diff --git a/src/nancy/cli/record.py b/src/nancy/cli/record.py
index fb27928..3116ca0 100644
--- a/src/nancy/cli/record.py
+++ b/src/nancy/cli/record.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ from .. import store
 from .common import confirm
 from .diff import print_diff
 
+from datetime import datetime
 import os
 import sys
 from typing import Any, Optional, Union
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ def record(
     skip_confirm: bool = False,
 ) -> None:
     """Unwrapped record command"""
+    start_time = datetime.now()
 
     if store_path is None:
         curdir = os.path.realpath(os.getcwd())
@@ -36,21 +38,34 @@ def record(
     else:  # this is an existing store
         s = store.Store(store_path)
 
-    fsdiff = s.diff()
+    with s.new_program("RECORD", message) as p:
+        p.start_time = start_time  # reset start to actual start of command
+        with s.committing() as cur:  # entire record operation should be one transaction
+            # create a task for this operation
+            task = p.new_task(name="Store._record_recursive", cur=cur)
 
-    if show_diff:
-        print_diff(fsdiff, show_hashes=show_hashes, use_color=use_color)
+            fsdiff = s.diff()
 
-    logger.info("Recording with message: {}", message)
+            if show_diff:
+                print_diff(fsdiff, show_hashes=show_hashes, use_color=use_color)
 
-    if skip_confirm or confirm("Record the values above into the database?"):
-        s.record(fsdiff, message=message)
-    else:
-        logger.info("Cancelled!")
-        sys.exit(1)
+            logger.info("Recording with message: {}", message)
+
+            if skip_confirm or confirm(f"Record to {s.db_path}?"):
+                # descend the diff, tracking parent filedir IDs, creating them and
+                # recording new versions of each, when necessary
+                fsdiff.persist(cur=cur, source_task=task)
+            else:
+                logger.info("Cancelled!")
+                sys.exit(1)
 
 
 @click.command()
+@click.option(
+    "--no-show",
+    is_flag=True,
+    help="Do not show what is about to be recorded.",
+)
 @click.option(
     "-H",
     "--show-hashes",
@@ -62,6 +77,12 @@ def record(
     is_flag=True,
     help="If given, do not print any color output.",
 )
+@click.option(
+    "-y",
+    "--yes",
+    is_flag=True,
+    help="Do not ask for confirmation.",
+)
 @click.option(
     "-m",
     "--message",
@@ -78,7 +99,14 @@ def record(
     "of given paths. If given the path to a non-store directory, a new "
     "store is initialized there.",
 )
-def record_cli(show_hashes: bool, no_color: bool, message: str, store: str) -> None:
+def record_cli(
+    no_show: bool,
+    show_hashes: bool,
+    yes: bool,
+    no_color: bool,
+    message: str,
+    store: str,
+) -> None:
     """
     Initialize tracking or record changes to a tracked directory.
     """
@@ -87,4 +115,6 @@ def record_cli(show_hashes: bool, no_color: bool, message: str, store: str) -> N
         show_hashes=show_hashes,
         use_color=not no_color,
         store_path=store,
+        skip_confirm=yes,
+        show_diff=not no_show,
     )
diff --git a/src/nancy/fs.py b/src/nancy/fs.py
index 91fbe60..ea70e61 100644
--- a/src/nancy/fs.py
+++ b/src/nancy/fs.py
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ class FSEntry:
         cls: Type[_FSEntryT],
         store: Optional["Store"] = None,
         relpath: Optional[str] = None,
-        exclude: List[str] = ["nancy.db"],
+        exclude_prefixes: List[str] = ["nancy.db", "."],
         parent: Optional[_FSEntryT] = None,
         direntry: Optional["os.DirEntry[str]"] = None,
     ) -> _FSEntryT:
@@ -206,15 +206,23 @@ class FSEntry:
                 for e in direntries
             )
 
-            children = [
-                cls.from_path(
-                    store=store,
-                    relpath=rp,
-                    direntry=e,
+            children = []
+            for rp, e in zip(childrenrelpaths, direntries):
+                skip = False
+                for p in exclude_prefixes:
+                    if os.path.basename(rp).startswith(p):
+                        skip = True
+                        break
+                if skip:
+                    continue
+                children.append(
+                    cls.from_path(
+                        store=store,
+                        relpath=rp,
+                        direntry=e,
+                    )
                 )
-                for rp, e in zip(childrenrelpaths, direntries)
-                if rp not in exclude
-            ]
+
             for c in children:  # now hash concatenated sorted hashes
                 # hash on perms+sha256 to enable recursively detecting perm
                 # changes without modifying the hashes of individual files,
diff --git a/src/nancy/program.py b/src/nancy/program.py
index b5ca5ab..56db257 100644
--- a/src/nancy/program.py
+++ b/src/nancy/program.py
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ class Program:
     name: str
     message: str
 
-    start_time: Optional[datetime.datetime] = None
+    start_time: datetime.datetime = datetime.datetime.fromtimestamp(0)
     evaluated: bool = False
 
     uuid: str = ""
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ class Program:
                     WHERE
                         uuid = ?
                 """,
-                (self.start_time, end_time, self.uuid),
+                (self.start_time.timestamp(), end_time.timestamp(), self.uuid),
             )
         self.evaluated = True  # prevent re-running
         assert self.start_time is not None
diff --git a/src/nancy/store.py b/src/nancy/store.py
index ddb6b47..89515c4 100644
--- a/src/nancy/store.py
+++ b/src/nancy/store.py
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ class Store:
 
     @classmethod
     def init(cls: Type[_StoreT], message: str, directory: fs.PathStr) -> _StoreT:
-        start_time = datetime.datetime.now()
         if not os.path.isdir(directory):
             raise FileNotFoundError(
                 f"Directory {directory} must exist before initializing a store there.",
@@ -107,10 +106,6 @@ class Store:
                 (new_store.uuid,),
             )
 
-        with new_store.new_program("INIT", message) as p:
-            # set the timing to the actual times it took to initialize the db
-            p.start_time = start_time
-
         return new_store
 
     def filedir_root_key(self, cur: Optional[sqlite3.Cursor] = None) -> Optional[str]:
@@ -188,26 +183,6 @@ class Store:
 
         return fs.FSDiff.compute(recorded, current)
 
-    def record(
-        self,
-        diff: fs.FSDiff,
-        message: str,
-        parent_id: Optional[str] = None,
-        cur: Optional[sqlite3.Cursor] = None,
-    ) -> None:
-        if cur is None:
-            assert self.conn is not None
-            cur = self.conn.cursor()
-
-        with self.new_program("RECORD", message) as p:
-            with self.committing() as cur:  # entire record operation is one transaction
-                # create a task for this operation
-                task = p.new_task(name="Store._record_recursive", cur=cur)
-
-                # descend the diff, tracking parent filedir IDs, creating them and
-                # recording new versions of each, when necessary
-                diff.persist(cur=cur, source_task=task)
-
 
 def find_store(path: Union[str, "os.PathLike[str]"]) -> Optional[str]:
     """
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_record.py b/tests/cli/test_record.py
index aa0dd0d..89cd67b 100644
--- a/tests/cli/test_record.py
+++ b/tests/cli/test_record.py
@@ -22,6 +22,22 @@ def junk_dir() -> Iterator[Path]:
 
 def test_record(junk_dir: Path) -> None:
     runner = CliRunner()
+    result = runner.invoke(
+        main,
+        [
+            "record",
+            "-s",
+            str(junk_dir),
+            "-m",
+            "This is just a test recording",
+            "--yes",  # don't ask for confirmation
+        ],
+    )
+    print(result.output)
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    assert "ERROR" not in result.output
+
+    # test again with confirmation
     result = runner.invoke(
         main,
         [