diff --git a/include/ircd/server/request.h b/include/ircd/server/request.h
index 7215dbea2..66fbcae69 100644
--- a/include/ircd/server/request.h
+++ b/include/ircd/server/request.h
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@ struct ircd::server::out
 	/// written so far. This is only invoked for content. At the first
 	/// invocation, the head has been fully written.
 	std::function<void (const_buffer, const_buffer)> progress;
+
+	/// Call server::out::gethead(request) to extract the details of the HTTP
+	/// request being sent by the request. This may not always be available,
+	/// like in some cases after the request was canceled.
+	static http::request::head gethead(const request &);
 };
 
 /// Request data and options related to the receive side of the request.
@@ -78,6 +83,11 @@ struct ircd::server::in
 	/// copied there; this vector is cleared and content points there instead.
 	/// An option can be set in request::opts to skip the last step.
 	std::vector<unique_buffer<mutable_buffer>> chunks;
+
+	/// Call server::in::gethead(request) to extract the details of the HTTP
+	/// response being received by the request. This may not always be
+	/// available if it has not been received or was discarded etc.
+	static http::response::head gethead(const request &);
 };
 
 /// This is a handle for being a client to another server. This handle will
diff --git a/ircd/server.cc b/ircd/server.cc
index 6d60f7b76..b72e1becd 100644
--- a/ircd/server.cc
+++ b/ircd/server.cc
@@ -348,14 +348,11 @@ try
 	if(request.tag && request.tag->cancellation)
 		return "<canceled; out data is gone>";
 
-	parse::buffer pb{request.out.head};
-	parse::capstan pc{pb, [](char *&read, char *stop)
+	const http::request::head head
 	{
-		read = stop;
-	}};
+		request.out.gethead(request)
+	};
 
-	pc.read += size(request.out.head);
-	const http::request::head head{pc};
 	if(!head.method || !head.path)
 		return "<no head data>";
 
@@ -371,7 +368,7 @@ catch(const std::exception &e)
 		log, "server::loghead(): %s", e.what()
 	};
 
-	return "<loghead error>";
+	return "<critical error>";
 }
 
 ircd::string_view
@@ -381,6 +378,72 @@ ircd::server::loghead(const request &request)
 	return loghead(buf, request);
 }
 
+//
+// server::in
+//
+
+ircd::http::response::head
+ircd::server::in::gethead(const request &request)
+try
+{
+	if(empty(request.in.head))
+		return {};
+
+	if(request.tag && request.tag->cancellation)
+		return {};
+
+	parse::buffer pb{request.in.head};
+	parse::capstan pc{pb, [](char *&read, char *stop)
+	{
+		read = stop;
+	}};
+
+	pc.read += size(request.in.head);
+	return http::response::head{pc};
+}
+catch(const std::exception &e)
+{
+	log::critical
+	{
+		log, "server::in::gethead(): %s", e.what()
+	};
+
+	return {};
+}
+
+//
+// server::out
+//
+
+ircd::http::request::head
+ircd::server::out::gethead(const request &request)
+try
+{
+	if(empty(request.out.head))
+		return {};
+
+	if(request.tag && request.tag->cancellation)
+		return {};
+
+	parse::buffer pb{request.out.head};
+	parse::capstan pc{pb, [](char *&read, char *stop)
+	{
+		read = stop;
+	}};
+
+	pc.read += size(request.out.head);
+	return http::request::head{pc};
+}
+catch(const std::exception &e)
+{
+	log::critical
+	{
+		log, "server::out::gethead(): %s", e.what()
+	};
+
+	return {};
+}
+
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //
 // server/peer.h