diff --git a/compiler/builddeps.nim b/compiler/builddeps.nim
index 63f9a9780661c..b6426e16b712a 100644
--- a/compiler/builddeps.nim
+++ b/compiler/builddeps.nim
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import msgs, options, ast, lineinfos, extccomp, pathutils
 const prefix = "__" # prevent clashing with user files
 
 proc addDependency*(conf: ConfigRef, name: string, info: TLineInfo) =
-  echo "D20210513T231239"
   case name
   of "dragonbox":
     if name notin conf.dependencies:
diff --git a/compiler/ic/replayer.nim b/compiler/ic/replayer.nim
index 6d0e61af777b7..0e7db9463f41d 100644
--- a/compiler/ic/replayer.nim
+++ b/compiler/ic/replayer.nim
@@ -32,9 +32,7 @@ proc replayStateChanges*(module: PSym; g: ModuleGraph) =
       of "hint": message(g.config, n.info, hintUser, n[1].strVal)
       of "warning": message(g.config, n.info, warnUser, n[1].strVal)
       of "error": localError(g.config, n.info, errUser, n[1].strVal)
-      of "addDependency":
-        echo ("in replayer", n[1].strVal)
-        addDependency(g.config, n[1].strVal, n.info)
+      of "addDependency": addDependency(g.config, n[1].strVal, n.info)
       of "compile":
         internalAssert g.config, n.len == 4 and n[2].kind == nkStrLit
         let cname = AbsoluteFile n[1].strVal
diff --git a/compiler/pragmas.nim b/compiler/pragmas.nim
index 667637348f342..e81e7e0d6f7fb 100644
--- a/compiler/pragmas.nim
+++ b/compiler/pragmas.nim
@@ -96,12 +96,6 @@ proc getPragmaVal*(procAst: PNode; name: TSpecialWord): PNode =
 proc pragma*(c: PContext, sym: PSym, n: PNode, validPragmas: TSpecialWords;
             isStatement: bool = false)
 
-# proc recordPragma(c: PContext; n: PNode; args: varargs[string]) =
-#   var recorded = newNodeI(nkReplayAction, n.info)
-#   for i in 0..args.high:
-#     recorded.add newStrNode(args[i], n.info)
-#   addPragmaComputation(c, recorded)
-
 const
   errStringLiteralExpected = "string literal expected"
   errIntLiteralExpected = "integer literal expected"
@@ -494,8 +488,6 @@ proc relativeFile(c: PContext; n: PNode; ext=""): AbsoluteFile =
       if result.isEmpty: result = AbsoluteFile s
 
 proc processCompile(c: PContext, n: PNode) =
-  # echo (filename, found, "D20210513T234512", conf.toCompile)
-  echo ("processCompile", "D20210513T234512", n.renderTree)
   proc docompile(c: PContext; it: PNode; src, dest: AbsoluteFile; customArgs: string) =
     var cf = Cfile(nimname: splitFile(src).name,
                    cname: src, obj: dest, flags: {CfileFlag.External},
diff --git a/compiler/semdata.nim b/compiler/semdata.nim
index 20c25e677f797..b4a419a735d70 100644
--- a/compiler/semdata.nim
+++ b/compiler/semdata.nim
@@ -333,6 +333,7 @@ proc addPragmaComputation*(c: PContext; n: PNode) =
     addPragmaComputation(c.encoder, c.packedRepr, n)
 
 proc recordPragma*(c: PContext; n: PNode; args: varargs[string]) =
+  # xxx rename to `recordAction`, since it can record things other than pragmas
   var recorded = newNodeI(nkReplayAction, n.info)
   for i in 0..args.high:
     recorded.add newStrNode(args[i], n.info)
diff --git a/compiler/semmagic.nim b/compiler/semmagic.nim
index 41ef0d4c6ce5b..1ce8bd052cf60 100644
--- a/compiler/semmagic.nim
+++ b/compiler/semmagic.nim
@@ -576,22 +576,9 @@ proc magicsAfterOverloadResolution(c: PContext, n: PNode,
   of mAddDependency:
     let x = c.semConstExpr(c, n[1])
     case x.kind
-    of nkStrKinds:
-      addDependency(c.config, x.strVal, n.info)
-    else:
-      localError(c.config, n.info, "cannot evaluate at compile time")
-    echo ("addPragmaComputation", n.renderTree)
-    #   proc recordPragma(c: PContext; n: PNode; args: varargs[string]) =
-    # var recorded = newNodeI(nkReplayAction, n.info)
-    # for i in 0..args.high:
-    #   recorded.add newStrNode(args[i], n.info)
-    # addPragmaComputation(c, recorded)
-    # addPragmaComputation(c, n)
+    of nkStrKinds: addDependency(c.config, x.strVal, n.info)
+    else: localError(c.config, n.info, "cannot evaluate at compile time")
     recordPragma(c, n, "addDependency", x.strVal)
-    # var recorded = newNodeI(nkReplayAction, n.info)
-    # for i in 0..args.high:
-    #   recorded.add newStrNode(args[i], n.info)
-    # addPragmaComputation(c, recorded)
     result = newNodeIT(nkEmpty, n.info, getSysType(c.graph, n.info, tyVoid))
   of mPrivateAccess:
     var t = n[1].typ[0]
diff --git a/lib/std/private/dependency_utils.nim b/lib/std/private/dependency_utils.nim
index efd7f7d89b080..5fa2bf6f22916 100644
--- a/lib/std/private/dependency_utils.nim
+++ b/lib/std/private/dependency_utils.nim
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
-proc addDependency*(name: string) {.magic: "AddDependency".} =
-  ## TODO: doc comment
+##[
+Experimental, subject to change
+]##
 
-# proc addDependency*(name: string) {.compileTime.} =
-#   ## TODO
+proc addDependency*(name: string) {.magic: "AddDependency".} =
+  ## Adds a dependency on `name`; currently only `dragonbox` is supported.
+  # a pragma would be possible but cause more boilerplate, and also would be less flexible
+  # in case we want to also return something about the depenedncy
diff --git a/lib/std/strfloats.nim b/lib/std/strfloats.nim
index a9cccd9f9b8f6..3960b3191261c 100644
--- a/lib/std/strfloats.nim
+++ b/lib/std/strfloats.nim
@@ -74,10 +74,7 @@ proc toStringSprintf*(buf: var array[strFloatBufLen, char]; value: BiggestFloat)
 
 when useDragonbox:
   import private/dependency_utils
-  # static: addDependency("dragonbox")
-  static: echo "D20210513T234052.1"
   addDependency("dragonbox")
-  static: echo "D20210513T234052.2"
   proc dragonboxToString(buf: ptr char, value: cdouble): ptr char {.importc: "nim_dragonbox_Dtoa".}
 
   proc toStringDragonbox*(buf: var array[strFloatBufLen, char]; value: BiggestFloat): int {.inline.} =