diff --git a/clientside/tmcc/common/mkvnode.pl b/clientside/tmcc/common/mkvnode.pl
index 323d91083d3a2b80346ccf58ecfc400c44fd806e..c0b375ce6d56ec54b2318e3737e7f18e0d58e3a7 100755
--- a/clientside/tmcc/common/mkvnode.pl
+++ b/clientside/tmcc/common/mkvnode.pl
@@ -697,7 +697,8 @@ if ($childpid) {
     # If failure then cleanup.
     #
     if ($? || $timedout) {
-	MyFatal("$vnodeid container startup failed or timed out");
+	MyFatal("$vnodeid container startup ".
+		($timedout ? "timed out." : "failed."));
     }
 }
 else {
diff --git a/clientside/tmcc/linux/xen/libvnode_xen.pm b/clientside/tmcc/linux/xen/libvnode_xen.pm
index 613fc1504e150c55150f5ac788d1e9999982074f..50304af95a6fc1efdccc150efbb545c660945e79 100644
--- a/clientside/tmcc/linux/xen/libvnode_xen.pm
+++ b/clientside/tmcc/linux/xen/libvnode_xen.pm
@@ -1740,6 +1740,7 @@ sub vnodeBoot($$$$)
 	# Tear it down and try again. Use vnodeHalt cause it protects
 	# itself with an alarm.
 	#
+	print "Container did not start, halting for retry ...\n";
 	vnodeHalt($vnode_id, $vmid, $vnconfig, $private);
 	print "Container halted, waiting for it do disappear ...\n";
 	$countdown = 10;