diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0d0a53ea00..1e970b1e24 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1786,8 +1786,8 @@ The following extractors use this feature:
 
 ##### PO Token settings
 * `po_token`:  Proof of Origin (PO) Token(s) to use. Comma seperated list of PO Tokens in the format `CLIENT.CONTEXT+PO_TOKEN`, e.g. `youtube:po_token=web.gvs+XXX,web.player=XXX,web_safari.gvs+YYY`. Context can be either `gvs` (Google Video Server URLs) or `player` (Innertube player request)
-* `pot_log_level`: PO Token provider log level. One of `TRACE`, `DEBUG`, `INFO`, `WARNING`, `ERROR`. Default is `DEBUG` if `-v` is used, otherwise `INFO`
-* `fetch_pot`: Policy to use for fetching a PO Token from providers. `always` to always try fetch a PO Token regardless if the client requires one for the given context. `when_required` to only fetch a PO Token if the client requires one for the given context (default)
+* `pot_trace`: Enable debug logging for PO Token fetching. Either `true` or `false` (default)
+* `fetch_pot`: Policy to use for fetching a PO Token from providers. `always` to always try fetch a PO Token regardless if the client requires one for the given context, `auto` to only fetch a PO Token if the client requires one for the given context (default)
 
 ###### youtubepot-webpo
 * `bind_to_visitor_id`: Whether to use the Visitor ID instead of Visitor Data for caching WebPO tokens. Either `true` or `false` (default `true`)
diff --git a/yt_dlp/extractor/youtube/_video.py b/yt_dlp/extractor/youtube/_video.py
index 902de14825..3c88c88595 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/extractor/youtube/_video.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/extractor/youtube/_video.py
@@ -2903,7 +2903,7 @@ class YoutubeIE(YoutubeBaseInfoExtractor):
         # Avoid fetching PO Tokens when not required
         if not (
             _PoTokenContext(context) in self._get_default_ytcfg(client)['PO_TOKEN_REQUIRED_CONTEXTS']
-            or self._configuration_arg('fetch_pot', ['when_required'], ie_key=YoutubeIE)[0] == 'always'
+            or self._configuration_arg('fetch_pot', ['auto'], ie_key=YoutubeIE)[0] == 'always'
         ):
             return None
 
diff --git a/yt_dlp/extractor/youtube/pot/_director.py b/yt_dlp/extractor/youtube/pot/_director.py
index 7ba88adb6a..0234d95070 100644
--- a/yt_dlp/extractor/youtube/pot/_director.py
+++ b/yt_dlp/extractor/youtube/pot/_director.py
@@ -44,10 +44,10 @@ if typing.TYPE_CHECKING:
 
 
 class YoutubeIEContentProviderLogger(IEContentProviderLogger):
-    def __init__(self, ie, prefix, log_level=IEContentProviderLogger.LogLevel.INFO):
+    def __init__(self, ie, prefix, log_level: IEContentProviderLogger.LogLevel | None = None):
         self.__ie = ie
         self.prefix = prefix
-        self.log_level = log_level
+        self.log_level = log_level if log_level is not None else self.LogLevel.INFO
 
     def _format_msg(self, message: str):
         prefixstr = format_field(self.prefix, None, '[%s] ')
@@ -325,21 +325,30 @@ def initialize_pot_director(ie):
     if not ie._downloader:
         raise ExtractorError('Downloader not set', expected=False)
 
-    log_level = min(
-        IEContentProviderLogger.LogLevel(ie._configuration_arg('pot_log_level', ['INFO'], ie_key='youtube', casesense=False)[0].upper()),
-        IEContentProviderLogger.LogLevel.DEBUG if ie._downloader.params.get('verbose', False) else IEContentProviderLogger.LogLevel.INFO,
-    )
+    enable_trace = ie._configuration_arg(
+        'pot_trace', ['false'], ie_key='youtube', casesense=False)[0] == 'true'
+
+    if enable_trace:
+        log_level = IEContentProviderLogger.LogLevel.TRACE
+    elif ie._downloader.params.get('verbose', False):
+        log_level = IEContentProviderLogger.LogLevel.DEBUG
+    else:
+        log_level = IEContentProviderLogger.LogLevel.INFO
 
     cache_providers = []
     for cache_provider in _pot_cache_providers.value.values():
-        settings = traverse_obj(ie._downloader.params, ('extractor_args', f'{EXTRACTOR_ARG_PREFIX}-{cache_provider.PROVIDER_KEY.lower()}'))
-        cache_provider_logger = YoutubeIEContentProviderLogger(ie, f'pot:cache:{cache_provider.PROVIDER_NAME}', log_level=log_level)
+        settings = traverse_obj(
+            ie._downloader.params, ('extractor_args', f'{EXTRACTOR_ARG_PREFIX}-{cache_provider.PROVIDER_KEY.lower()}'))
+        cache_provider_logger = YoutubeIEContentProviderLogger(
+            ie, f'pot:cache:{cache_provider.PROVIDER_NAME}', log_level=log_level)
         cache_providers.append(cache_provider(ie, cache_provider_logger, settings or {}))
 
     cache_spec_providers = []
     for cache_spec_provider in _pot_pcs_providers.value.values():
-        settings = traverse_obj(ie._downloader.params, ('extractor_args', f'{EXTRACTOR_ARG_PREFIX}-{cache_spec_provider.PROVIDER_KEY.lower()}'))
-        cache_spec_provider_logger = YoutubeIEContentProviderLogger(ie, f'pot:cache:spec:{cache_spec_provider.PROVIDER_NAME}', log_level=log_level)
+        settings = traverse_obj(
+            ie._downloader.params, ('extractor_args', f'{EXTRACTOR_ARG_PREFIX}-{cache_spec_provider.PROVIDER_KEY.lower()}'))
+        cache_spec_provider_logger = YoutubeIEContentProviderLogger(
+            ie, f'pot:cache:spec:{cache_spec_provider.PROVIDER_NAME}', log_level=log_level)
         cache_spec_providers.append(cache_spec_provider(ie, cache_spec_provider_logger, settings or {}))
 
     cache = PoTokenCache(
@@ -421,7 +430,6 @@ def validate_response(response: PoTokenResponse):
 
 
 def validate_cache_spec(spec: PoTokenCacheSpec):
-
     return (
         isinstance(spec, PoTokenCacheSpec)
         and isinstance(spec.write_policy, CacheProviderWritePolicy)