diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 314a23f..77c5e6b 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+2011-10-28  Thomas Vander Stichele  <thomas at apestaart dot org>
+
+	* morituri/rip/main.py:
+	* morituri/common/musicbrainzngs.py:
+	* morituri/common/program.py:
+	* morituri/rip/cd.py:
+	  Add -R option to rip to record API results for debugging.
+
 2011-10-28  Thomas Vander Stichele  <thomas at apestaart dot org>
 
 	* morituri/common/musicbrainzngs.py:
diff --git a/morituri/common/musicbrainzngs.py b/morituri/common/musicbrainzngs.py
index fc759f6..e596548 100644
--- a/morituri/common/musicbrainzngs.py
+++ b/morituri/common/musicbrainzngs.py
@@ -72,6 +72,16 @@ class DiscMetadata(object):
     def __init__(self):
         self.tracks = []
 
+def _record(record, which, name, what):
+    # optionally record to disc as a JSON serialization
+    if record:
+        import json
+        filename = 'morituri.%s.%s.json' % (which, name)
+        handle = open(filename, 'w')
+        handle.write(json.dumps(what))
+        handle.close()
+        log.info('musicbrainzngs', 'Wrote %s %s to %s', which, name, filename)
+
 
 def _getMetadata(release, discid):
     """
@@ -175,7 +185,7 @@ def _getMetadata(release, discid):
 
 
 # see http://bugs.musicbrainz.org/browser/python-musicbrainz2/trunk/examples/ripper.py
-def musicbrainz(discid):
+def musicbrainz(discid, record=False):
     """
     Based on a MusicBrainz disc id, get a list of DiscMetadata objects
     for the given disc id.
@@ -189,7 +199,7 @@ def musicbrainz(discid):
     log.debug('musicbrainz', 'looking up results for discid %r', discid)
     from morituri.extern.musicbrainzngs import musicbrainz
 
-    results = []
+    ret = []
 
     try:
         result = musicbrainz.get_releases_by_discid(discid,
@@ -205,12 +215,12 @@ def musicbrainz(discid):
     if len(result) == 0:
         return None
 
-    log.debug('musicbrainz', 'found %d releases for discid %r',
+    log.debug('musicbrainzngs', 'found %d releases for discid %r',
         len(result['disc']['release-list']),
         discid)
+    _record(record, 'releases', discid, result)
 
     # Display the returned results to the user.
-    ret = []
 
     for release in result['disc']['release-list']:
         log.debug('program', 'result %r: artist %r, title %r' % (
@@ -221,6 +231,7 @@ def musicbrainz(discid):
 
         res = musicbrainz.get_release_by_id(release['id'],
             includes=["artists", "artist-credits", "recordings", "discids"])
+        _record(record, 'release', release['id'], res)
         release = res['release']
 
         md = _getMetadata(release, discid)
diff --git a/morituri/common/program.py b/morituri/common/program.py
index 00f6f76..9f71bff 100644
--- a/morituri/common/program.py
+++ b/morituri/common/program.py
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@ class Program(log.Loggable):
     outdir = None
     result = None
 
+    def __init__(self, record=False):
+        """
+        @param record: whether to record results of API calls for playback.
+        """
+        self._record = record
+
     def _getTableCachePath(self):
         path = os.path.join(os.path.expanduser('~'), '.morituri', 'cache',
             'table')
@@ -224,7 +230,8 @@ class Program(log.Loggable):
 
         for _ in range(0, 4):
             try:
-                metadatas = musicbrainzngs.musicbrainz(mbdiscid)
+                metadatas = musicbrainzngs.musicbrainz(mbdiscid,
+                    record=self._record)
             except musicbrainzngs.NotFoundException, e:
                 break
             except musicbrainzngs.MusicBrainzException, e:
diff --git a/morituri/rip/cd.py b/morituri/rip/cd.py
index 2a1a622..a6dc57e 100644
--- a/morituri/rip/cd.py
+++ b/morituri/rip/cd.py
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ filling in the variables and expanding the file extension. Variables are:
                 "should be the same.")
 
     def do(self, args):
-        prog = program.Program()
+        prog = program.Program(record=self.getRootCommand().record)
         runner = task.SyncRunner()
 
         def function(r, t):
diff --git a/morituri/rip/main.py b/morituri/rip/main.py
index a6a6dca..afd749b 100644
--- a/morituri/rip/main.py
+++ b/morituri/rip/main.py
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ You can get help on subcommands by using the -h option to the subcommand.
         log.debug("morituri", "This is morituri version %s (%s)",
             configure.version, configure.revision)
 
+        self.parser.add_option('-R', '--record',
+                          action="store_true", dest="record",
+                          help="record API requests for playback")
         self.parser.add_option('-v', '--version',
                           action="store_true", dest="version",
                           help="show version information")
@@ -79,6 +82,8 @@ You can get help on subcommands by using the -h option to the subcommand.
             print "rip %s" % configure.version
             sys.exit(0)
 
+        self.record = options.record
+
     def parse(self, argv):
         log.debug("morituri", "rip %s" % " ".join(argv))
         logcommand.LogCommand.parse(self, argv)