diff --git a/tractor/ipc/_chan.py b/tractor/ipc/_chan.py
index 10a800e47..0bae7e262 100644
--- a/tractor/ipc/_chan.py
+++ b/tractor/ipc/_chan.py
@@ -325,10 +325,12 @@ async def send(
         '''
         __tracebackhide__: bool = hide_tb
         try:
-            log.transport(
-                '=> send IPC msg:\n\n'
-                f'{pformat(payload)}\n'
-            )
+            if log.at_least_level('transport'):
+                # don't materialize the payload repr if not necessary
+                log.transport(
+                    '=> send IPC msg:\n\n'
+                    f'{pformat(payload)}\n'
+                )
             # assert self._transport  # but why typing?
             await self._transport.send(
                 payload,
diff --git a/tractor/msg/_ops.py b/tractor/msg/_ops.py
index 3b4eaa842..929d97057 100644
--- a/tractor/msg/_ops.py
+++ b/tractor/msg/_ops.py
@@ -306,15 +306,15 @@ def decode_pld(
             ):
                 try:
                     pld: PayloadT = self._pld_dec.decode(pld)
-                    log.runtime(
-                        f'Decoded payload for\n'
-                        # f'\n'
-                        f'{msg}\n'
-                        # ^TODO?, ideally just render with `,
-                        # pld={decode}` in the `msg.pformat()`??
-                        f'where, '
-                        f'{type(msg).__name__}.pld={pld!r}\n'
-                    )
+                    if log.at_least_level('runtime'):
+                        # don't materialize the payload repr if not necessary
+                        log.runtime(
+                            f'Decoded payload for\n'
+                            f'\n'
+                            f'{msg}\n'
+                            f'where, '
+                            f'{type(msg).__name__}.pld={pld!r}\n'
+                        )
                     return pld
                 except TypeError as typerr:
                     __tracebackhide__: bool = False