diff --git a/zebra-network/src/peer/connector.rs b/zebra-network/src/peer/connector.rs
index 23414a39..497afef4 100644
--- a/zebra-network/src/peer/connector.rs
+++ b/zebra-network/src/peer/connector.rs
@@ -89,13 +89,14 @@ where
         let user_agent = self.config.user_agent.clone();
 
         let fut = async move {
-            info!("beginning connection");
+            info!("connecting to remote peer");
+            debug!("opening tcp stream");
+
             let mut stream = Framed::new(
                 TcpStream::connect(addr).await?,
                 Codec::builder().for_network(network).finish(),
             );
 
-            // XXX construct the Version message from a config
             let version = Message::Version {
                 version: constants::CURRENT_VERSION,
                 services: PeerServices::NODE_NETWORK,
@@ -113,24 +114,38 @@ where
                 relay: false,
             };
 
+            debug!(?version, "sending initial version message");
+
             stream.send(version).await?;
 
-            let _remote_version = stream
+            let remote_version = stream
                 .next()
                 .await
                 .ok_or_else(|| format_err!("stream closed during handshake"))??;
 
+            debug!(
+                ?remote_version,
+                "got remote peer's version message, sending verack"
+            );
+
             stream.send(Message::Verack).await?;
-            let _remote_verack = stream
+            let remote_verack = stream
                 .next()
                 .await
                 .ok_or_else(|| format_err!("stream closed during handshake"))??;
 
+            debug!(?remote_verack, "got remote peer's verack");
+
             // XXX here is where we would set the version to the minimum of the
             // two versions, etc. -- actually is it possible to edit the `Codec`
             // after using it to make a framed adapter?
 
-            // Construct a PeerClient, PeerServer pair
+            // XXX do we want to use the random nonces to detect
+            // self-connections or do a different mechanism? if we use the
+            // nonces for their intended purpose we need communication between
+            // PeerConnector and PeerListener.
+
+            debug!("constructing PeerClient, spawning PeerServer");
 
             let (tx, rx) = mpsc::channel(0);
             let slot = ErrorSlot::default();