diff --git a/include/libtorrent/storage.hpp b/include/libtorrent/storage.hpp
index 57a2ea458..7d16d1972 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/storage.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/storage.hpp
@@ -443,6 +443,11 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		// file_storage, otherwise returns the original file_storage object.
 		file_storage const& files() const { return m_mapped_files?*m_mapped_files:m_files; }
 
+#ifdef TORRENT_DISK_STATS
+		static bool disk_write_access_log();
+		static void disk_write_access_log(bool enable);
+#endif
+
 	private:
 
 		int sparse_end(int start) const;
diff --git a/src/disk_io_thread.cpp b/src/disk_io_thread.cpp
index 65d20a546..a788a771b 100644
--- a/src/disk_io_thread.cpp
+++ b/src/disk_io_thread.cpp
@@ -81,11 +81,6 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 namespace libtorrent
 {
 
-#ifdef TORRENT_DISK_STATS
-	// this is defined and used in storage.cpp
-	extern FILE* g_access_log;
-#endif
-
 #if TORRENT_USE_ASSERTS
 
 #define TORRENT_PIECE_ASSERT(cond, piece) \
@@ -168,10 +163,6 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		m_disk_cache.set_settings(m_settings, ec);
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(!ec);
 
-#ifdef TORRENT_DISK_STATS
-		if (g_access_log == NULL) g_access_log = fopen("file_access.log", "a+");
-#endif
-
 #if TORRENT_USE_RLIMIT
 		// ---- auto-cap open files ----
 
@@ -200,15 +191,6 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(pieces.first == pieces.second);
 #endif
 
-#ifdef TORRENT_DISK_STATS
-		if (g_access_log)
-		{
-			FILE* f = g_access_log;
-			g_access_log = NULL;
-			fclose(f);
-		}
-#endif
-
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(m_magic == 0x1337);
 #if TORRENT_USE_ASSERTS
 		m_magic = 0xdead;
diff --git a/src/storage.cpp b/src/storage.cpp
index 6cb42ed01..32f066087 100644
--- a/src/storage.cpp
+++ b/src/storage.cpp
@@ -122,50 +122,6 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 namespace libtorrent
 {
-
-#ifdef TORRENT_DISK_STATS
-	static boost::atomic<int> event_id;
-	static mutex disk_access_mutex;
-
-	// this is opened and closed by the disk_io_thread class
-	FILE* g_access_log = NULL;
-
-	enum access_log_flags_t
-	{
-		op_read = 0,
-		op_write = 1,
-		op_start = 0,
-		op_end = 2
-	};
-
-	void write_access_log(boost::uint64_t offset, boost::uint32_t fileid, int flags, time_point timestamp)
-	{
-		if (g_access_log == NULL) return;
-
-		// the event format in the log is:
-		// uint64_t timestamp (microseconds)
-		// uint64_t file offset
-		// uint32_t file-id
-		// uint8_t  event (0: start read, 1: start write, 2: complete read, 4: complete write)
-		char event[29];
-		char* ptr = event;
-		detail::write_uint64(timestamp.time_since_epoch().count(), ptr);
-		detail::write_uint64(offset, ptr);
-		detail::write_uint64((boost::uint64_t)event_id++, ptr);
-		detail::write_uint32(fileid, ptr);
-		detail::write_uint8(flags, ptr);
-
-		mutex::scoped_lock l(disk_access_mutex);
-		int ret = fwrite(event, 1, sizeof(event), g_access_log);
-		l.unlock();
-		if (ret != sizeof(event))
-		{
-			fprintf(stderr, "ERROR writing to disk access log: (%d) %s\n"
-				, errno, strerror(errno));
-		}
-	}
-#endif
-
 	int copy_bufs(file::iovec_t const* bufs, int bytes, file::iovec_t* target)
 	{
 		int size = 0;
@@ -231,6 +187,49 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		}
 	}
 #endif
+
+#ifdef TORRENT_DISK_STATS
+	static boost::atomic<int> event_id;
+	static mutex disk_access_mutex;
+
+	// this is opened and closed by the disk_io_thread class
+	FILE* g_access_log = NULL;
+
+	enum access_log_flags_t
+	{
+		op_read = 0,
+		op_write = 1,
+		op_start = 0,
+		op_end = 2
+	};
+
+	void write_access_log(boost::uint64_t offset, boost::uint32_t fileid, int flags, time_point timestamp)
+	{
+		if (g_access_log == NULL) return;
+
+		// the event format in the log is:
+		// uint64_t timestamp (microseconds)
+		// uint64_t file offset
+		// uint32_t file-id
+		// uint8_t  event (0: start read, 1: start write, 2: complete read, 4: complete write)
+		char event[29];
+		char* ptr = event;
+		detail::write_uint64(timestamp.time_since_epoch().count(), ptr);
+		detail::write_uint64(offset, ptr);
+		detail::write_uint64((boost::uint64_t)event_id++, ptr);
+		detail::write_uint32(fileid, ptr);
+		detail::write_uint8(flags, ptr);
+
+		mutex::scoped_lock l(disk_access_mutex);
+		int ret = fwrite(event, 1, sizeof(event), g_access_log);
+		l.unlock();
+		if (ret != sizeof(event))
+		{
+			fprintf(stderr, "ERROR writing to disk access log: (%d) %s\n"
+				, errno, strerror(errno));
+		}
+	}
+#endif
 	} // anonymous namespace
 
 	default_storage::default_storage(storage_params const& params)
@@ -1388,6 +1387,31 @@ namespace libtorrent
 		return false;
 	}
 
+#ifdef TORRENT_DISK_STATS
+	bool default_storage::disk_write_access_log() {
+		return g_access_log != NULL;
+	}
+
+	void default_storage::disk_write_access_log(bool enable) {
+		if (enable)
+		{
+			if (g_access_log == NULL)
+			{
+				g_access_log = fopen("file_access.log", "a+");
+			}
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			if (g_access_log != NULL)
+			{
+				FILE* f = g_access_log;
+				g_access_log = NULL;
+				fclose(f);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+#endif
+
 	storage_interface* default_storage_constructor(storage_params const& params)
 	{
 		return new default_storage(params);