diff --git a/explode_mbox.py b/explode_mbox.py
index 9d8ba48..f7a3d10 100644
--- a/explode_mbox.py
+++ b/explode_mbox.py
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 import argparse
+import gzip
 import hashlib
+import logging
 import os
 import pathlib
 import sys
 import time
 import typing
 
-DEBUG = os.environ.get("DEBUG") == "enabled"
-
 
 def main(sysargs=sys.argv[:]) -> int:
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
@@ -20,75 +20,96 @@ def main(sysargs=sys.argv[:]) -> int:
         type=float,
         help="sleep seconds in between messages",
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-D",
+        "--debug",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="increase logging verbosity to debug level",
+    )
 
     args = parser.parse_args(sysargs[1:])
 
-    for msg in _iter_mbox(args.mbox):
-        if msg.length < 2:
-            print("skipping invalid message")
-            continue
-        dest = args.output_directory / msg.relpath
-        dest.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-        print(f"writing message to {dest}")
-        dest.write_bytes(msg.as_bytes())
-        time.sleep(args.zzz)
+    log_level = logging.INFO
+    if os.environ.get("DEBUG") == "enabled":
+        log_level = logging.DEBUG
+
+    logging.basicConfig(level=log_level)
+
+    MBoxExploder().explode(
+        mbox=args.mbox, output_directory=args.output_directory, pause_seconds=args.zzz
+    )
+
     return 0
 
 
-class Message:
+class MBoxMessage:
     def __init__(self):
         self.lines = []
 
+    def as_gz_bytes(self) -> bytes:
+        return gzip.compress(self.as_bytes())
+
     def as_bytes(self) -> bytes:
         return b"".join([l for l in self.lines])
 
-    @property
-    def length(self) -> int:
-        return len(self.lines)
-
-    @property
     def signature(self) -> str:
-        return hashlib.sha512(self.lines[0]).hexdigest()
+        return hashlib.sha512(self.as_bytes()).hexdigest()
 
-    @property
     def relpath(self) -> str:
-        sig = self.signature
-        return os.path.sep.join(
-            [sig[0:1], sig[1:3], sig[3:5], sig[5:7], f"{sig}.email"]
-        )
+        sig = self.signature()
+        return os.path.sep.join([sig[0:2], sig[2:4], sig])
+
+    def gz_relpath(self) -> str:
+        return self.relpath() + ".gz"
 
 
-def _iter_mbox(mbox: typing.BinaryIO) -> typing.Generator[Message, None, None]:
-    msg = Message()
-    cur_line = b""
+class MBoxExploder:
+    def __init__(self):
+        self._log = logging.getLogger().getChild("mbox-exploder")
 
-    while True:
-        byte = mbox.read(1)
-        if len(byte) == 0:
-            _debug(f"reached EOF")
-            msg.lines.append(cur_line)
-            yield msg
-            return
+    def explode(
+        self,
+        mbox: typing.BinaryIO,
+        output_directory: pathlib.Path,
+        pause_seconds: float,
+    ):
+        for i, msg in enumerate(self._iter_mbox(mbox)):
+            if len(msg.lines) < 2:
+                self._log.warn("skipping invalid message (%r)", i)
+                continue
+            dest = output_directory / msg.gz_relpath()
+            dest.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+            self._log.info("writing message to %s", str(dest))
+            dest.write_bytes(msg.as_gz_bytes())
+            time.sleep(pause_seconds)
 
-        cur_line += byte
-
-        if byte != b"\n":
-            continue
-
-        if cur_line.startswith(b"From "):
-            _debug(f"reached new msg")
-            yield msg
-            msg = Message()
-
-        _debug(f"appending line {cur_line}")
-        msg.lines.append(cur_line)
+    def _iter_mbox(
+        self, mbox: typing.BinaryIO
+    ) -> typing.Generator[MBoxMessage, None, None]:
+        msg = MBoxMessage()
         cur_line = b""
 
+        while True:
+            byte = mbox.read(1)
+            if len(byte) == 0:
+                self._log.debug("reached EOF")
+                msg.lines.append(cur_line)
+                yield msg
+                return
 
-def _debug(msg):
-    if not DEBUG:
-        return
-    print(f"DEBUG: {msg}", file=sys.stderr)
+            cur_line += byte
+
+            if byte != b"\n":
+                continue
+
+            if cur_line.startswith(b"From ") and len(msg.lines) > 1:
+                self._log.debug("reached new msg")
+                yield msg
+                msg = MBoxMessage()
+
+            self._log.debug("appending line %r", cur_line)
+            msg.lines.append(cur_line)
+            cur_line = b""
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":