diff --git a/direct/src/dcparser/dcPacker.h b/direct/src/dcparser/dcPacker.h
index af85fe0dc2..09556f9f01 100755
--- a/direct/src/dcparser/dcPacker.h
+++ b/direct/src/dcparser/dcPacker.h
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ PUBLISHED:
 // this is a hack to allw me to get in and out of 32bit Mode Faster
 // need to agree with channel_type in dcbase.h
 #define RAW_PACK_CHANNEL(in)  raw_pack_uint64(in)
+#define RAW_UNPACK_CHANNEL()  raw_unpack_uint64()
   
 
   INLINE int raw_unpack_int8();
diff --git a/direct/src/distributed/cConnectionRepository.I b/direct/src/distributed/cConnectionRepository.I
index fc542c9754..1e3d465873 100644
--- a/direct/src/distributed/cConnectionRepository.I
+++ b/direct/src/distributed/cConnectionRepository.I
@@ -217,3 +217,45 @@ INLINE bool CConnectionRepository::
 get_simulated_disconnect() const {
   return _simulated_disconnect;
 }
+
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CConnectionRepository::toggle_verbose
+//       Access: Published
+//  Description: Toggles the current setting of the verbose flag.
+//               When true, this describes every message going back
+//               and forth on the wire.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+INLINE void CConnectionRepository::
+toggle_verbose() {
+  _verbose = !_verbose;
+}
+#endif  // NDEBUG
+
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CConnectionRepository::set_verbose
+//       Access: Published
+//  Description: Directly sets the verbose flag.  When true, this
+//               describes every message going back and forth on the
+//               wire.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+INLINE void CConnectionRepository::
+set_verbose(bool verbose) {
+  _verbose = verbose;
+}
+#endif  // NDEBUG
+
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CConnectionRepository::get_verbose
+//       Access: Published
+//  Description: Returns the current setting of the verbose flag.
+//               When true, this describes every message going back
+//               and forth on the wire.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+INLINE bool CConnectionRepository::
+get_verbose() const {
+  return _verbose;
+}
+#endif  // NDEBUG
diff --git a/direct/src/distributed/cConnectionRepository.cxx b/direct/src/distributed/cConnectionRepository.cxx
index 1db69bbdff..8797dff3d6 100644
--- a/direct/src/distributed/cConnectionRepository.cxx
+++ b/direct/src/distributed/cConnectionRepository.cxx
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include "cConnectionRepository.h"
 #include "dcmsgtypes.h"
 #include "dcClass.h"
+#include "dcPacker.h"
 
 #include "config_distributed.h"
 #include "httpChannel.h"
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ CConnectionRepository() :
 #endif
   _client_datagram(true),
   _simulated_disconnect(false),
+  _verbose(distributed_cat.is_spam()),
   _msg_channel(0),
   _msg_sender(0),
   _sec_code(0),
@@ -135,6 +137,12 @@ check_datagram() {
   }
 
   while (do_check_datagram()) {
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+    if (get_verbose()) {
+      describe_message(nout, "receive ", _dg.get_message());
+    }
+#endif  // NDEBUG
+
     // Start breaking apart the datagram.
     _di = DatagramIterator(_dg);
 
@@ -238,6 +246,12 @@ send_datagram(const Datagram &dg) {
     return false;
   }
 
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+  if (get_verbose()) {
+    describe_message(nout, "send ", dg.get_message());
+  }
+#endif  // NDEBUG
+
 #ifdef HAVE_NSPR
   if (_nspr_conn) {
     _cw.send(dg, _nspr_conn);
@@ -425,3 +439,92 @@ handle_update_field() {
 
   return true;
 }
+
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CConnectionRepository::describe_message
+//       Access: Private
+//  Description: Unpacks the message and reformats it for user
+//               consumption, writing a description on the indicated
+//               output stream.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void CConnectionRepository::
+describe_message(ostream &out, const string &prefix, 
+                 const string &message_data) const {
+  DCPacker packer;
+  packer.set_unpack_data(message_data);
+  CHANNEL_TYPE do_id;
+  int msg_type;
+  bool is_update = false;
+
+  if (!_client_datagram) {
+    packer.RAW_UNPACK_CHANNEL();  // msg_channel
+    packer.RAW_UNPACK_CHANNEL();  // msg_sender
+    packer.raw_unpack_uint8();    // sec_code
+    msg_type = packer.raw_unpack_uint16();
+    is_update = (msg_type == STATESERVER_OBJECT_UPDATE_FIELD);
+    
+  } else {
+    msg_type = packer.raw_unpack_uint16();
+    is_update = (msg_type == CLIENT_OBJECT_UPDATE_FIELD);
+  }
+
+  if (!is_update) {
+    out << prefix << "message " << msg_type << "\n";
+
+  } else {
+    // It's an update message.  Figure out what dclass the object is
+    // based on its doId, so we can decode the rest of the message.
+    do_id = packer.raw_unpack_uint32();
+    DCClass *dclass = NULL;
+
+#ifdef HAVE_PYTHON
+    if (_python_repository != (PyObject *)NULL) {
+      PyObject *doId2do =
+        PyObject_GetAttrString(_python_repository, "doId2do");
+      nassertv(doId2do != NULL);
+
+      PyObject *doId = PyInt_FromLong(do_id);
+      PyObject *distobj = PyDict_GetItem(doId2do, doId);
+      Py_DECREF(doId);
+      Py_DECREF(doId2do);
+
+      if (distobj != NULL) {
+        PyObject *dclass_obj = PyObject_GetAttrString(distobj, "dclass");
+        nassertv(dclass_obj != NULL);
+
+        PyObject *dclass_this = PyObject_GetAttrString(dclass_obj, "this");
+        Py_DECREF(dclass_obj);
+        nassertv(dclass_this != NULL);
+        
+        dclass = (DCClass *)PyInt_AsLong(dclass_this);
+        Py_DECREF(dclass_this);
+      }
+    }
+#endif  // HAVE_PYTHON  
+
+    int field_id = packer.raw_unpack_uint16();
+
+    if (dclass == (DCClass *)NULL) {
+      out << prefix << "update for unknown object " << do_id 
+          << ", field " << field_id << "\n";
+
+    } else {
+      out << prefix << "update for " << dclass->get_name()
+          << " " << do_id << ": ";
+      if (field_id < 0 || field_id >= dclass->get_num_inherited_fields()) {
+        out << "unknown field " << field_id << "\n";
+        
+      } else {
+        DCField *field = dclass->get_inherited_field(field_id);
+        out << field->get_name();
+        packer.begin_unpack(field);
+        packer.unpack_and_format(out);
+        packer.end_unpack();
+        out << "\n";
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+#endif  // NDEBUG
+
diff --git a/direct/src/distributed/cConnectionRepository.h b/direct/src/distributed/cConnectionRepository.h
index 7c63d593b8..2badcfe1f5 100644
--- a/direct/src/distributed/cConnectionRepository.h
+++ b/direct/src/distributed/cConnectionRepository.h
@@ -100,10 +100,21 @@ PUBLISHED:
   INLINE void set_simulated_disconnect(bool simulated_disconnect);
   INLINE bool get_simulated_disconnect() const;
 
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+  INLINE void toggle_verbose();
+  INLINE void set_verbose(bool verbose);
+  INLINE bool get_verbose() const;
+#endif  // NDEBUG
+
 private:
   bool do_check_datagram();
   bool handle_update_field();
 
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+  void describe_message(ostream &out, const string &prefix, 
+                        const string &message_data) const;
+#endif  // NDEBUG
+
 #ifdef HAVE_PYTHON
   PyObject *_python_repository;
 #endif
@@ -122,6 +133,7 @@ private:
   DCFile _dc_file;
   bool _client_datagram;
   bool _simulated_disconnect;
+  bool _verbose;
 
   Datagram _dg;
   DatagramIterator _di;