diff --git a/core/server/config/index.js b/core/server/config/index.js
index 832f500e7c..b5678809b1 100644
--- a/core/server/config/index.js
+++ b/core/server/config/index.js
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 var Nconf = require('nconf'),
     path = require('path'),
-    debug = require('debug')('ghost:config'),
+    _debug = require('debug'),
+    debug = _debug('ghost:config'),
     localUtils = require('./utils'),
     env = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development',
     _private = {};
 
 _private.loadNconf = function loadNconf(options) {
+    debug('config start');
     options = options || {};
 
     var baseConfigPath = options.baseConfigPath || __dirname,
@@ -51,7 +53,13 @@ _private.loadNconf = function loadNconf(options) {
      */
     nconf.set('env', env);
 
-    debug(nconf.get());
+    // Wrap this in a check, because else nconf.get() is executed unnecessarily
+    // To output this, use DEBUG=ghost:*,ghost-config
+    if (_debug.enabled('ghost-config')) {
+        debug(nconf.get());
+    }
+
+    debug('config end');
     return nconf;
 };
 
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index aad6fb281d..458a90662f 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,12 +1,21 @@
 // # Ghost Startup
 // Orchestrates the startup of Ghost when run from command line.
-var ghost = require('./core'),
-    debug = require('debug')('ghost:boot:index'),
-    express = require('express'),
-    logging = require('./core/server/logging'),
-    errors = require('./core/server/errors'),
-    utils = require('./core/server/utils'),
-    parentApp = express();
+console.time('Ghost boot');
+
+var debug = require('debug')('ghost:boot:index'),
+    ghost, express, logging, errors, utils, parentApp;
+
+debug('First requires...');
+
+ghost = require('./core');
+
+debug('Required ghost');
+
+express = require('express');
+logging = require('./core/server/logging');
+errors = require('./core/server/errors');
+utils = require('./core/server/utils');
+parentApp = express();
 
 debug('Initialising Ghost');
 ghost().then(function (ghostServer) {
@@ -16,6 +25,7 @@ ghost().then(function (ghostServer) {
     debug('Starting Ghost');
     // Let Ghost handle starting our server instance.
     return ghostServer.start(parentApp).then(function afterStart() {
+        console.timeEnd('Ghost boot');
         // if IPC messaging is enabled, ensure ghost sends message to parent
         // process on successful start
         if (process.send) {