diff --git a/docs/changes/newsfragments/7186.improved b/docs/changes/newsfragments/7186.improved
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5512d655b3ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changes/newsfragments/7186.improved
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+`InstrumentLoggerAdapter` now merges the extra dict from the log record with information
+inserted by the LoggerAdapter. This makes it possible to add additional information to a
+log message logged via the instruments log attribute e.g. `myinst.visa_log.info("message", extra={"this": "that"})`
diff --git a/src/qcodes/logger/instrument_logger.py b/src/qcodes/logger/instrument_logger.py
index 8c1fa1f8bda9..7e58a064136d 100644
--- a/src/qcodes/logger/instrument_logger.py
+++ b/src/qcodes/logger/instrument_logger.py
@@ -9,13 +9,14 @@
 
 import collections.abc
 import logging
+import sys
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
 
 from .logger import LevelType, get_console_handler, handler_level
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from collections.abc import Iterator, MutableMapping, Sequence
+    from collections.abc import Iterator, Mapping, MutableMapping, Sequence
 
     from qcodes.instrument import InstrumentBase
 
@@ -37,20 +38,61 @@ class InstrumentLoggerAdapter(logging.LoggerAdapter):
 
     """
 
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        logger: logging.Logger,
+        extra: Mapping[str, object] | None = None,
+        merge_extra: bool = True,
+    ):
+        """
+        Initializes the InstrumentLoggerAdapter.
+
+        Args:
+            logger: The logger to which the records will be passed.
+            extra: Extra context data to be added to the log records.
+            merge_extra: If True, the extra data will be merged with the
+                existing extra data in the log record. Otherwise the extra
+                data will replace the existing extra data in the log record.
+
+        """
+        # forward the merge_extra bool to the parent class if 3.13
+        # otherwise assign it manually
+        if sys.version_info >= (3, 13):
+            super().__init__(
+                logger,
+                extra,
+                merge_extra=merge_extra,
+            )
+        else:
+            super().__init__(
+                logger,
+                extra,
+            )
+            self.merge_extra = merge_extra
+
     def process(
         self, msg: str, kwargs: MutableMapping[str, Any]
     ) -> tuple[str, MutableMapping[str, Any]]:
         """
         Returns the message and the kwargs for the handlers.
         """
-        assert self.extra is not None
-        extra = dict(self.extra)
-        inst = extra.pop("instrument")
+        if self.extra is None:
+            extra = {}
+        else:
+            extra = dict(self.extra)
+        inst = extra.pop("instrument", None)
 
         full_name = getattr(inst, "full_name", None)
         instr_type = str(type(inst).__name__)
 
-        kwargs["extra"] = extra
+        # merge_extra is a bool attribute in 3.13 and later
+        # but not included in the typestub see
+        # https://github.com/python/typeshed/pull/14197
+        # this makes it a type checking error in 3.13 but not in earlier versions
+        if self.merge_extra and "extra" in kwargs:  # type: ignore[attr-defined,unused-ignore]
+            kwargs["extra"] = {**extra, **kwargs["extra"]}
+        else:
+            kwargs["extra"] = extra
         kwargs["extra"]["instrument_name"] = str(full_name)
         kwargs["extra"]["instrument_type"] = instr_type
         return f"[{full_name}({instr_type})] {msg}", kwargs
diff --git a/tests/test_logger.py b/tests/test_logger.py
index a28e0360df79..35cf8a933958 100644
--- a/tests/test_logger.py
+++ b/tests/test_logger.py
@@ -301,6 +301,26 @@ def test_instrument_connect_message(caplog: LogCaptureFixture) -> None:
     assert any(rec.msg == expected_con_mssg for rec in setup_records)
 
 
+def test_instrument_logger_extra_info(awg5208, caplog: LogCaptureFixture) -> None:
+    """
+    Test that the connect_message method logs as expected
+
+    This test kind of belongs both here and in the tests for the instrument
+    code, but it is more conveniently written here
+    """
+    extra_key = "some_extra"
+    extra_val = "extra_value"
+
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.INFO):
+        awg5208.visa_log.info("test message")
+    assert not hasattr(caplog.records[0], extra_key)
+    caplog.clear()
+
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.INFO):
+        awg5208.visa_log.info("test message", extra={extra_key: extra_val})
+    assert getattr(caplog.records[0], extra_key) == "extra_value"
+
+
 def test_installation_info_logging() -> None:
     """
     Test that installation information is logged upon starting the logging