diff --git a/sda-download/api/api.go b/sda-download/api/api.go
index 7a4b087c7..59e28eb6a 100644
--- a/sda-download/api/api.go
+++ b/sda-download/api/api.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ func Setup() *http.Server {
 	router.Use(gin.LoggerWithConfig(
 		gin.LoggerConfig{
 			Formatter: func(params gin.LogFormatterParams) string {
+				// log if in debug mode, if a download was requested or if the request failed
 				if log.GetLevel() == log.DebugLevel || strings.HasPrefix(params.Path, "/s3/") || params.StatusCode >= 400 {
 					s, _ := json.Marshal(map[string]any{
 						"level":       "debug",
diff --git a/sda-download/api/sda/sda.go b/sda-download/api/sda/sda.go
index e531606c0..76a25340a 100644
--- a/sda-download/api/sda/sda.go
+++ b/sda-download/api/sda/sda.go
@@ -103,7 +103,6 @@ func reencryptHeader(oldHeader []byte, reencKey string) ([]byte, error) {
 
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	log.Debugf("Response from the reencrypt service: %v", res)
 
 	return res.Header, nil
 }
@@ -383,7 +382,6 @@ func Download(c *gin.Context) {
 		}
 
 		log.Debugf("Public key from the request header = %v", reencKey)
-		log.Debugf("old c4gh file header = %v\n", fileDetails.Header)
 		newHeader, err := reencryptHeader(fileDetails.Header, reencKey)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Errorf("Failed to reencrypt the file header, reason: %v", err)
@@ -391,7 +389,6 @@ func Download(c *gin.Context) {
 
 			return
 		}
-		log.Debugf("Reencrypted c4gh file header = %v", newHeader)
 
 		newHr := bytes.NewReader(newHeader)