diff --git a/command/container/list.go b/command/container/list.go
index 60c2462986..5104e9b6c0 100644
--- a/command/container/list.go
+++ b/command/container/list.go
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/cli/command"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/cli/command/formatter"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/opts"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/utils/templates"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/templates"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
diff --git a/command/formatter/formatter.go b/command/formatter/formatter.go
index e859a1ca26..4345f7c3bc 100644
--- a/command/formatter/formatter.go
+++ b/command/formatter/formatter.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"text/tabwriter"
 	"text/template"
 
-	"github.com/docker/docker/utils/templates"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/templates"
 )
 
 // Format keys used to specify certain kinds of output formats
diff --git a/command/inspect/inspector.go b/command/inspect/inspector.go
index 1d81643fb1..1e53671f84 100644
--- a/command/inspect/inspector.go
+++ b/command/inspect/inspector.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/cli"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/utils/templates"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/templates"
 )
 
 // Inspector defines an interface to implement to process elements
diff --git a/command/inspect/inspector_test.go b/command/inspect/inspector_test.go
index 1ce1593ab7..9085230ac5 100644
--- a/command/inspect/inspector_test.go
+++ b/command/inspect/inspector_test.go
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
-	"github.com/docker/docker/utils/templates"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/templates"
 )
 
 type testElement struct {
diff --git a/command/system/events.go b/command/system/events.go
index 087523051a..441ef91d33 100644
--- a/command/system/events.go
+++ b/command/system/events.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/cli/command"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/opts"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/jsonlog"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/utils/templates"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/templates"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
diff --git a/command/system/info.go b/command/system/info.go
index 973ee18241..ec1cf47de2 100644
--- a/command/system/info.go
+++ b/command/system/info.go
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/swarm"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/cli"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/cli/command"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/cli/debug"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/ioutils"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/utils"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/utils/templates"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/templates"
 	"github.com/docker/go-units"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ func prettyPrintInfo(dockerCli *command.DockerCli, info types.Info) error {
 	ioutils.FprintfIfNotEmpty(dockerCli.Out(), "Name: %s\n", info.Name)
 	ioutils.FprintfIfNotEmpty(dockerCli.Out(), "ID: %s\n", info.ID)
 	fmt.Fprintf(dockerCli.Out(), "Docker Root Dir: %s\n", info.DockerRootDir)
-	fmt.Fprintf(dockerCli.Out(), "Debug Mode (client): %v\n", utils.IsDebugEnabled())
+	fmt.Fprintf(dockerCli.Out(), "Debug Mode (client): %v\n", debug.IsEnabled())
 	fmt.Fprintf(dockerCli.Out(), "Debug Mode (server): %v\n", info.Debug)
 
 	if info.Debug {
diff --git a/command/system/version.go b/command/system/version.go
index ded4f4d118..569da21886 100644
--- a/command/system/version.go
+++ b/command/system/version.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/cli"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/cli/command"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/dockerversion"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/utils/templates"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/templates"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
diff --git a/debug/debug.go b/debug/debug.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..51dfab2a97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debug/debug.go
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package debug
+
+import (
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
+)
+
+// Enable sets the DEBUG env var to true
+// and makes the logger to log at debug level.
+func Enable() {
+	os.Setenv("DEBUG", "1")
+	logrus.SetLevel(logrus.DebugLevel)
+}
+
+// Disable sets the DEBUG env var to false
+// and makes the logger to log at info level.
+func Disable() {
+	os.Setenv("DEBUG", "")
+	logrus.SetLevel(logrus.InfoLevel)
+}
+
+// IsEnabled checks whether the debug flag is set or not.
+func IsEnabled() bool {
+	return os.Getenv("DEBUG") != ""
+}
diff --git a/debug/debug_test.go b/debug/debug_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ad8412a944
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debug/debug_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+package debug
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
+)
+
+func TestEnable(t *testing.T) {
+	defer func() {
+		os.Setenv("DEBUG", "")
+		logrus.SetLevel(logrus.InfoLevel)
+	}()
+	Enable()
+	if os.Getenv("DEBUG") != "1" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected DEBUG=1, got %s\n", os.Getenv("DEBUG"))
+	}
+	if logrus.GetLevel() != logrus.DebugLevel {
+		t.Fatalf("expected log level %v, got %v\n", logrus.DebugLevel, logrus.GetLevel())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDisable(t *testing.T) {
+	Disable()
+	if os.Getenv("DEBUG") != "" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected DEBUG=\"\", got %s\n", os.Getenv("DEBUG"))
+	}
+	if logrus.GetLevel() != logrus.InfoLevel {
+		t.Fatalf("expected log level %v, got %v\n", logrus.InfoLevel, logrus.GetLevel())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestEnabled(t *testing.T) {
+	Enable()
+	if !IsEnabled() {
+		t.Fatal("expected debug enabled, got false")
+	}
+	Disable()
+	if IsEnabled() {
+		t.Fatal("expected debug disabled, got true")
+	}
+}