diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Log.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Log.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0db4da98c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Log.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Text;
+using System.IO;
+
+namespace OpenRa.Game
+{
+	static class Log
+	{
+		static StreamWriter writer = File.CreateText("../../../log.txt");
+		static Log()
+		{
+			writer.AutoFlush = true;
+		}
+
+		public static void Write(string format, params object[] args)
+		{
+			writer.WriteLine(format, args);
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/MainWindow.cs b/OpenRa.Game/MainWindow.cs
index fd88c492fc..15870843ca 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/MainWindow.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/MainWindow.cs
@@ -60,9 +60,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			foreach (TreeReference treeReference in map.Trees)
 				world.Add(new Tree(treeReference, treeCache, map));
 
-			PrecacheStructure("proc");
-			PrecacheStructure("fact");
-			PrecacheUnit("mcv");
+			SequenceProvider.ForcePrecache();
 
 			world.Add(new Mcv(new int2(5, 5), 3));
 			world.Add(new Mcv(new int2(7, 5), 2));
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/OpenRa.Game.csproj b/OpenRa.Game/OpenRa.Game.csproj
index d4a0e8cfbf..90405a83c6 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/OpenRa.Game.csproj
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/OpenRa.Game.csproj
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
   <ItemGroup>
     <Compile Include="Actor.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Animation.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Log.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Sequence.cs" />
     <Compile Include="ConstructionYard.cs" />
     <Compile Include="float2.cs" />
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/SequenceProvider.cs b/OpenRa.Game/SequenceProvider.cs
index 492731f9f0..7873b15949 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/SequenceProvider.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/SequenceProvider.cs
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 				LoadSequencesForUnit(eUnit);
 		}
 
+		public static void ForcePrecache() { }	// force static ctor to run
+
 		static void LoadSequencesForUnit(XmlElement eUnit)
 		{
 			string unitName = eUnit.GetAttribute("name");
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/UnitSheetBuilder.cs b/OpenRa.Game/UnitSheetBuilder.cs
index 2d6034f9f1..adc268ca8c 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/UnitSheetBuilder.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/UnitSheetBuilder.cs
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 
 		static Range<int> AddUnit( string name )
 		{
+			Log.Write("Loading SHP for {0}", name);
+
 			int low = sprites.Count;
 			ShpReader reader = Load(name + ".shp");
 			foreach (ImageHeader h in reader)
@@ -43,6 +45,9 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 
 			Range<int> sequence = new Range<int>(low, sprites.Count - 1);
 			sequences.Add(name, sequence);
+
+			Log.Write("Loaded SHP for {0}", name);
+
 			return sequence;
 		}
 	}