diff --git a/pkg/checks/checkhttp.go b/pkg/checks/checkhttp.go
index d40e272d9c..9293a2c108 100644
--- a/pkg/checks/checkhttp.go
+++ b/pkg/checks/checkhttp.go
@@ -3,16 +3,22 @@ package checks
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"net"
 	"net/http"
+	"net/netip"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/opencloud-eu/opencloud/pkg/handlers"
 )
 
-// NewHTTPCheck checks the reachability of a http server.
+// HealthCheckUserAgent is the user agent of the requests NewHTTPCheck sends.
+const HealthCheckUserAgent = "opencloud-health-check"
+
+// NewHTTPCheck checks the reachability of a http server. Any answer counts,
+// a server that doesn't answer within the timeout fails the check.
 func NewHTTPCheck(url string) func(context.Context) error {
-	return func(_ context.Context) error {
+	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		url, err := handlers.FailSaveAddress(url)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -22,10 +28,16 @@ func NewHTTPCheck(url string) func(context.Context) error {
 			url = "http://" + url
 		}
 
+		req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodHead, url, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		req.Header.Set("User-Agent", HealthCheckUserAgent)
+
 		c := http.Client{
 			Timeout: 3 * time.Second,
 		}
-		resp, err := c.Get(url)
+		resp, err := c.Do(req)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("could not connect to http server: %v", err)
 		}
@@ -33,3 +45,18 @@ func NewHTTPCheck(url string) func(context.Context) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 }
+
+// IsLocalHealthCheck reports whether r is a request of NewHTTPCheck, so an
+// access log can leave it out. The user agent alone would let any client hide
+// its requests, so the request must also come from the loopback address.
+func IsLocalHealthCheck(r *http.Request) bool {
+	if r.UserAgent() != HealthCheckUserAgent {
+		return false
+	}
+	host, _, err := net.SplitHostPort(r.RemoteAddr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	a, err := netip.ParseAddr(host)
+	return err == nil && a.Unmap().IsLoopback()
+}
diff --git a/pkg/checks/checkhttp_test.go b/pkg/checks/checkhttp_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..735d7ddb56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/checks/checkhttp_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+package checks
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestNewHTTPCheck(t *testing.T) {
+	var got *http.Request
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		got = r
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusBadGateway)
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	require.NoError(t, NewHTTPCheck(srv.URL)(context.Background()), "any answer counts")
+	assert.Equal(t, http.MethodHead, got.Method)
+	assert.True(t, IsLocalHealthCheck(got))
+}
+
+func TestIsLocalHealthCheck(t *testing.T) {
+	for name, tc := range map[string]struct {
+		remoteAddr, userAgent string
+		want                  bool
+	}{
+		"check from ipv4 loopback": {"127.0.0.1:51234", HealthCheckUserAgent, true},
+		"check from ipv6 loopback": {"[::1]:51234", HealthCheckUserAgent, true},
+		"client sending the agent": {"203.0.113.7:51234", HealthCheckUserAgent, false},
+		"proxy in front":           {"10.0.0.5:51234", HealthCheckUserAgent, false},
+		"local browser":            {"127.0.0.1:51234", "Mozilla/5.0", false},
+	} {
+		r := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodHead, "/", nil)
+		r.RemoteAddr = tc.remoteAddr
+		r.Header.Set("User-Agent", tc.userAgent)
+		assert.Equal(t, tc.want, IsLocalHealthCheck(r), name)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/services/collaboration/pkg/middleware/accesslog.go b/services/collaboration/pkg/middleware/accesslog.go
index 8ebd05a1b5..fd89cc4d31 100644
--- a/services/collaboration/pkg/middleware/accesslog.go
+++ b/services/collaboration/pkg/middleware/accesslog.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5/middleware"
+	"github.com/opencloud-eu/opencloud/pkg/checks"
 	"github.com/opencloud-eu/opencloud/pkg/log"
 	ocmiddleware "github.com/opencloud-eu/opencloud/pkg/middleware"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace"
@@ -21,6 +22,10 @@ func AccessLog(logger log.Logger) func(http.Handler) http.Handler {
 			wrap := middleware.NewWrapResponseWriter(w, r.ProtoMajor)
 			next.ServeHTTP(wrap, r)
 
+			if checks.IsLocalHealthCheck(r) {
+				return
+			}
+
 			spanContext := trace.SpanContextFromContext(r.Context())
 			logger.Info().
 				Str("proto", r.Proto).
diff --git a/services/proxy/pkg/middleware/accesslog.go b/services/proxy/pkg/middleware/accesslog.go
index 2638ff2178..00695229d1 100644
--- a/services/proxy/pkg/middleware/accesslog.go
+++ b/services/proxy/pkg/middleware/accesslog.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5/middleware"
+	"github.com/opencloud-eu/opencloud/pkg/checks"
 	"github.com/opencloud-eu/opencloud/pkg/log"
 	ocmiddleware "github.com/opencloud-eu/opencloud/pkg/middleware"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace"
@@ -21,6 +22,10 @@ func AccessLog(logger log.Logger) func(http.Handler) http.Handler {
 			wrap := middleware.NewWrapResponseWriter(w, r.ProtoMajor)
 			next.ServeHTTP(wrap, r)
 
+			if checks.IsLocalHealthCheck(r) {
+				return
+			}
+
 			spanContext := trace.SpanContextFromContext(r.Context())
 			logger.Info().
 				Str("proto", r.Proto).