=0x%02X", regEntry.componentID),
-                    entry("SUBTYPE=0x%X", file.subType),
-                    entry("VERSION=0x%X", file.version));
+        addUserDataSection(std::move(ud));
+    }
 
-                // Give up adding FFDC
-                break;
+    // Store in the PEL any important debug data created while
+    // building the PEL sections.
+    if (!debugData.empty())
+    {
+        nlohmann::json data;
+        data["PEL Internal Debug Data"] = debugData;
+        ud = util::makeJSONUserDataSection(data);
+
+        addUserDataSection(std::move(ud));
+
+        // Also put in the journal for debug
+        for (const auto& [name, data] : debugData)
+        {
+            for (const auto& message : data)
+            {
+                std::string entry = name + ": " + message;
+                log<level::INFO>(entry.c_str());
             }
         }
-
-        _optionalSections.push_back(std::move(ud));
     }
 
     _ph->setSectionCount(2 + _optionalSections.size());
@@ -370,6 +374,32 @@
     std::cout << buf << std::endl;
 }
 
+bool PEL::addUserDataSection(std::unique_ptr<UserData> userData)
+{
+    if (size() + userData->header().size > _maxPELSize)
+    {
+        if (userData->shrink(_maxPELSize - size()))
+        {
+            _optionalSections.push_back(std::move(userData));
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            log<level::WARNING>(
+                "Could not shrink UserData section. Dropping",
+                entry("SECTION_SIZE=%d\n", userData->header().size),
+                entry("COMPONENT_ID=0x%02X", userData->header().componentID),
+                entry("SUBTYPE=0x%X", userData->header().subType),
+                entry("VERSION=0x%X", userData->header().version));
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        _optionalSections.push_back(std::move(userData));
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+
 namespace util
 {
 
diff --git a/extensions/openpower-pels/pel.hpp b/extensions/openpower-pels/pel.hpp
index abcb673..ac1bddc 100644
--- a/extensions/openpower-pels/pel.hpp
+++ b/extensions/openpower-pels/pel.hpp
@@ -317,6 +317,28 @@
     std::map<uint16_t, size_t> getPluralSections() const;
 
     /**
+     * @brief Adds the UserData section to this PEL object,
+     *        shrinking it if necessary
+     *
+     * @param[in] userData - The section to add
+     *
+     * @return bool - If the section was added or not.
+     */
+    bool addUserDataSection(std::unique_ptr<UserData> userData);
+
+    /**
+     * @brief helper function for printing PELs.
+     * @param[in] Section& - section object reference
+     * @param[in] std::string - PEL string
+     * @param[in|out] pluralSections - Map used to track sections counts for
+     *                                 when there is more than 1.
+     * @param[in] registry - Registry object reference
+     */
+    void printSectionInJSON(const Section& section, std::string& buf,
+                            std::map<uint16_t, size_t>& pluralSections,
+                            message::Registry& registry) const;
+
+    /**
      * @brief The PEL Private Header section
      */
     std::unique_ptr<PrivateHeader> _ph;
@@ -332,18 +354,6 @@
     std::vector<std::unique_ptr<Section>> _optionalSections;
 
     /**
-     * @brief helper function for printing PELs.
-     * @param[in] Section& - section object reference
-     * @param[in] std::string - PEL string
-     * @param[in|out] pluralSections - Map used to track sections counts for
-     *                                 when there is more than 1.
-     * @param[in] registry - Registry object reference
-     */
-    void printSectionInJSON(const Section& section, std::string& buf,
-                            std::map<uint16_t, size_t>& pluralSections,
-                            message::Registry& registry) const;
-
-    /**
      * @brief The maximum size a PEL can be in bytes.
      */
     static constexpr size_t _maxPELSize = 16384;
@@ -353,6 +363,15 @@
 {
 
 /**
+ * @brief Creates a UserData section object that contains JSON.
+ *
+ * @param[in] json - The JSON contents
+ *
+ * @return std::unique_ptr<UserData> - The UserData object
+ */
+std::unique_ptr<UserData> makeJSONUserDataSection(const nlohmann::json& json);
+
+/**
  * @brief Create a UserData section containing the AdditionalData
  *        contents as a JSON string.
  *
diff --git a/extensions/openpower-pels/section.hpp b/extensions/openpower-pels/section.hpp
index 183268c..bf08aa5 100644
--- a/extensions/openpower-pels/section.hpp
+++ b/extensions/openpower-pels/section.hpp
@@ -90,6 +90,16 @@
         return false;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @brief Returns any debug data stored in the object
+     *
+     * @return std::vector<std::string>& - The debug data
+     */
+    const std::vector<std::string>& getDebugData() const
+    {
+        return _debugData;
+    }
+
   protected:
     /**
      * @brief Returns the flattened size of the section header
@@ -100,6 +110,17 @@
     }
 
     /**
+     * @brief Adds debug data to the object that may be displayed
+     *        in a UserData section in the PEL.
+     *
+     * @param[in] data - The new entry to add to the vector of data.
+     */
+    void addDebugData(const std::string& data)
+    {
+        _debugData.push_back(data);
+    }
+
+    /**
      * @brief Used to validate the section.
      *
      * Implemented by derived classes.
@@ -119,6 +140,14 @@
      * This is determined by the derived class.
      */
     bool _valid = false;
+
+    /**
+     * @brief Messages that derived classes can add during construction
+     *        of a PEL when something happens that would be useful to
+     *        store in the PEL.  This may get added into a UserData section
+     *        in the PEL.
+     */
+    std::vector<std::string> _debugData;
 };
 } // namespace pels
 } // namespace openpower
diff --git a/extensions/openpower-pels/src.cpp b/extensions/openpower-pels/src.cpp
index 13a3ae5..d2e58d5 100644
--- a/extensions/openpower-pels/src.cpp
+++ b/extensions/openpower-pels/src.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 namespace pv = openpower::pels::pel_values;
 namespace rg = openpower::pels::message;
 using namespace phosphor::logging;
+using namespace std::string_literals;
 
 constexpr size_t ccinSize = 4;
 
@@ -144,9 +145,9 @@
         // Can only set words 6 - 9
         if (!isUserDefinedWord(wordNum))
         {
-            log<level::WARNING>("SRC user data word out of range",
-                                entry("WORD_NUM=%d", wordNum),
-                                entry("ERROR_NAME=%s", regEntry.name.c_str()));
+            std::string msg =
+                "SRC user data word out of range: " + std::to_string(wordNum);
+            addDebugData(msg);
             continue;
         }
 
@@ -158,9 +159,9 @@
         }
         else
         {
-            log<level::WARNING>("Source for user data SRC word not found",
-                                entry("ADDITIONALDATA_KEY=%s", adName.c_str()),
-                                entry("ERROR_NAME=%s", regEntry.name.c_str()));
+            std::string msg =
+                "Source for user data SRC word not found: " + adName;
+            addDebugData(msg);
         }
     }
 }
@@ -542,8 +543,9 @@
         }
         catch (const SdBusError& e)
         {
-            std::string msg = "No VPD found for " + inventoryPath;
-            log<level::WARNING>(msg.c_str(), entry("ERROR=%s", e.what()));
+            std::string msg =
+                "No VPD found for " + inventoryPath + ": " + e.what();
+            addDebugData(msg);
 
             // Just create the callout with empty FRU fields
             callout = std::make_unique<src::Callout>(CalloutPriority::high,
@@ -552,8 +554,9 @@
     }
     catch (const SdBusError& e)
     {
-        std::string msg = "Could not get location code for " + inventoryPath;
-        log<level::WARNING>(msg.c_str(), entry("ERROR=%s", e.what()));
+        std::string msg = "Could not get location code for " + inventoryPath +
+                          ": " + e.what();
+        addDebugData(msg);
 
         // If this were to happen, people would have to look in the UserData
         // section that contains CALLOUT_INVENTORY_PATH to see what failed.
@@ -583,8 +586,9 @@
     }
     catch (std::exception& e)
     {
-        log<level::ERR>("Error parsing PEL message registry callout JSON",
-                        entry("ERROR=%s", e.what()));
+        std::string msg =
+            "Error parsing PEL message registry callout JSON: "s + e.what();
+        addDebugData(msg);
     }
 }