diff --git a/packages/core/core/src/events.ts b/packages/core/core/src/events.ts
index 5d0408b14..2efabc7f5 100644
--- a/packages/core/core/src/events.ts
+++ b/packages/core/core/src/events.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ function warnIfLegacy(eventName: string) {
 }
 
 function getOrigin(override) {
-  if (!override && !(debugEventsEnabled())) return "";
   let origin = ((new Error().stack).split("at ")[3]).trim();
   origin = origin.split("(")[0].trim();
   return origin;
@@ -30,6 +29,7 @@ function log(eventType, eventName, origin?: string) {
   if (eventName.indexOf("log") >= 0) {
     return;
   }
+
   // fs.appendFileSync(".embark/events.log", (new Error().stack) + "\n");
   if (!origin && origin !== "") {
     const stack = new Error().stack;
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ EmbarkEmitter.prototype.once = function(requestName, cb) {
 };
 
 EmbarkEmitter.prototype.setHandler = function(requestName, cb) {
-  log("SET HANDLER", requestName);
+  // log("SET HANDLER", requestName);
   warnIfLegacy(requestName);
   return _setHandler.call(this, requestName, cb);
 };
@@ -113,13 +113,13 @@ EmbarkEmitter.prototype.request2 = function() {
 
   let requestId = this.debugLog.log({parent_id: this.logId, type: "request", name: requestName, inputs: other_args});
 
-  log("\nREQUEST", requestName);
+  // log("\nREQUEST", requestName);
   warnIfLegacy(requestName);
   if (this._events && !this._events['request:' + requestName]) {
-    this.debugLog.log({id: requestId, error: "no request listener for " + requestName})
-    log("NO REQUEST LISTENER", requestName);
 
-    if (debugEventsEnabled()) {
+    if (this.debugLog.isEnabled()) {
+      this.debugLog.log({ id: requestId, error: "no request listener for " + requestName, source: this.getOrigin()})
+      // KEPT for now until api refactor separating requests from commands
       console.log("made request without listener: " + requestName);
       console.trace();
     }
@@ -145,16 +145,18 @@ EmbarkEmitter.prototype.request2 = function() {
     this._emit('request:' + requestName, ...other_args);
   });
 
-  const ogStack = (new Error().stack);
+  let ogStack;
+  if (this.debugLog.isEnabled()) {
+    ogStack = (new Error().stack);
+  }
 
   promise.catch((e) => {
-    if (debugEventsEnabled()) {
+    if (this.debugLog.isEnabled()) {
       console.dir(requestName);
       console.dir(ogStack);
     }
 
-    this.debugLog.log({id: requestId, error: "promise exception", stack: ogStack})
-    log("\n======== Exception ========", requestName, "\n " + ogStack + "\n==============");
+    this.debugLog.log({id: requestId, error: "promise exception", outputs: ogStack, source: ogStack})
     return e;
   });
 
@@ -165,14 +167,18 @@ EmbarkEmitter.prototype.request = function() {
   const requestName = arguments[0];
   const other_args = [].slice.call(arguments, 1);
 
-  let requestId = this.debugLog.log({parent_id: this.logId, type: "old_request", name: requestName, inputs: other_args})
+  let origin;
+  if (this.debugLog.isEnabled) {
+    origin = this.getOrigin();
+  }
 
-  log("\nREQUEST(OLD)", requestName);
+  let requestId = this.debugLog.log({parent_id: this.logId, type: "old_request", name: requestName, inputs: other_args, source: origin})
+
+  // log("\nREQUEST(OLD)", requestName);
   warnIfLegacy(requestName);
   if (this._events && !this._events['request:' + requestName]) {
-    this.debugLog.log({id: requestId, error: "no request listener for " + requestName})
-    log("NO REQUEST LISTENER", requestName);
-    if (debugEventsEnabled()) {
+    if (this.debugLog.isEnabled()) {
+      this.debugLog.log({id: requestId, error: "no request listener for " + requestName})
       console.log("made request without listener: " + requestName);
       console.trace();
     }
@@ -197,17 +203,20 @@ EmbarkEmitter.prototype.request = function() {
 
 // TODO: ensure that it's only possible to create 1 command handler
 EmbarkEmitter.prototype.setCommandHandler = function(requestName, cb) {
-  log("SET COMMAND HANDLER", requestName);
+  // log("SET COMMAND HANDLER", requestName);
 
   let requestId = this.debugLog.log({parent_id: this.logId, type: "setCommandHandler", name: requestName})
 
   // let origin = ((new Error().stack).split("at ")[3]).trim();
   // origin = origin.split("(")[0].trim();
-  const origin = getOrigin();
+  let origin;
+  if (this.debugLog.isEnabled()) {
+    origin = this.getOrigin();
+  }
 
   const listener = function(_cb) {
     this.debugLog.log({id: requestId, output: origin, source: origin});
-    log("== REQUEST RESPONSE", requestName, origin);
+    // log("== REQUEST RESPONSE", requestName, origin);
     cb.call(this, ...arguments);
   };
   const listenerName = 'request:' + requestName;
@@ -237,7 +246,7 @@ EmbarkEmitter.prototype.setCommandHandler = function(requestName, cb) {
 
 // TODO: deprecated/remove this
 EmbarkEmitter.prototype.setCommandHandlerOnce = function(requestName, cb) {
-  log("SET COMMAND HANDLER ONCE", requestName);
+  // log("SET COMMAND HANDLER ONCE", requestName);
 
   const listenerName = 'request:' + requestName;
 
diff --git a/packages/core/structlog/src/index.js b/packages/core/structlog/src/index.js
index 3849b67a4..092de1c52 100644
--- a/packages/core/structlog/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/core/structlog/src/index.js
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ class SuperLog {
     this.logfile = "./structlog-" + (processIdentifier || "log") + ".json";
   }
 
+  // TODO: make this a flag depending on ENV var or constructor
+  isEnabled() {
+    return true;
+  }
+
   addRecord(data) {
     // DB[data.id] = data
     fs.appendFileSync(this.logfile, "\n" + stringify(data, jsonFunctionReplacer, 0));
@@ -107,5 +112,3 @@ class SuperLog {
 }
 
 module.exports = SuperLog;
-
-
diff --git a/packages/embark/src/lib/core/plugins.js b/packages/embark/src/lib/core/plugins.js
index 58d48cfb0..a38e7ad49 100644
--- a/packages/embark/src/lib/core/plugins.js
+++ b/packages/embark/src/lib/core/plugins.js
@@ -227,14 +227,16 @@ Plugins.prototype.runActionsForEvent = function(eventName, args, cb, logId) {
     return cb(null, args);
   }
 
-  this.debugLog.log({parent_id: logId, type: "trigger_action", name: eventName, source: this.events.getOrigin(true), givenLogId: logId, plugins: actionPlugins, inputs: args});
+  let origin;
+  if (this.debugLog.isEnabled()) {
+    origin = this.events.getOrigin();
+  }
 
-  this.events.log("ACTION", eventName, "");
+  this.debugLog.log({parent_id: logId, type: "trigger_action", name: eventName, source: origin, givenLogId: logId, plugins: actionPlugins, inputs: args});
 
   async.reduce(actionPlugins, args, function (current_args, pluginObj, nextEach) {
     const [plugin, pluginName] = pluginObj;
 
-    self.events.log("== ACTION FOR " + eventName, plugin.name, pluginName);
     let actionLogId = self.debugLog.log({module: pluginName, type: "action_run", name: (eventName + plugin.name), source: pluginName, inputs: current_args});
 
     if (typeof (args) === 'function') {