diff --git a/src/repo/sqlite.rs b/src/repo/sqlite.rs
index c599623..2da9bdf 100644
--- a/src/repo/sqlite.rs
+++ b/src/repo/sqlite.rs
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ impl NostrRepo for SqliteRepo {
             let start = Instant::now();
             let mut row_count: usize = 0;
             // cutoff for displaying slow queries
-            let slow_cutoff = Duration::from_millis(2000);
+            let slow_cutoff = Duration::from_millis(1000);
             let mut filter_count = 0;
             for filter in sub.filters.iter() {
                 let filter_start = Instant::now();
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ impl NostrRepo for SqliteRepo {
                 let sql_gen_elapsed = start.elapsed();
 
                 if sql_gen_elapsed > Duration::from_millis(10) {
-                    debug!("SQL (slow) generated in {:?}", start.elapsed());
+                    debug!("SQL (slow) generated in {:?}", filter_start.elapsed());
                 }
                 // any client that doesn't cause us to generate new rows in 5
                 // seconds gets dropped.
@@ -379,16 +379,16 @@ impl NostrRepo for SqliteRepo {
                                 "first result in {:?} (cid: {}, sub: {:?}, filter: {}) [used index: {:?}]",
                                 first_event_elapsed, client_id, sub.id, filter_count, idx
                             );
+                            // logging for slow queries; show filter and SQL.
+                            // to reduce logging; only show 1/16th of clients (leading 0)
+                            if slow_first_event && client_id.starts_with('0') {
+                                debug!(
+                                    "filter first result (slow): {} (cid: {}, sub: {:?})",
+                                    serde_json::to_string(&filter)?, client_id, sub.id
+                                );
+                            }
                             first_result = false;
                         }
-                        // logging for slow queries; show sub and SQL.
-                        // to reduce logging; only show 1/16th of clients (leading 0)
-                        if row_count == 0 && slow_first_event && client_id.starts_with('0') {
-                            debug!(
-                                "query filter req (slow): {:?} (cid: {}, sub: {:?})",
-                                filter, client_id, sub.id
-                            );
-                        }
                         // check if a checkpoint is trying to run, and abort
                         if row_count % 100 == 0 {
                             {
@@ -447,6 +447,14 @@ impl NostrRepo for SqliteRepo {
                 } else {
                     warn!("Could not get a database connection for querying");
                 }
+                // if the filter took more than 1 second of db_time, print out the JSON.
+                if start.elapsed() > slow_cutoff && client_id.starts_with('0') {
+                    debug!(
+                        "query filter req (slow): {} (cid: {}, sub: {:?})",
+                        serde_json::to_string(&filter)?, client_id, sub.id
+                    );
+                }
+
             }
             drop(sem); // new query can begin
             debug!(
diff --git a/src/subscription.rs b/src/subscription.rs
index e055fe2..261381c 100644
--- a/src/subscription.rs
+++ b/src/subscription.rs
@@ -22,16 +22,22 @@ pub struct Subscription {
 #[derive(Serialize, PartialEq, Eq, Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct ReqFilter {
     /// Event hashes
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if="Option::is_none")]
     pub ids: Option<Vec<String>>,
     /// Event kinds
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if="Option::is_none")]
     pub kinds: Option<Vec<u64>>,
     /// Events published after this time
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if="Option::is_none")]
     pub since: Option<u64>,
     /// Events published before this time
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if="Option::is_none")]
     pub until: Option<u64>,
     /// List of author public keys
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if="Option::is_none")]
     pub authors: Option<Vec<String>>,
     /// Limit number of results
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if="Option::is_none")]
     pub limit: Option<u64>,
     /// Set of tags
     #[serde(skip)]
@@ -40,6 +46,7 @@ pub struct ReqFilter {
     // we can't represent it in the req filter, so we don't want to
     // erroneously match.  This basically indicates the req tried to
     // do something invalid.
+    #[serde(skip)]
     pub force_no_match: bool,
 }