diff --git a/elks/arch/i86/drivers/block/bioshd.c b/elks/arch/i86/drivers/block/bioshd.c
index 779edc34a..21954cf28 100644
--- a/elks/arch/i86/drivers/block/bioshd.c
+++ b/elks/arch/i86/drivers/block/bioshd.c
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ static struct gendisk bioshd_gendisk = {
 
 static void BFPROC set_cache_invalid(void)
 {
+    if (cache_drive) debug_cache2("INV%d ", cache_drive - drive_info);
     cache_drive = NULL;
 }
 
@@ -535,7 +536,7 @@ static void BFPROC get_chst(struct drive_infot *drivep, sector_t *start_sec,
         *start_sec -= save - *s;
     }
 #endif
-    if (extra) debug_cache("bioshd: lba %ld is CHS %d/%d/%d remaining sectors %d\n",
+    if (extra) debug_cache2("bioshd: lba %ld is CHS %d/%d/%d remaining sectors %d\n",
         start, *c, *h, *s, *t);
 }
 
@@ -580,6 +581,8 @@ static int BFPROC do_readwrite(struct drive_infot *drivep, sector_t start, char
             segment = (seg_t)seg;
             offset = (unsigned) buf;
         }
+        debug_cache("%s%d CHS %d/%d/%d count %d\n",
+            cmd==WRITE? "WR": "RD", drive, cylinder, head, sector, this_pass);
         debug_bios("bioshd(%x): cmd %d CHS %d/%d/%d count %d\n",
             drive, cmd, cylinder, head, sector, this_pass);
 
@@ -622,8 +625,8 @@ static void BFPROC do_readtrack(struct drive_infot *drivep, sector_t start)
         num_sectors = DMASEGSZ / drivep->sector_size;
 
     do {
-        debug_cache("\nTR %lu(CHS %u,%u,%u-%u) ", start>>1, cylinder, head, sector,
-            sector+num_sectors-1);
+        debug_cache("\nTR%d %lu(CHS %u,%u,%u-%u) ", drive, start>>1, cylinder, head,
+            sector, sector+num_sectors-1);
         debug_bios("bioshd(%x): track read CHS %d/%d/%d count %d\n",
                 drive, cylinder, head, sector, num_sectors);
 
@@ -676,7 +679,7 @@ static int BFPROC do_cache_read(struct drive_infot *drivep, sector_t start, char
     if (cmd == READ) {
         cache_tries++;
         if (cache_valid(drivep, start, buf, seg)) { /* try cache first*/
-            debug_cache("CH %lu ", start>>1);
+            debug_cache2("CH %lu ", start >> 1);
             cache_hits++;
             return 1;
         }
diff --git a/elks/arch/i86/drivers/block/directfd.c b/elks/arch/i86/drivers/block/directfd.c
index ae8ae729b..72cfc7d6a 100644
--- a/elks/arch/i86/drivers/block/directfd.c
+++ b/elks/arch/i86/drivers/block/directfd.c
@@ -773,10 +773,11 @@ static void rw_interrupt(void)
 static void DFPROC setup_rw_floppy(void)
 {
     DEBUG("setup_rw-");
+#if IODELAY || DEBUG_CACHE
+    int num_sectors = read_track
+        ? floppy->sect + (floppy->sect & 1 && !head) - sector
+        : CURRENT->rq_nr_sectors;
 #if IODELAY
-    int num_sectors = read_track? floppy->sect + (floppy->sect & 1 && !head)
-                                : CURRENT->rq_nr_sectors;
-    DEBUG("[%ur%u]", current_drive, num_sectors);
     static unsigned lasttrack;
     unsigned ms = abs(track - lasttrack) * 4 / 10;
     lasttrack = track;
@@ -786,6 +787,10 @@ static void DFPROC setup_rw_floppy(void)
         ms += 8 + (num_sectors<<1); /* 360k @360rpm = 83ms + ~20ms/sector + 3ms/tr */
     unsigned long timeout = jiffies + ms*HZ/100;
     while (!time_after(jiffies, timeout)) continue;
+#endif
+    debug_cache("%s%d %lu(CHS %u,%u,%u-%u)\n",
+        read_track? "TR": (command == FD_WRITE? "WR": "RD"),
+        current_drive, CURRENT->rq_sector>>1, track, head, sector+1, sector+num_sectors);
 #endif
     do_floppy = rw_interrupt;
     setup_DMA();
@@ -1184,7 +1189,7 @@ static void DFPROC redo_fd_request(void)
                 goto repeat;
             }
             floppy = &minor_types[tmp];
-            if (!recalibrate)
+            if (!recalibrate && probing)
                 printk("df%d: auto-probe #%d %s\n", drive, probing, floppy->name);
         }
     }
@@ -1209,7 +1214,7 @@ static void DFPROC redo_fd_request(void)
     command = (req->rq_cmd == READ)? FD_READ: FD_WRITE;
     DEBUG("df%d: %s sector %d CHS %d/%d/%d max %d stretch %d seek %d\n",
         DEVICE_NR(req->rq_dev), req->rq_cmd==READ? "read": "write",
-        start, track, head, sector, floppy->sect, floppy->stretch, seek_track);
+        start, track, head, sector+1, floppy->sect, floppy->stretch, seek_track);
 
     /* restart timer for hung operations, 6 secs probably too long ... */
     del_timer(&fd_timeout);
@@ -1224,7 +1229,8 @@ static void DFPROC redo_fd_request(void)
          * number of sectors (full blocks). When head=1 we read the entire track
          * and ignore the first sector.
          */
-        DEBUG("bufrd chs %d/%d/%d\n", seek_track, head, sector);
+        DEBUG("cache CHS %d/%d/%d\n", seek_track, head, sector);
+        debug_cache2("CH %d ", start >> 1);
         char *buf_ptr = (char *) (sector << 9);
         if (command == FD_READ) {       /* requested data is in buffer */
             xms_fmemcpyw(req->rq_buffer, req->rq_seg, buf_ptr, DMASEG, BLOCK_SIZE/2);
diff --git a/elks/arch/i86/drivers/block/ll_rw_blk.c b/elks/arch/i86/drivers/block/ll_rw_blk.c
index 8c96cf766..0ad819620 100644
--- a/elks/arch/i86/drivers/block/ll_rw_blk.c
+++ b/elks/arch/i86/drivers/block/ll_rw_blk.c
@@ -161,6 +161,14 @@ static void add_request(struct blk_dev_struct *dev, struct request *req)
         req->rq_next = tmp->rq_next;
         tmp->rq_next = req;
         set_irq();
+#if DEBUG_CACHE
+        if (debug_level) {
+            int n = 0;
+            for (tmp = dev->current_request; tmp->rq_next; tmp = tmp->rq_next)
+                n++;
+            if (n > 1) printk("REQS %d ", n);
+        }
+#endif
 #else
         panic("add_request");   /* non-empty request queue */
 #endif
diff --git a/elks/fs/buffer.c b/elks/fs/buffer.c
index 94f8bd0eb..18879d663 100644
--- a/elks/fs/buffer.c
+++ b/elks/fs/buffer.c
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ struct buffer_head *getblk32(kdev_t dev, block32_t block)
     ebh = EBH(bh);
     ebh->b_dev = dev;
     ebh->b_blocknr = block;
-    debug_cache("BM %lu ", block);
+    debug_cache2("BM %lu ", block);
     goto return_it;
 
   found_it:
@@ -511,7 +511,8 @@ struct buffer_head *getblk32(kdev_t dev, block32_t block)
         CLR_COUNT(en_bh);
         en_bh->b_count = 0;     /* Release previously created buffer head */
     }
-    if (bh->b_data) debug_cache("L1 %lu ", block); else debug_cache("L2 %lu ", block);
+    if (bh->b_data) { debug_cache2("L1 %lu ", block); }
+               else { debug_cache2("L2 %lu ", block); }
     ebh = EBH(bh);
     INR_COUNT(ebh);
     wait_on_buffer(bh);
diff --git a/elks/include/linuxmt/debug.h b/elks/include/linuxmt/debug.h
index 99e7e3a3c..9d900c1e5 100644
--- a/elks/include/linuxmt/debug.h
+++ b/elks/include/linuxmt/debug.h
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
  * Kernel debug options, set =1 to turn on. Works across multiple files.
  */
 #define DEBUG_EVENT     1               /* generate debug events on CTRLN-CTRLP*/
-#define DEBUG_STARTDEF  0               /* default startup debug display*/
+#define DEBUG_LEVEL     0               /* default startup debug level*/
 #define DEBUG_BIOS      0               /* BIOS driver*/
 #define DEBUG_BLK       0               /* block i/o*/
 #define DEBUG_CACHE     0               /* floppy track cache*/
@@ -57,8 +57,10 @@ void debug_setcallback(int evnum, void (*cbfunc)()); /* callback on debug event*
 
 #if DEBUG_CACHE
 #define debug_cache     PRINTK
+#define debug_cache2    if (debug_level > 1) PRINTK
 #else
 #define debug_cache(...)
+#define debug_cache2(...)
 #endif
 
 #if DEBUG_ETH
diff --git a/elks/include/linuxmt/kernel.h b/elks/include/linuxmt/kernel.h
index 55eeb0f6a..61dbd368f 100644
--- a/elks/include/linuxmt/kernel.h
+++ b/elks/include/linuxmt/kernel.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 
 extern char running_qemu;
 extern dev_t dev_console;
-extern int dprintk_on;
+extern int debug_level;
 
 extern void do_exit(int) noreturn;
 
diff --git a/elks/init/main.c b/elks/init/main.c
index 9e692eeb7..9d02091bb 100644
--- a/elks/init/main.c
+++ b/elks/init/main.c
@@ -491,10 +491,6 @@ static int INITPROC parse_options(void)
             root_mountflags &= ~MS_RDONLY;
             continue;
         }
-        if (!strcmp(line,"debug")) {
-            dprintk_on = 1;
-            continue;
-        }
         if (!strcmp(line,"strace")) {
             tracing |= TRACE_STRACE;
             continue;
@@ -520,6 +516,10 @@ static int INITPROC parse_options(void)
             parse_nic(line+4, &netif_parms[ETH_EL3]);
             continue;
         }
+        if (!strncmp(line,"debug=", 6)) {
+            debug_level = (int)simple_strtol(line+6, 10);
+            continue;
+        }
         if (!strncmp(line,"buf=",4)) {
             nr_ext_bufs = (int)simple_strtol(line+4, 10);
             continue;
diff --git a/elks/kernel/printk.c b/elks/kernel/printk.c
index cf4c20ad3..861b0fa85 100644
--- a/elks/kernel/printk.c
+++ b/elks/kernel/printk.c
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ void panic(const char *error, ...)
     halt();
 }
 
-int dprintk_on = DEBUG_STARTDEF;        /* toggled by debug events*/
+int debug_level = DEBUG_LEVEL;      /* set with debug= or toggled by debug events */
 #if DEBUG_EVENT
 static void (*debug_cbfuncs[3])();  /* debug event callback function*/
 
@@ -338,8 +338,8 @@ void debug_setcallback(int evnum, void (*cbfunc)())
 
 void debug_event(int evnum)
 {
-    if (evnum == 2) {           /* CTRLP toggles dprintk*/
-        dprintk_on = !dprintk_on;
+    if (evnum == 2) {               /* CTRLP toggles debug */
+        debug_level = !debug_level;
         kill_all(SIGURG);
     }
     if (debug_cbfuncs[evnum])
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ void dprintk(const char *fmt, ...)
 {
     va_list p;
 
-    if (!dprintk_on)
+    if (!debug_level)
         return;
     va_start(p, fmt);
     vprintk(fmt, p);
diff --git a/elks/kernel/sysctl.c b/elks/kernel/sysctl.c
index e4c1a26ff..76dccb39e 100644
--- a/elks/kernel/sysctl.c
+++ b/elks/kernel/sysctl.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ static int malloc_debug;
 static int net_debug;
 
 struct sysctl sysctl[] = {
-    { "kern.debug",         &dprintk_on         },  /* debug (^P) on/off */
+    { "kern.debug",         &debug_level        },  /* debug level (^P toggled) */
     { "kern.strace",        &tracing            },  /* strace=1, kstack=2 */
     { "kern.console",       (int *)&dev_console },  /* console */
     { "malloc.debug",       &malloc_debug       },
diff --git a/elkscmd/rootfs_template/bootopts b/elkscmd/rootfs_template/bootopts
index 0ea554d82..3114650fe 100644
--- a/elkscmd/rootfs_template/bootopts
+++ b/elkscmd/rootfs_template/bootopts
@@ -19,5 +19,5 @@
 #strace
 #FTRACE=1
 #net=ne0
-#debug
+#debug=1
 #console=ttyS0,19200 3