diff --git a/src/ssb.c b/src/ssb.c
index d53cb754..367800dc 100644
--- a/src/ssb.c
+++ b/src/ssb.c
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ typedef struct _tf_ssb_t
 	uint8_t priv[crypto_sign_SECRETKEYBYTES];
 
 	bool verbose;
+	bool store_debug_messages;
 
 	int messages_stored;
 	int blobs_stored;
@@ -349,6 +350,11 @@ static void _tf_ssb_start_update_settings(tf_ssb_t* ssb, int delay_ms);
 
 static void _tf_ssb_add_debug_close(tf_ssb_t* ssb, tf_ssb_connection_t* connection, const char* reason)
 {
+	if (!ssb->store_debug_messages)
+	{
+		return;
+	}
+
 	for (int i = 0; i < k_debug_close_message_count; i++)
 	{
 		tf_free(ssb->debug_close[k_debug_close_connection_count - 1].messages[i]);
@@ -374,6 +380,11 @@ static void _tf_ssb_add_debug_close(tf_ssb_t* ssb, tf_ssb_connection_t* connecti
 
 static void _tf_ssb_connection_add_debug_message(tf_ssb_connection_t* connection, bool outgoing, int flags, int32_t request_number, const uint8_t* data, size_t size)
 {
+	if (!connection->ssb->store_debug_messages)
+	{
+		return;
+	}
+
 	if (connection->debug_messages[k_debug_close_message_count - 1])
 	{
 		tf_free(connection->debug_messages[k_debug_close_message_count - 1]);
@@ -2134,6 +2145,13 @@ tf_ssb_t* tf_ssb_create(uv_loop_t* loop, JSContext* context, const char* db_path
 {
 	tf_ssb_t* ssb = tf_malloc(sizeof(tf_ssb_t));
 	memset(ssb, 0, sizeof(*ssb));
+
+	char buffer[8] = { 0 };
+	size_t buffer_size = sizeof(buffer);
+	ssb->store_debug_messages = uv_os_getenv("TF_DEBUG_CLOSE", buffer, &buffer_size) == 0 && strcmp(buffer, "1") == 0;
+	buffer_size = sizeof(buffer);
+	ssb->verbose = uv_os_getenv("TF_SSB_VERBOSE", buffer, &buffer_size) == 0 && strcmp(buffer, "1") == 0;
+
 	if (context)
 	{
 		ssb->context = context;