diff --git a/go/vt/topo/shard.go b/go/vt/topo/shard.go
index 30fd5db1cda..7d4757742b8 100644
--- a/go/vt/topo/shard.go
+++ b/go/vt/topo/shard.go
@@ -326,28 +326,33 @@ func (ts *Server) CreateShard(ctx context.Context, keyspace, shard string) (err
 // GetOrCreateShard will return the shard object, or create one if it doesn't
 // already exist. Note the shard creation is protected by a keyspace Lock.
 func (ts *Server) GetOrCreateShard(ctx context.Context, keyspace, shard string) (si *ShardInfo, err error) {
+	log.Info("GetShard %s/%s", keyspace, shard)
 	si, err = ts.GetShard(ctx, keyspace, shard)
 	if !IsErrType(err, NoNode) {
 		return
 	}
 
 	// create the keyspace, maybe it already exists
+	log.Info("CreateKeyspace %s/%s", keyspace, shard)
 	if err = ts.CreateKeyspace(ctx, keyspace, &topodatapb.Keyspace{}); err != nil && !IsErrType(err, NodeExists) {
 		return nil, vterrors.Wrapf(err, "CreateKeyspace(%v) failed", keyspace)
 	}
 
 	// make sure a valid vschema has been loaded
+	log.Info("EnsureVSchema %s/%s", keyspace, shard)
 	if err = ts.EnsureVSchema(ctx, keyspace); err != nil {
 		return nil, vterrors.Wrapf(err, "EnsureVSchema(%v) failed", keyspace)
 	}
 
 	// now try to create with the lock, may already exist
+	log.Info("CreateShard %s/%s", keyspace, shard)
 	if err = ts.CreateShard(ctx, keyspace, shard); err != nil && !IsErrType(err, NodeExists) {
 		return nil, vterrors.Wrapf(err, "CreateShard(%v/%v) failed", keyspace, shard)
 	}
 
 	// try to read the shard again, maybe someone created it
 	// in between the original GetShard and the LockKeyspace
+	log.Info("GetShard %s/%s", keyspace, shard)
 	return ts.GetShard(ctx, keyspace, shard)
 }
 
diff --git a/go/vt/topo/vschema.go b/go/vt/topo/vschema.go
index 2ea8d507716..00e5b2ea42b 100644
--- a/go/vt/topo/vschema.go
+++ b/go/vt/topo/vschema.go
@@ -43,11 +43,15 @@ func (ts *Server) SaveVSchema(ctx context.Context, keyspace string, vschema *vsc
 	}
 
 	_, err = ts.globalCell.Update(ctx, nodePath, data, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Info("successfully updated vschema for keyspace %s: %v", keyspace, data)
+	}
 	return err
 }
 
 // DeleteVSchema delete the keyspace if it exists
 func (ts *Server) DeleteVSchema(ctx context.Context, keyspace string) error {
+	log.Info("deleting vschema for keyspace %s", keyspace)
 	nodePath := path.Join(KeyspacesPath, keyspace, VSchemaFile)
 	return ts.globalCell.Delete(ctx, nodePath, nil)
 }
@@ -70,6 +74,9 @@ func (ts *Server) GetVSchema(ctx context.Context, keyspace string) (*vschemapb.K
 // EnsureVSchema makes sure that a vschema is present for this keyspace or creates a blank one if it is missing
 func (ts *Server) EnsureVSchema(ctx context.Context, keyspace string) error {
 	vschema, err := ts.GetVSchema(ctx, keyspace)
+	if err != nil && !IsErrType(err, NoNode) {
+		log.Info("error in getting vschema for keyspace %s: %v", keyspace, err)
+	}
 	if vschema == nil || IsErrType(err, NoNode) {
 		err = ts.SaveVSchema(ctx, keyspace, &vschemapb.Keyspace{
 			Sharded:  false,