diff --git a/pollen/cache.rkt b/pollen/cache.rkt
index 62b41b6..a616c71 100644
--- a/pollen/cache.rkt
+++ b/pollen/cache.rkt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #lang racket/base
 (require racket/file
          racket/list
-         racket/fasl
+         racket/path
          sugar/define
          "private/cache-utils.rkt"
          "private/log.rkt"
@@ -47,7 +47,10 @@
       (cond
         [(setup:compile-cache-active path)
          (define key (paths->key path))
-         (define (convert-path-to-cache-record) (path->hash path))
+         (define (convert-path-to-cache-record)
+           (when (current-render-status)
+             (message (format "transitively loading /~a" (find-relative-path (current-project-root) path))))
+           (path->hash path))
          (define (get-cache-record) (cache-ref! key convert-path-to-cache-record))
          (define ram-cache-record (hash-ref! ram-cache key get-cache-record))
          (hash-ref ram-cache-record subkey)]
diff --git a/pollen/render.rkt b/pollen/render.rkt
index 8885093..255cf82 100644
--- a/pollen/render.rkt
+++ b/pollen/render.rkt
@@ -150,7 +150,8 @@
   (message (format "rendering /~a"
                    (find-relative-path (current-project-root) source-path)))
   (match-define-values ((cons render-result _) _ real _)
-    (parameterize ([current-poly-target (->symbol (or (get-ext output-path)
+    (parameterize ([current-render-status source-path]
+                   [current-poly-target (->symbol (or (get-ext output-path)
                                                       (and template-path (get-ext template-path))
                                                       (current-poly-target)))])
       (time-apply render-proc (list source-path template-path output-path))))
diff --git a/pollen/setup.rkt b/pollen/setup.rkt
index 26c5a41..811deaf 100644
--- a/pollen/setup.rkt
+++ b/pollen/setup.rkt
@@ -101,6 +101,8 @@
 (define+provide current-server-port (make-parameter (project-server-port)))
 (define+provide current-server-listen-ip (make-parameter #f))
 
+(define+provide current-render-status (make-parameter #f))
+
 (define-settable dashboard-css "poldash.css")
 
 (define-runtime-path server-extras-dir "private/server-extras")