diff --git a/agent/agent_common/src/main/java/com/intuit/tank/http/BaseRequest.java b/agent/agent_common/src/main/java/com/intuit/tank/http/BaseRequest.java
index 061f7b5df..eea7cfbd7 100644
--- a/agent/agent_common/src/main/java/com/intuit/tank/http/BaseRequest.java
+++ b/agent/agent_common/src/main/java/com/intuit/tank/http/BaseRequest.java
@@ -288,6 +288,9 @@ public String getReqQueryString() {
 
     @SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
     public void logRequest(String url, String body, String method, Map<String, String> headerInformation, List<String> cookies, boolean force) {
+        if (!force && (logUtil == null || !logUtil.isDebugMode())) {
+            return;
+        }
         try {
             StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
 
diff --git a/agent/agent_common/src/main/java/com/intuit/tank/http/TankHttpLogger.java b/agent/agent_common/src/main/java/com/intuit/tank/http/TankHttpLogger.java
index 73b0c466e..6518c8f15 100644
--- a/agent/agent_common/src/main/java/com/intuit/tank/http/TankHttpLogger.java
+++ b/agent/agent_common/src/main/java/com/intuit/tank/http/TankHttpLogger.java
@@ -43,4 +43,15 @@ public interface TankHttpLogger {
      * @return
      */
     public AgentConfig getAgentConfig();
+
+    /**
+     * Returns true if the debugger is running the client code.
+     * Used to gate expensive request/response logging that is only
+     * consumed by the debugger UI.
+     *
+     * @return true if running inside the Tank Debugger tool
+     */
+    default boolean isDebugMode() {
+        return false;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/agent/agent_common/src/test/java/com/intuit/tank/http/BaseRequestTest.java b/agent/agent_common/src/test/java/com/intuit/tank/http/BaseRequestTest.java
index fb1842df9..c5f0836b4 100644
--- a/agent/agent_common/src/test/java/com/intuit/tank/http/BaseRequestTest.java
+++ b/agent/agent_common/src/test/java/com/intuit/tank/http/BaseRequestTest.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package com.intuit.tank.http;
 
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
 import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
@@ -244,7 +245,7 @@ public void testLogRequest() {
         Map <String, String> headerInformation = Map.of("testHeaderKey", "testHeaderValue");
         List<String> cookies = List.of("testCookie");
         fixture.logRequest("testUrl", "testBody", "testMethod", headerInformation,
-                                cookies, false);
+                                cookies, true);
         assertEquals("REQUEST URL: testMethod testUrl\n" +
                 "CONTENT TYPE: application/x-www-form-urlencoded\n" +
                 "REQUEST HEADER: testHeaderKey = testHeaderValue\n" +
@@ -270,4 +271,61 @@ public void testAsync() {
         fixture.setAsync(true);
         assertTrue(fixture.getAsync());
     }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("logRequest skips string building when debugger is not running")
+    public void logRequest_skipsWhenNotDebugMode() {
+        // MockBaseRequest uses MockLogUtil which has isDebugMode() = false (default)
+        BaseRequest fixture = new MockBaseRequest(null);
+        Map<String, String> headers = Map.of("key", "value");
+        List<String> cookies = List.of("cookie1");
+        fixture.logRequest("http://test.com", "body", "GET", headers, cookies, false);
+
+        assertNull(fixture.logMsg,
+                "logMsg should remain null when debugger is not running and force is false");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("logRequest populates logMsg when force=true even if debugger is not running")
+    public void logRequest_populatesWhenForced() {
+        BaseRequest fixture = new MockBaseRequest(null);
+        Map<String, String> headers = Map.of("key", "value");
+        List<String> cookies = List.of("cookie1");
+        fixture.logRequest("http://test.com", "body", "GET", headers, cookies, true);
+
+        assertNotNull(fixture.logMsg,
+                "logMsg should be populated when force=true regardless of debug mode");
+        assertTrue(fixture.logMsg.contains("REQUEST URL: GET http://test.com"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("logRequest populates logMsg when debugger is running")
+    public void logRequest_populatesWhenDebugMode() {
+        // Create a request with a logUtil that reports debug mode = true
+        MockLogUtil debugLogUtil = new MockLogUtil() {
+            @Override
+            public boolean isDebugMode() {
+                return true;
+            }
+        };
+        BaseRequest fixture = new MockBaseRequest(null) {
+            {
+                // Re-initialize with debug-enabled logUtil via reflection or direct field
+            }
+        };
+        // Use a custom MockBaseRequest that injects the debug logUtil
+        BaseRequest debugFixture = new BaseRequest(null, debugLogUtil) {
+            @Override public void setKey(String key, String value) {}
+            @Override public String getKey(String key) { return null; }
+            @Override public void setNamespace(String name, String value) {}
+        };
+
+        Map<String, String> headers = Map.of("key", "value");
+        List<String> cookies = List.of("cookie1");
+        debugFixture.logRequest("http://test.com", "body", "GET", headers, cookies, false);
+
+        assertNotNull(debugFixture.logMsg,
+                "logMsg should be populated when debugger is running");
+        assertTrue(debugFixture.logMsg.contains("REQUEST URL: GET http://test.com"));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/agent/apiharness/src/main/java/com/intuit/tank/http/HttpRequestFactory.java b/agent/apiharness/src/main/java/com/intuit/tank/http/HttpRequestFactory.java
index 6a02618ec..146d55389 100644
--- a/agent/apiharness/src/main/java/com/intuit/tank/http/HttpRequestFactory.java
+++ b/agent/apiharness/src/main/java/com/intuit/tank/http/HttpRequestFactory.java
@@ -58,5 +58,10 @@ public AgentConfig getAgentConfig() {
             return APITestHarness.getInstance().getTankConfig().getAgentConfig();
         }
 
+        @Override
+        public boolean isDebugMode() {
+            return APITestHarness.getInstance().isDebug();
+        }
+
     }
 }