diff --git a/src/config.rkt b/src/config.rkt
index bdf4440..4c8fca9 100644
--- a/src/config.rkt
+++ b/src/config.rkt
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
     (canonical_origin . "")
     (debug . "false")
     (instance_is_official . "false") ; please don't turn this on, or you will make me very upset
+    (log_outgoing . "true")
     (port . "10416")
     (strict_proxy . "true")))
 
diff --git a/src/data.rkt b/src/data.rkt
index f7a0d1f..8eb0cd6 100644
--- a/src/data.rkt
+++ b/src/data.rkt
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
                              ("siprop" . "rightsinfo")
                              ("format" . "json")
                              ("formatversion" . "2")))))
-  (printf "out: ~a~n" dest-url)
+  (log-outgoing dest-url)
   (define res (easy:get dest-url))
   (define data (easy:response-json res))
   (license (jp "/query/rightsinfo/text" data)
diff --git a/src/page-category.rkt b/src/page-category.rkt
index f9eb974..f7c43b2 100644
--- a/src/page-category.rkt
+++ b/src/page-category.rkt
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
                                               ("cmlimit" . "max")
                                               ("formatversion" . "2")
                                               ("format" . "json")))))
-                   (printf "out: ~a~n" dest-url)
+                   (log-outgoing dest-url)
                    (define dest-res (easy:get dest-url #:timeouts timeouts))
                    (easy:response-json dest-res)]
      [page-data (define dest-url
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
                                            ("prop" . "text|headhtml|langlinks")
                                            ("formatversion" . "2")
                                            ("format" . "json")))))
-                (printf "out: ~a~n" dest-url)
+                (log-outgoing dest-url)
                 (define dest-res (easy:get dest-url #:timeouts timeouts))
                 (easy:response-json dest-res)]
      [license (license-auto wikiname)])
diff --git a/src/page-search.rkt b/src/page-search.rkt
index 61b1212..387deab 100644
--- a/src/page-search.rkt
+++ b/src/page-search.rkt
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
                               ("format" . "json")))))
 
    (thread-let
-    ([dest-res (printf "out: ~a~n" dest-url)
+    ([dest-res (log-outgoing dest-url)
                (easy:get dest-url #:timeouts timeouts)]
      [license (license-auto wikiname)])
 
diff --git a/src/page-wiki.rkt b/src/page-wiki.rkt
index 96410d0..461594a 100644
--- a/src/page-wiki.rkt
+++ b/src/page-wiki.rkt
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@
                                          ("prop" . "text|headhtml|langlinks")
                                          ("formatversion" . "2")
                                          ("format" . "json")))))
-              (printf "out: ~a~n" dest-url)
+              (log-outgoing dest-url)
               (easy:get dest-url #:timeouts timeouts)]
     [license (license-auto wikiname)])
 
diff --git a/src/url-utils.rkt b/src/url-utils.rkt
index 934a228..20b9b42 100644
--- a/src/url-utils.rkt
+++ b/src/url-utils.rkt
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #lang typed/racket/base
 (require racket/string
          "pure-utils.rkt")
+(require/typed "config.rkt" [config-true? (Symbol -> Boolean)])
 
 (provide
  ; make a query string from an association list of strings
@@ -8,7 +9,9 @@
  ; make a proxied version of a fandom url
  u-proxy-url
  ; check whether a url is on a domain controlled by fandom
- is-fandom-url?)
+ is-fandom-url?
+  ; prints "out: <url>"
+ log-outgoing)
 
 (module+ test
   (require "typed-rackunit.rkt"))
@@ -69,3 +72,8 @@
    is-fandom-url?
    (λ ([v : String]) (string-append "/proxy?" (params->query `(("dest" . ,url)))))
    url))
+
+(: log-outgoing (String -> Void))
+(define (log-outgoing url-string)
+  (when (config-true? 'log_outgoing)
+    (printf "out: ~a~n" url-string)))