diff --git a/vlib/net/http/backend_nix.c.v b/vlib/net/http/backend_nix.c.v
index 9c2125de5c..e2b86466b3 100644
--- a/vlib/net/http/backend_nix.c.v
+++ b/vlib/net/http/backend_nix.c.v
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ fn (req &Request) ssl_do(port int, method Method, host_name string, path string)
 	res = C.SSL_get_verify_result(voidptr(ssl))
 	// /////
 	req_headers := req.build_request_headers(method, host_name, path)
+	$if trace_http_request ? {
+		eprintln('> $req_headers')
+	}
 	// println(req_headers)
 	C.BIO_puts(web, req_headers.str)
 	mut content := strings.new_builder(100)
@@ -63,5 +66,9 @@ fn (req &Request) ssl_do(port int, method Method, host_name string, path string)
 	if ctx != 0 {
 		C.SSL_CTX_free(ctx)
 	}
-	return parse_response(content.str())
+	response_text := content.str()
+	$if trace_http_response ? {
+		eprintln('< $response_text')
+	}
+	return parse_response(response_text)
 }
diff --git a/vlib/net/http/backend_windows.c.v b/vlib/net/http/backend_windows.c.v
index b494b825bb..8c06478f1e 100644
--- a/vlib/net/http/backend_windows.c.v
+++ b/vlib/net/http/backend_windows.c.v
@@ -6,15 +6,23 @@ module http
 #flag windows -I @VROOT/thirdparty/vschannel
 #flag -l ws2_32 -l crypt32 -l secur32 -l user32
 #include "vschannel.c"
+
 fn C.new_tls_context() C.TlsContext
 
 fn (req &Request) ssl_do(port int, method Method, host_name string, path string) ?Response {
 	mut ctx := C.new_tls_context()
 	C.vschannel_init(&ctx)
-	mut buff := unsafe {malloc(C.vsc_init_resp_buff_size)}
+	mut buff := unsafe { malloc(C.vsc_init_resp_buff_size) }
 	addr := host_name
 	sdata := req.build_request_headers(method, host_name, path)
+	$if trace_http_request ? {
+		eprintln('> $sdata')
+	}
 	length := int(C.request(&ctx, port, addr.to_wide(), sdata.str, &buff))
 	C.vschannel_cleanup(&ctx)
-	return parse_response(unsafe {buff.vstring_with_len(length)})
+	response_text := unsafe { buff.vstring_with_len(length) }
+	$if trace_http_response ? {
+		eprintln('< $response_text')
+	}
+	return parse_response(response_text)
 }
diff --git a/vlib/net/http/http.v b/vlib/net/http/http.v
index 5d4eab225b..236a5b46be 100644
--- a/vlib/net/http/http.v
+++ b/vlib/net/http/http.v
@@ -74,9 +74,9 @@ pub fn get(url string) ?Response {
 
 // post sends a POST HTTP request to the URL with a string data
 pub fn post(url string, data string) ?Response {
-	return fetch_with_method(.post, url, 
+	return fetch_with_method(.post, url,
 		data: data
-		headers: {
+		headers: map{
 			'Content-Type': http.content_type_default
 		}
 	)
@@ -84,9 +84,9 @@ pub fn post(url string, data string) ?Response {
 
 // post_json sends a POST HTTP request to the URL with a JSON data
 pub fn post_json(url string, data string) ?Response {
-	return fetch_with_method(.post, url, 
+	return fetch_with_method(.post, url,
 		data: data
-		headers: {
+		headers: map{
 			'Content-Type': 'application/json'
 		}
 	)
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ pub fn post_json(url string, data string) ?Response {
 
 // post_form sends a POST HTTP request to the URL with X-WWW-FORM-URLENCODED data
 pub fn post_form(url string, data map[string]string) ?Response {
-	return fetch_with_method(.post, url, 
-		headers: {
+	return fetch_with_method(.post, url,
+		headers: map{
 			'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'
 		}
 		data: url_encode_form_data(data)
@@ -104,9 +104,9 @@ pub fn post_form(url string, data map[string]string) ?Response {
 
 // put sends a PUT HTTP request to the URL with a string data
 pub fn put(url string, data string) ?Response {
-	return fetch_with_method(.put, url, 
+	return fetch_with_method(.put, url,
 		data: data
-		headers: {
+		headers: map{
 			'Content-Type': http.content_type_default
 		}
 	)
@@ -114,9 +114,9 @@ pub fn put(url string, data string) ?Response {
 
 // patch sends a PATCH HTTP request to the URL with a string data
 pub fn patch(url string, data string) ?Response {
-	return fetch_with_method(.patch, url, 
+	return fetch_with_method(.patch, url,
 		data: data
-		headers: {
+		headers: map{
 			'Content-Type': http.content_type_default
 		}
 	)
@@ -401,9 +401,16 @@ fn (req &Request) http_do(host string, method Method, path string) ?Response {
 	mut client := net.dial_tcp(host) ?
 	// TODO this really needs to be exposed somehow
 	client.write(s.bytes()) ?
+	$if trace_http_request ? {
+		eprintln('> $s')
+	}
 	mut bytes := io.read_all(reader: client) ?
 	client.close() ?
-	return parse_response(bytes.bytestr())
+	response_text := bytes.bytestr()
+	$if trace_http_response ? {
+		eprintln('< $response_text')
+	}
+	return parse_response(response_text)
 }
 
 // referer returns 'Referer' header value of the given request