diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index 2f1453cb..67666475 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -85,8 +85,7 @@ void initializeEntities (CLI& cli)
 void initializeDataAndRules (
   CLI& cli,
   Database& database,
-  Rules& rules,
-  Log& log)
+  Rules& rules)
 {
   // Make common hints available via rules:
   //   :debug --> debug
@@ -102,23 +101,12 @@ void initializeDataAndRules (
 
   if (rules.getBoolean ("debug"))
     std::cout << cli.dump () << "\n";
-  else
-    log.ignore ("debug");
 
   // The $TIMEWARRIORDB environment variable overrides the default value of
   // ~/.timewarrior‥
   Directory dbLocation;
   char* override = getenv ("TIMEWARRIORDB");
-  if (override)
-  {
-    log.write ("debug", std::string ("TIMEWARRIORDB ") + override);
-    dbLocation = Directory (override);
-  }
-  else
-  {
-    dbLocation = Directory ("~/.timewarrior");
-    log.write ("debug", std::string ("Using default DB location ") + dbLocation._data);
-  }
+  dbLocation = Directory (override ? override : "~/.timewarrior");
 
   // If dbLocation does not exist, ask whether it should be created.
   bool shinyNewDatabase = false;
@@ -126,7 +114,6 @@ void initializeDataAndRules (
       confirm ("Create new database in " + dbLocation._data + "?"))
   {
     dbLocation.create (0700);
-    log.write ("debug", std::string ("Created missing database in ") + dbLocation._data);
     shinyNewDatabase = true;
   }
 
@@ -163,7 +150,6 @@ void initializeDataAndRules (
   // located the config file, the 'db' location is already known. This is just
   // for subsequent internal use.
   rules.set ("temp.db", dbLocation._data);
-  log.write ("debug", std::string ("  rc.db=") + rules.get ("temp.db"));
 
   // Perhaps some subsequent code would like to know this is a new db and
   // possibly a first run.
@@ -171,11 +157,6 @@ void initializeDataAndRules (
 
   // Initialize the database (no data read), but files are enumerated.
   database.initialize (data._data);
-  log.write ("debug", database.dump ());
-
-  // TODO Give the log file a temp fake name.  To be removed.
-  log.file (dbLocation._data + "/timewarrior.log");
-  log.write ("debug", rules.dump ());
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/src/timew.cpp b/src/timew.cpp
index 1a336b73..d84b75e2 100644
--- a/src/timew.cpp
+++ b/src/timew.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ int main (int argc, const char** argv)
     // Prepare the database, but do not read data.
     Database database;
     Rules rules;
-    initializeDataAndRules (cli, database, rules, log);
+    initializeDataAndRules (cli, database, rules);
 
     // Load extension script info.
     Extensions extensions;
diff --git a/src/timew.h b/src/timew.h
index 76233d52..2d8bb481 100644
--- a/src/timew.h
+++ b/src/timew.h
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@
 // init.cpp
 bool lightweightVersionCheck (int, const char**);
 void initializeEntities (CLI&);
-void initializeDataAndRules (CLI&, Database&, Rules&, Log&);
 void initializeExtensions (Rules&, Extensions&, Log&);
 int dispatchCommand (CLI&, Database&, Rules&, Extensions&, Log&);
+void initializeDataAndRules (CLI&, Database&, Rules&);
 
 // helper.cpp
 Color tagColor (const Rules&, const std::string&);