diff --git a/collects/tests/framework/debug.ss b/collects/tests/framework/debug.ss
index 5e92722ee7..5cb8f43908 100644
--- a/collects/tests/framework/debug.ss
+++ b/collects/tests/framework/debug.ss
@@ -1,50 +1,31 @@
-(module debug mzscheme
-  (provide debug-printf debug-when)
+#lang mzscheme
+(provide debug-printf debug-when)
 
-  (define-syntax debug-when
-    (lambda (stx)
+;; all of the steps in the tcp connection
+(define mz-tcp? #f)
+(define mr-tcp? mz-tcp?)
 
-      ;; all of the steps in the tcp connection
-      (define mz-tcp? #f)
-      (define mr-tcp? mz-tcp?)
-      
-      ;; administrative messages about preferences files and
-      ;; command line flags
-      (define admin? #f)
-      
-      ;; tests that passed and those that failed
-      (define schedule? #t)
-      
-      ;; all of the sexpression transactions between mz and mred
-      (define messages? #t)
+;; administrative messages about preferences files and
+;; command line flags
+(define admin? #f)
 
-      (syntax-case stx (mr-tcp mz-tcp admin schedule messages)
-	[(_ mr-tcp rest ...)
-	 (if mr-tcp?
-	     (syntax (begin rest ...))
-	     (syntax (void)))]
-	[(_ mz-tcp rest ...)
-	 (if mz-tcp?
-	     (syntax (begin rest ...))
-	     (syntax (void)))]
-	[(_ admin rest ...)
-	 (if admin?
-	     (syntax (begin rest ...))
-	     (syntax (void)))]
-	[(_ schedule rest ...)
-	 (if schedule?
-	     (syntax (begin rest ...))
-	     (syntax (void)))]
-	[(_ messages rest ...)
-	 (if messages?
-	     (syntax (begin rest ...))
-	     (syntax (void)))]
-	[(_ unk rest ...)
-	 (raise-syntax-error 'debug-when "unknown flag" stx (syntax unk))])))
+;; tests that passed and those that failed
+(define schedule? #t)
 
-  (define-syntax debug-printf
-    (lambda (stx)
-      (syntax-case stx ()
-	[(_ flag fmt-string rest ...)
-	 (with-syntax ([flag-name (format ">> ~a: " (syntax-object->datum (syntax flag)))])
-	   (syntax (debug-when flag (printf (string-append flag-name fmt-string) rest ...))))]))))
+;; all of the sexpression transactions between mz and mred
+(define messages? (if (getenv "PLT_BUILD") #f #t))
+
+(define-syntax (debug-when stx)
+  (syntax-case stx (mr-tcp mz-tcp admin schedule messages)
+    [(_ mr-tcp rest ...)   #'(when mr-tcp?   (let () rest ...))]
+    [(_ mz-tcp rest ...)   #'(when mz-tcp?   (let () rest ...))]
+    [(_ admin rest ...)    #'(when admin?    (let () rest ...))]
+    [(_ schedule rest ...) #'(when schedule? (let () rest ...))]
+    [(_ messages rest ...) #'(when messages? (let () rest ...))]
+    [(_ unk rest ...) (raise-syntax-error #f "unknown flag" stx #'unk)]))
+
+(define-syntax debug-printf
+  (lambda (stx)
+    (syntax-case stx ()
+      [(_ flag fmt x ...)
+       #'(debug-when flag (printf ">> ~a: ~a" 'flag (format fmt x ...)))])))