diff --git a/src/pytti/ImageGuide.py b/src/pytti/ImageGuide.py
index 7bd10d1..5aff2b9 100644
--- a/src/pytti/ImageGuide.py
+++ b/src/pytti/ImageGuide.py
@@ -366,8 +366,11 @@ def report_out(
             if model.dataframe:
                 rec = model.dataframe[0].iloc[-1]
                 logger.debug(rec)
-                for k, v in rec.iteritems():
-                    writer.add_scalar(tag=f"losses/{k}", scalar_value=v, global_step=i)
+                if writer is not None:
+                    for k, v in rec.iteritems():
+                        writer.add_scalar(
+                            tag=f"losses/{k}", scalar_value=v, global_step=i
+                        )
 
             # does this VRAM stuff even do anything?
             if approximate_vram_usage:
@@ -420,13 +423,14 @@ def save_out(
             im.save(filename)
 
             im_np = np.array(im)
-            writer.add_image(
-                tag="pytti output",
-                # img_tensor=filename, # thought this would work?
-                img_tensor=im_np,
-                global_step=i,
-                dataformats="HWC",  # this was the key
-            )
+            if writer is not None:
+                writer.add_image(
+                    tag="pytti output",
+                    # img_tensor=filename, # thought this would work?
+                    img_tensor=im_np,
+                    global_step=i,
+                    dataformats="HWC",  # this was the key
+                )
 
             if backups > 0:
                 filename = f"backup/{file_namespace}/{base_name}_{n}.bak"
diff --git a/src/pytti/Transforms.py b/src/pytti/Transforms.py
index 2bf6bd3..e1d336d 100644
--- a/src/pytti/Transforms.py
+++ b/src/pytti/Transforms.py
@@ -9,11 +9,12 @@
 # from pytti.Image.PixelImage import PixelImage
 from adabins.infer import InferenceHelper  # Not used here
 
-TB_LOGDIR = "logs"  # to do: make this more easily configurable
+# TB_LOGDIR = "logs"  # to do: make this more easily configurable
 from loguru import logger
-from torch.utils.tensorboard import SummaryWriter
 
-writer = SummaryWriter(TB_LOGDIR)
+# from torch.utils.tensorboard import SummaryWriter
+
+# writer = SummaryWriter(TB_LOGDIR)
 
 PADDING_MODES = {
     "mirror": "reflection",
@@ -339,8 +340,8 @@ def animate_2d(
     infill_mode,
     sampling_mode,
     img,
-    writer,
-    i,
+    writer=None,
+    i=0,
     t=-1,
 ):
     tx, ty = parametric_eval(translate_x), parametric_eval(translate_y)
@@ -355,16 +356,17 @@ def animate_2d(
         sampling_mode=sampling_mode,
     )
     ################
-    for k, v in {
-        "tx": tx,
-        "ty": ty,
-        "theta": theta,
-        "zx": zx,
-        "zy": zy,
-        "t": t,
-    }.items():
-
-        writer.add_scalar(tag=f"translation_2d/{k}", scalar_value=v, global_step=i)
+    if writer is not None:
+        for k, v in {
+            "tx": tx,
+            "ty": ty,
+            "theta": theta,
+            "zx": zx,
+            "zy": zy,
+            "t": t,
+        }.items():
+            writer.add_scalar(tag=f"translation_2d/{k}", scalar_value=v, global_step=i)
+
     return next_step_pil
 
 
diff --git a/src/pytti/assets/default.yaml b/src/pytti/assets/default.yaml
index 7193648..ebd19ad 100644
--- a/src/pytti/assets/default.yaml
+++ b/src/pytti/assets/default.yaml
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ save_every: 50
 backups: 0
 show_graphs: false
 approximate_vram_usage: false
+use_tensorboard: false
 
 #####################################
 
diff --git a/src/pytti/config/structured_config.py b/src/pytti/config/structured_config.py
index d3db9d4..71bcd60 100644
--- a/src/pytti/config/structured_config.py
+++ b/src/pytti/config/structured_config.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ class ConfigSchema:
     image_model: str = "VQGAN"
     vqgan_model: str = "sflckr"
     animation_mode: str = field(default="off")
+
     @animation_mode.validator
     def check(self, attribute, value):
         check_input_against_list(
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ def check(self, attribute, value):
     cut_pow: int = 2
     cutout_border: float = 0.25
     border_mode: str = field(default="clamp")
+
     @border_mode.validator
     def check(self, attribute, value):
         check_input_against_list(
@@ -80,14 +82,13 @@ def check(self, attribute, value):
     translate_x: str = "0"
     translate_y: str = "0"
     translate_z_3d: str = "0"
-    rotate_3d: str = (
-        "[1, 0, 0, 0]"
-    )
+    rotate_3d: str = "[1, 0, 0, 0]"
     rotate_2d: str = "0"
     zoom_x_2d: str = "0"
     zoom_y_2d: str = "0"
 
     sampling_mode: str = field(default="bicubic")
+
     @sampling_mode.validator
     def check(self, attribute, value):
         check_input_against_list(
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ def check(self, attribute, value):
         )
 
     infill_mode: str = field(default="wrap")
+
     @infill_mode.validator
     def check(self, attribute, value):
         check_input_against_list(
@@ -170,6 +172,7 @@ def check(self, attribute, value):
     backups: int = 0
     show_graphs: bool = False
     approximate_vram_usage: bool = False
+    use_tensorboard: bool = False
 
     #####################################
 
diff --git a/src/pytti/warmup.py b/src/pytti/warmup.py
index 9ffcc7b..990a95e 100644
--- a/src/pytti/warmup.py
+++ b/src/pytti/warmup.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 dest_fpath_demo = Path(full_local) / demo_fname
 
 logger.debug(__path__)
-install_dir = Path(__path__)  # uh... I hope this is correct?
+install_dir = Path(__path__)
 shipped_fpath = install_dir / "assets"
 
 src_fpath_default = Path(shipped_fpath) / default_fname
diff --git a/src/pytti/workhorse.py b/src/pytti/workhorse.py
index 90cde8e..0b7df90 100644
--- a/src/pytti/workhorse.py
+++ b/src/pytti/workhorse.py
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
 
 
 TB_LOGDIR = "logs"  # to do: make this more easily configurable
-writer = SummaryWriter(TB_LOGDIR)
+# writer = SummaryWriter(TB_LOGDIR)
 OUTPATH = f"{os.getcwd()}/images_out/"
 
 # To do: ove remaining gunk into this...
@@ -188,6 +188,10 @@ def _main(cfg: DictConfig):
     logger.debug(OmegaConf.to_container(cfg, resolve=True))
     latest = -1
 
+    writer = None
+    if params.use_tensorboard:
+        writer = SummaryWriter(TB_LOGDIR)
+
     batch_mode = False  # @param{type:"boolean"}
 
     ### Move these into default.yaml
@@ -551,7 +555,8 @@ def do_run():
         if fig:
             del fig, axs
         ############################# DMARX
-        writer.close()
+        if writer is not None:
+            writer.close()
         #############################
 
     ## Work on getting rid of this batch mode garbage. Hydra's got this.
diff --git a/tests/config/default.yaml b/tests/config/default.yaml
index fcfdbf6..79f9e4d 100644
--- a/tests/config/default.yaml
+++ b/tests/config/default.yaml
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ save_every: 50
 backups: 5
 show_graphs: false
 approximate_vram_usage: false
+use_tensorboard: false
 
 #####################################
 
diff --git a/tests/test_animation_broken.py b/tests/test_animation_broken.py
index 349227e..0bfbbec 100644
--- a/tests/test_animation_broken.py
+++ b/tests/test_animation_broken.py
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@
     "gradient_accumulation_steps": 1,
     "border_mode": "clamp",
     "models_parent_dir": ".",
+    ##########################
+    # adding new config items for backwards compatibility
+    "use_tensorboard": True,  # This should actually default to False. Prior to April2022, tb was non-optional
 }