diff --git a/battlesnake/src/main.rs b/battlesnake/src/main.rs
index 2c3289e..4636a65 100644
--- a/battlesnake/src/main.rs
+++ b/battlesnake/src/main.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,22 @@ static THREADS: AtomicUsize = AtomicUsize::new(1);
 async fn main() {
     env_logger::init();
 
-    let (sender, mut receiver) = unbounded_channel();
+    let record = env::var("RECORD")
+        .ok()
+        .and_then(|record| {
+            record
+                .parse()
+                .inspect_err(|err| error!("Unable to parse record options: {err}"))
+                .ok()
+        })
+        .unwrap_or(false);
+
+    let (sender, receiver) = if record {
+        let (sender, receiver) = unbounded_channel();
+        (Some(sender), Some(receiver))
+    } else {
+        (None, None)
+    };
 
     debug!("Creating routes");
     let app = Router::new()
@@ -59,51 +74,53 @@ async fn main() {
     let port = env::var("PORT").unwrap_or_else(|_| "8000".into());
     let listener = TcpListener::bind(format!("0.0.0.0:{port}")).await.unwrap();
 
-    debug!("Starting observer");
-    tokio::spawn(async move {
-        let mut games = HashMap::new();
-        while let Some((request_type, request)) = receiver.recv().await {
-            match request_type {
-                RequestType::Start => {
-                    let game_id = request.game.id.clone();
-                    info!("Got start request {game_id}");
-                    if let Some(old_requests) = games.insert(game_id, vec![request]) {
-                        warn!("evicted duplicate game: {old_requests:?}");
-                    }
-                }
-                RequestType::GetMove => {
-                    let game_id = request.game.id.clone();
-                    info!("Got move request {game_id}");
-                    games.entry(game_id).or_default().push(request);
-                }
-                RequestType::End => {
-                    let game_id = request.game.id.clone();
-                    info!("Got end request {game_id}");
-                    if let Some(mut requests) = games.remove(&game_id) {
-                        requests.push(request);
-                        let json = match serde_json::to_vec_pretty(&requests) {
-                            Ok(json) => json,
-                            Err(e) => {
-                                error!("Unable to serealize json: {e}");
-                                continue;
-                            }
-                        };
-                        match File::create_new(format!("games/{game_id}.json")).await {
-                            Ok(mut file) => {
-                                if let Err(e) = file.write_all(&json).await {
-                                    error!("Unable to write jsone: {e}");
-                                }
-                            }
-                            Err(e) => error!("Unable to open file: {e}"),
+    if let Some(mut receiver) = receiver {
+        debug!("Starting observer");
+        tokio::spawn(async move {
+            let mut games = HashMap::new();
+            while let Some((request_type, request)) = receiver.recv().await {
+                match request_type {
+                    RequestType::Start => {
+                        let game_id = request.game.id.clone();
+                        info!("Got start request {game_id}");
+                        if let Some(old_requests) = games.insert(game_id, vec![request]) {
+                            warn!("evicted duplicate game: {old_requests:?}");
+                        }
+                    }
+                    RequestType::GetMove => {
+                        let game_id = request.game.id.clone();
+                        info!("Got move request {game_id}");
+                        games.entry(game_id).or_default().push(request);
+                    }
+                    RequestType::End => {
+                        let game_id = request.game.id.clone();
+                        info!("Got end request {game_id}");
+                        if let Some(mut requests) = games.remove(&game_id) {
+                            requests.push(request);
+                            let json = match serde_json::to_vec_pretty(&requests) {
+                                Ok(json) => json,
+                                Err(e) => {
+                                    error!("Unable to serealize json: {e}");
+                                    continue;
+                                }
+                            };
+                            match File::create_new(format!("games/{game_id}.json")).await {
+                                Ok(mut file) => {
+                                    if let Err(e) = file.write_all(&json).await {
+                                        error!("Unable to write jsone: {e}");
+                                    }
+                                }
+                                Err(e) => error!("Unable to open file: {e}"),
+                            }
+                        } else {
+                            warn!("end of game without game: {request:?}");
                         }
-                    } else {
-                        warn!("end of game without game: {request:?}");
                     }
                 }
             }
-        }
-        warn!("Observer stopped");
-    });
+            warn!("Observer stopped");
+        });
+    }
 
     debug!("Starting server");
     axum::serve(listener, app).await.unwrap();
@@ -139,10 +156,12 @@ enum RequestType {
 }
 
 async fn start(
-    State(sender): State<UnboundedSender<(RequestType, Request)>>,
+    State(sender): State<Option<UnboundedSender<(RequestType, Request)>>>,
     Json(request): Json<Request>,
 ) {
-    if let Err(e) = sender.send((RequestType::Start, request.clone())) {
+    if let Some(sender) = sender
+        && let Err(e) = sender.send((RequestType::Start, request.clone()))
+    {
         warn!("Unable to observe request: {e}");
     }
     let board = Board::from(&request);
@@ -151,11 +170,13 @@ async fn start(
 
 #[allow(clippy::too_many_lines)]
 async fn get_move(
-    State(sender): State<UnboundedSender<(RequestType, Request)>>,
+    State(sender): State<Option<UnboundedSender<(RequestType, Request)>>>,
     Json(request): Json<Request>,
 ) -> response::Json<Response> {
     let start = Instant::now();
-    if let Err(e) = sender.send((RequestType::GetMove, request.clone())) {
+    if let Some(sender) = sender
+        && let Err(e) = sender.send((RequestType::GetMove, request.clone()))
+    {
         warn!("Unable to observe request: {e}");
     }
     let board = Game::from(&request);
@@ -285,10 +306,12 @@ fn score_standard(board: &Board, id: u8) -> u32 {
 }
 
 async fn end(
-    State(sender): State<UnboundedSender<(RequestType, Request)>>,
+    State(sender): State<Option<UnboundedSender<(RequestType, Request)>>>,
     Json(request): Json<Request>,
 ) {
-    if let Err(e) = sender.send((RequestType::End, request.clone())) {
+    if let Some(sender) = sender
+        && let Err(e) = sender.send((RequestType::End, request.clone()))
+    {
         warn!("Unable to observe request: {e}");
     }
     let board = Board::from(&request);