diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index c81f2a7..1a61164 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ DEP_BASE_DIR=../deps
 DEP_INCLUDE_DIR=$(DEP_BASE_DIR)/include
 DEP_LIB_DIR=$(abspath $(DEP_BASE_DIR)/lib)
 
-CFLAGS=-g -pthread -std=gnu11 -Wall -Werror -Wmissing-prototypes -I$(DEP_INCLUDE_DIR)
+CFLAGS=-g -O2 -pthread -std=gnu11 -Wall -Werror -Wmissing-prototypes -I$(DEP_INCLUDE_DIR)
 
 # include lib directory into runtime path to facilitate dynamic linking
 LDFLAGS=-pthread -Wl,-rpath -Wl,$(DEP_LIB_DIR)
diff --git a/src/bufio.c b/src/bufio.c
index 4e6fcee..9fc2970 100644
--- a/src/bufio.c
+++ b/src/bufio.c
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ struct bufio {
     buffer_t buf;       // holds data that was received
 };
 
-static const int BUFSIZE = 1536;
+static const int BUFSIZE = 8192;
+static const int READSIZE = 2048;
 static int min(int a, int b) { return a < b ? a : b; }
 
 /* Create a new bufio object from a socket. */
@@ -95,8 +96,8 @@ void bufio_truncate(struct bufio * self)
 static ssize_t
 read_more(struct bufio *self)
 {
-    char * buf = buffer_ensure_capacity(&self->buf, BUFSIZE);
-    int bread = recv(self->socket, buf, BUFSIZE, MSG_NOSIGNAL);
+    char * buf = buffer_ensure_capacity(&self->buf, READSIZE);
+    int bread = recv(self->socket, buf, READSIZE, MSG_NOSIGNAL);
     if (bread < 1)
         return bread;
 
diff --git a/src/globals.h b/src/globals.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..04a2d14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/globals.h
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+/*
+ * Declarations of various global variables.
+ */
+#include <stdbool.h>
+
+extern char *server_root;
+extern bool silent_mode;
diff --git a/src/http.c b/src/http.c
index 2fedb3e..c680be7 100644
--- a/src/http.c
+++ b/src/http.c
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ http_handle_transaction(struct http_client *self)
     http_add_header(&ta.resp_headers, "Server", "CS3214-Personal-Server");
     buffer_init(&ta.resp_body, 0);
 
-    bool rc;
+    bool rc = false;
     char *req_path = bufio_offset2ptr(ta.client->bufio, ta.req_path);
     if (STARTS_WITH(req_path, "/api")) {
         rc = handle_api(&ta);
diff --git a/src/http.h b/src/http.h
index 94a43ea..f0092b0 100644
--- a/src/http.h
+++ b/src/http.h
@@ -56,6 +56,4 @@ void http_setup_client(struct http_client *, struct bufio *bufio);
 bool http_handle_transaction(struct http_client *);
 void http_add_header(buffer_t * resp, char* key, char* fmt, ...);
 
-extern char *server_root;
-
 #endif /* _HTTP_H */
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 11276fe..566fed9 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@
 #include "http.h"
 #include "socket.h"
 #include "bufio.h"
+#include "globals.h"
+
+bool silent_mode = false;
 
 /*
  * A non-concurrent, iterative server that serves one client at a time.
@@ -47,12 +50,16 @@ main(int ac, char *av[])
 {
     int opt;
     char *port_string = NULL;
-    while ((opt = getopt(ac, av, "hp:R:")) != -1) {
+    while ((opt = getopt(ac, av, "hp:R:s")) != -1) {
         switch (opt) {
             case 'p':
                 port_string = optarg;
                 break;
 
+            case 's':
+                silent_mode = true;
+                break;
+
             case 'R':
                 server_root = optarg;
                 break;
diff --git a/src/socket.c b/src/socket.c
index 762892d..3fc02d2 100644
--- a/src/socket.c
+++ b/src/socket.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <assert.h>
 
 #include "socket.h"
+#include "globals.h"
 
 /*
  * Find a suitable IPv4 address to bind to, create a socket, bind it,
@@ -124,15 +125,17 @@ socket_accept_client(int accepting_socket)
     /* The following will help with debugging your server.
      * Adjust and/or remove as you see fit.
      */
-    char peer_addr[1024], peer_port[10];
-    int rc = getnameinfo(&peer, peersize,
-                         peer_addr, sizeof peer_addr, peer_port, sizeof peer_port,
-                         NI_NUMERICHOST | NI_NUMERICSERV);
-    if (rc != 0) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "getnameinfo error: %s\n", gai_strerror(rc));
-        return -1;
+    if (!silent_mode) {
+        char peer_addr[1024], peer_port[10];
+        int rc = getnameinfo(&peer, peersize,
+                             peer_addr, sizeof peer_addr, peer_port, sizeof peer_port,
+                             NI_NUMERICHOST | NI_NUMERICSERV);
+        if (rc != 0) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "getnameinfo error: %s\n", gai_strerror(rc));
+            return -1;
+        }
+        fprintf(stderr, "Accepted connection from %s:%s\n", peer_addr, peer_port);
     }
-    fprintf(stderr, "Accepted connection from %s:%s\n", peer_addr, peer_port);
     return client;
 }