diff --git a/libtransmission/rpcimpl.c b/libtransmission/rpcimpl.c
index bf8c2c41d..b9d3f8e34 100644
--- a/libtransmission/rpcimpl.c
+++ b/libtransmission/rpcimpl.c
@@ -29,11 +29,19 @@
 
 #define TR_N_ELEMENTS( ary ) ( sizeof( ary ) / sizeof( *ary ) )
 
+#if 0
+#define dbgmsg(fmt, ...) \
+    do { \
+        fprintf( stderr, "%s:%d"#fmt, __FILE__, __LINE__, __VA_ARGS__ ); \
+        fprintf( stderr, "\n" ); \
+    } while( 0 )
+#else
 #define dbgmsg( ... ) \
     do { \
         if( tr_deepLoggingIsActive( ) ) \
             tr_deepLog( __FILE__, __LINE__, "RPC", __VA_ARGS__ ); \
     } while( 0 )
+#endif
 
 
 /***
@@ -921,6 +929,14 @@ methods[] =
     { "torrent-verify", TRUE,  torrentVerify       }
 };
 
+static void
+noop_response_callback( tr_session * session UNUSED,
+                        const char * response UNUSED,
+                        size_t       response_len UNUSED,
+                        void       * user_data UNUSED )
+{
+}
+
 static void
 request_exec( tr_session             * session,
               tr_benc                * request,
@@ -932,6 +948,9 @@ request_exec( tr_session             * session,
     tr_benc * args_in = tr_bencDictFind( request, "arguments" );
     const char * result = NULL;
 
+    if( callback == NULL )
+        callback = noop_response_callback;
+
     /* parse the request */
     if( !tr_bencDictFindStr( request, "method", &str ) )
         result = "no method name";