diff --git a/nsupdate/api/views.py b/nsupdate/api/views.py
index 9c605c0..8ec8846 100644
--- a/nsupdate/api/views.py
+++ b/nsupdate/api/views.py
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+import logging
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 from django.http import HttpResponse
 from django.conf import settings
 from main.forms import *
@@ -39,29 +43,35 @@ def check_auth(username, password):
     return password == 'pass'  # FIXME
 
 
-def Response(content, logmsg=None):
+def Response(content):
     return HttpResponse(content, content_type='text/plain')
 
 
 def NicUpdateView(request):
-    agent = request.META.get('HTTP_USER_AGENT')
-    if agent in settings.BAD_AGENTS:
-        return Response('badagent')
+    hostname = request.GET.get('hostname')
     auth = request.META.get('HTTP_AUTHORIZATION')
     if auth is None:
+        logger.warning('%s - received no auth' % (hostname, ))
         return basic_challenge("authenticate to update DNS")
     username, password = basic_authenticate(auth)
     if not check_auth(username, password):
+        logger.info('%s - received bad credentials, username: %s' % (hostname, username, ))
         return Response('badauth')
-    # as we use update_username == hostname, we can fall back to that:
-    hostname = request.GET.get('hostname', username)
-    # XXX when do we return Response('badhost') ?
+    if hostname is None:
+        # as we use update_username == hostname, we can fall back to that:
+        hostname = username
     ipaddr = request.GET.get('myip')
     if ipaddr is None:
         ipaddr = request.META.get('REMOTE_ADDR')
+    agent = request.META.get('HTTP_USER_AGENT')
+    if agent in settings.BAD_AGENTS:
+        logger.info('%s - received update from bad user agent %s' % (hostname, agent, ))
+        return Response('badagent')
     ipaddr = str(ipaddr)  # XXX bug in dnspython: crashes if ipaddr is unicode, wants a str!
     try:
         update(hostname, ipaddr)
+        logger.info('%s - received good update -> ip: %s' % (hostname, ipaddr, ))
         return Response('good %s' % ipaddr)
     except SameIpError:
+        logger.warning('%s - received no-change update, ip: %s' % (hostname, ipaddr, ))
         return Response('nochg %s' % ipaddr)
diff --git a/nsupdate/nsupdate/settings.py b/nsupdate/nsupdate/settings.py
index cf7382b..ac599a8 100644
--- a/nsupdate/nsupdate/settings.py
+++ b/nsupdate/nsupdate/settings.py
@@ -169,15 +169,30 @@ LOGGING = {
             'level': 'ERROR',
             'filters': ['require_debug_false'],
             'class': 'django.utils.log.AdminEmailHandler'
+        },
+        'stderr': {
+            'level': 'DEBUG',
+            'class': 'logging.StreamHandler',
+            'formatter': 'stderr'
         }
     },
     'loggers': {
+        'api.views': {
+            'handlers': ['stderr', ],
+            'level': 'DEBUG',
+            'propagate': True,
+        },
         'django.request': {
-            'handlers': ['mail_admins'],
+            'handlers': ['mail_admins', ],
             'level': 'ERROR',
             'propagate': True,
         },
-    }
+    },
+    'formatters': {
+        'stderr': {
+            'format': '[%(asctime)s] %(levelname)s %(message)s'
+        },
+    },
 }
 
 ACCOUNT_ACTIVATION_DAYS = 7