diff --git a/engine/common/net_buffer.c b/engine/common/net_buffer.c
index a25a2262..94ec9cd7 100644
--- a/engine/common/net_buffer.c
+++ b/engine/common/net_buffer.c
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@ GNU General Public License for more details.
 #include "protocol.h"
 #include "net_buffer.h"
 #include "xash3d_mathlib.h"
-//#define DEBUG_NET_MESSAGES_SEND
-//#define DEBUG_NET_MESSAGES_READ
 
 // precalculated bit masks for WriteUBitLong.
 // Using these tables instead of doing the calculations
@@ -323,28 +321,30 @@ void MSG_WriteVec3Angles( sizebuf_t *sb, const float *fa )
 
 void MSG_WriteCmdExt( sizebuf_t *sb, int cmd, netsrc_t type, const char *name )
 {
-#ifdef DEBUG_NET_MESSAGES_SEND
-	if( name != NULL )
+	if( unlikely( net_send_debug.value ))
 	{
-		// get custom name
-		Con_Printf( "^1sv^7 write: %s\n", name );
-	}
-	else if( type == NS_SERVER )
-	{
-		if( cmd >= 0 && cmd <= svc_lastmsg )
+		if( name != NULL )
 		{
-			// get engine message name
-			Con_Printf( "^1sv^7 write: %s\n", svc_strings[cmd] );
+			// get custom name
+			Con_Printf( "^1sv^7 (%d) write: %s\n", sb->iCurBit, name );
+		}
+		else if( type == NS_SERVER )
+		{
+			if( cmd >= 0 && cmd <= svc_lastmsg )
+			{
+				// get engine message name
+				Con_Printf( "^1sv^7 (%d) write: %s\n", sb->iCurBit, svc_strings[cmd] );
+			}
+		}
+		else if( type == NS_CLIENT )
+		{
+			if( cmd >= 0 && cmd <= clc_lastmsg )
+			{
+				Con_Printf( "^1cl^7 (%d) write: %s\n", sb->iCurBit, clc_strings[cmd] );
+			}
 		}
 	}
-	else if( type == NS_CLIENT )
-	{
-		if( cmd >= 0 && cmd <= clc_lastmsg )
-		{
-			Con_Printf( "^1cl^7 write: %s\n", clc_strings[cmd] );
-		}
-	}
-#endif
+
 	MSG_WriteUBitLong( sb, cmd, sizeof( uint8_t ) << 3 );
 }
 
@@ -570,16 +570,18 @@ int MSG_ReadCmd( sizebuf_t *sb, netsrc_t type )
 {
 	int	cmd = MSG_ReadUBitLong( sb, sizeof( uint8_t ) << 3 );
 
-#ifdef DEBUG_NET_MESSAGES_READ
-	if( type == NS_SERVER )
+	if( unlikely( net_recv_debug.value ))
 	{
-		Con_Printf( "^1cl^7 read: %s\n", CL_MsgInfo( cmd ));
+		if( type == NS_SERVER )
+		{
+			Con_Printf( "^1cl^7 read: %s\n", CL_MsgInfo( cmd ));
+		}
+		else if( cmd >= 0 && cmd <= clc_lastmsg )
+		{
+			Con_Printf( "^1sv^7 read: %s\n", clc_strings[cmd] );
+		}
 	}
-	else if( cmd >= 0 && cmd <= clc_lastmsg )
-	{
-		Con_Printf( "^1sv^7 read: %s\n", clc_strings[cmd] );
-	}
-#endif
+
 	return cmd;
 }
 
diff --git a/engine/common/net_chan.c b/engine/common/net_chan.c
index 4f098dc2..1dffe2ba 100644
--- a/engine/common/net_chan.c
+++ b/engine/common/net_chan.c
@@ -87,10 +87,12 @@ such as during the connection stage while waiting for the client to load,
 then a packet only needs to be delivered if there is something in the
 unacknowledged reliable
 */
-CVAR_DEFINE_AUTO( net_showpackets, "0", 0, "show network packets" );
+CVAR_DEFINE_AUTO( net_showpackets, "0", FCVAR_PRIVILEGED, "show network packets" );
 static CVAR_DEFINE_AUTO( net_chokeloop, "0", 0, "apply bandwidth choke to loopback packets" );
 static CVAR_DEFINE_AUTO( net_showdrop, "0", 0, "show packets that are dropped" );
 static CVAR_DEFINE_AUTO( net_qport, "0", FCVAR_READ_ONLY, "current quake netport" );
+CVAR_DEFINE_AUTO( net_send_debug, "0", FCVAR_PRIVILEGED, "enable debugging output for outgoing messages" );
+CVAR_DEFINE_AUTO( net_recv_debug, "0", FCVAR_PRIVILEGED, "enable debugging output for incoming messages" );
 
 int	net_drop;
 netadr_t	net_from;
@@ -265,6 +267,8 @@ void Netchan_Init( void )
 	Cvar_RegisterVariable( &net_chokeloop );
 	Cvar_RegisterVariable( &net_showdrop );
 	Cvar_RegisterVariable( &net_qport );
+	Cvar_RegisterVariable( &net_send_debug );
+	Cvar_RegisterVariable( &net_recv_debug );
 	Cvar_FullSet( net_qport.name, buf, net_qport.flags );
 
 	net_mempool = Mem_AllocPool( "Network Pool" );
diff --git a/engine/common/net_ws.h b/engine/common/net_ws.h
index ba380824..085477a9 100644
--- a/engine/common/net_ws.h
+++ b/engine/common/net_ws.h
@@ -50,8 +50,10 @@ typedef enum
 
 #include "netadr.h"
 
-extern convar_t	net_showpackets;
-extern convar_t	net_clockwindow;
+extern convar_t net_showpackets;
+extern convar_t net_clockwindow;
+extern convar_t net_send_debug;
+extern convar_t net_recv_debug;
 
 void NET_Init( void );
 void NET_Shutdown( void );