diff --git a/src/libs/logging/CMakeLists.txt b/src/libs/logging/CMakeLists.txt
index 0d93cd9d1..a7af395a3 100644
--- a/src/libs/logging/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/libs/logging/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,12 @@
 # Project developers. See top-level LICENSE AND COPYRIGHT files for dates and
 # other details. No copyright assignment is required to contribute to Ascent.
 
+# gen config header
+configure_file ("${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ascent_logging_config.h.in"
+                "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/ascent_logging_config.h")
+
 set(ascent_logging_headers
+    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/ascent_logging_config.h
     ascent_logging.hpp
     ascent_logging_timer.hpp
     ascent_annotations.hpp
@@ -27,10 +32,11 @@ blt_add_library(NAME ascent_logging
                 HEADERS ${aascent_logging_headers}
                 DEPENDS_ON ${ascent_logging_deps})
 
+# for generated config header
+target_include_directories(ascent_logging PUBLIC $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}>)
 target_include_directories(ascent_logging PUBLIC $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/libs/logging>)
 
 # extra defs and props
-target_compile_definitions(ascent_logging PUBLIC  ASCENT_LOGGING_ENABLE_CALIPER)
 target_compile_definitions(ascent_logging PRIVATE ASCENT_EXPORTS_FLAG)
 
 if(ENABLE_HIDDEN_VISIBILITY)
diff --git a/src/libs/logging/ascent_annotations.hpp b/src/libs/logging/ascent_annotations.hpp
index 69dcd4743..cac2aa886 100644
--- a/src/libs/logging/ascent_annotations.hpp
+++ b/src/libs/logging/ascent_annotations.hpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 // -- ascent includes --
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #include <ascent_logging_exports.h>
+#include <ascent_logging_config.h>
 #include <conduit.hpp>
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/libs/logging/ascent_logging.hpp b/src/libs/logging/ascent_logging.hpp
index b3f61f3de..f4a4c1de8 100644
--- a/src/libs/logging/ascent_logging.hpp
+++ b/src/libs/logging/ascent_logging.hpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #define ASCENT_LOGGING_HPP
 
 #include <ascent_logging_exports.h>
+#include <ascent_logging_config.h>
 #include <ascent_annotations.hpp>
 #include <ascent_logging_timer.hpp>
 
diff --git a/src/libs/logging/ascent_logging_config.h.in b/src/libs/logging/ascent_logging_config.h.in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b62710f74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libs/logging/ascent_logging_config.h.in
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~//
+// Copyright (c) Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC and other Ascent
+// Project developers. See top-level LICENSE AND COPYRIGHT files for dates and
+// other details. No copyright assignment is required to contribute to Ascent.
+//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~//
+
+
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+///
+/// file: ascent_logging_config.h
+///
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#ifndef ASCENT_LOGGING_CONFIG_H
+#define ASCENT_LOGGING_CONFIG_H
+
+#cmakedefine ASCENT_LOGGING_CALIPER_ENABLED   "@CALIPER_FOUND@"
+
+#endif