diff --git a/tractor/ipc/_transport.py b/tractor/ipc/_transport.py
index 0a38d14d..dd3be179 100644
--- a/tractor/ipc/_transport.py
+++ b/tractor/ipc/_transport.py
@@ -309,7 +309,10 @@ class MsgpackTransport(MsgTransport):
             log.transport(f'received header {size}')  # type: ignore
             msg_bytes: bytes = await self.recv_stream.receive_exactly(size)
 
-            log.transport(f"received {msg_bytes}")  # type: ignore
+            if log.at_least_level('transport'):
+                log.transport(  # type: ignore
+                    f'received {msg_bytes}'
+                )
             try:
                 # NOTE: lookup the `trio.Task.context`'s var for
                 # the current `MsgCodec`.
diff --git a/tractor/runtime/_rpc.py b/tractor/runtime/_rpc.py
index 6c0fb32a..d2c9ea30 100644
--- a/tractor/runtime/_rpc.py
+++ b/tractor/runtime/_rpc.py
@@ -1003,20 +1003,18 @@ async def process_messages(
             task_status.started(loop_cs)
 
             async for msg in chan:
-                log.transport(   # type: ignore
-                    f'IPC msg from peer\n'
-                    f'<= {chan.aid.reprol()}\n\n'
+                if log.at_least_level('transport'):
+                    log.transport(   # type: ignore
+                        f'IPC msg from peer\n'
+                        f'<= {chan.aid.reprol()}\n\n'
 
-                    # TODO: use of the pprinting of structs is
-                    # FRAGILE and should prolly not be
-                    #
-                    # avoid fmting depending on loglevel for perf?
-                    # -[ ] specifically `pretty_struct.pformat()` sub-call..?
-                    #   - how to only log-level-aware actually call this?
-                    # -[ ] use `.msg.pretty_struct` here now instead!
-                    # f'{pretty_struct.pformat(msg)}\n'
-                    f'{msg}\n'
-                )
+                        # TODO: pretty-printing structs is FRAGILE;
+                        # -[ ] add a non-raising log formatter with
+                        #      native-repr fallback before using
+                        #      `.msg.pretty_struct` here.
+                        # f'{pretty_struct.pformat(msg)}\n'
+                        f'{msg}\n'
+                    )
 
                 match msg:
                     # msg for an ongoing IPC ctx session, deliver msg to
@@ -1262,11 +1260,12 @@ async def process_messages(
                         log.exception(message)
                         raise RuntimeError(message)
 
-                log.transport(
-                    'Waiting on next IPC msg from\n'
-                    f'peer: {chan.aid.reprol()}\n'
-                    f'|_{chan}\n'
-                )
+                if log.at_least_level('transport'):
+                    log.transport(
+                        'Waiting on next IPC msg from\n'
+                        f'peer: {chan.aid.reprol()}\n'
+                        f'|_{chan}\n'
+                    )
 
             # END-OF `async for`:
             # IPC disconnected via `trio.EndOfChannel`, likely