diff --git a/src/ckpool.c b/src/ckpool.c
index 5b212564..9f9d333a 100644
--- a/src/ckpool.c
+++ b/src/ckpool.c
@@ -195,14 +195,14 @@ retry:
 	if (!buf) {
 		LOGWARNING("Failed to get message in listener");
 		send_unix_msg(sockd, "failed");
-	} else if (!strncasecmp(buf, "shutdown", 8)) {
+	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "shutdown")) {
 		LOGWARNING("Listener received shutdown message, terminating ckpool");
 		send_unix_msg(sockd, "exiting");
 		goto out;
-	} else if (!strncasecmp(buf, "ping", 4)) {
+	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "ping")) {
 		LOGDEBUG("Listener received ping request");
 		send_unix_msg(sockd, "pong");
-	} else if (!strncasecmp(buf, "loglevel", 8)) {
+	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "loglevel")) {
 		int loglevel;
 
 		if (sscanf(buf, "loglevel=%d", &loglevel) != 1) {
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ retry:
 			broadcast_proc(ckp, buf);
 			send_unix_msg(sockd, "success");
 		}
-	} else if (!strncasecmp(buf, "getfd", 5)) {
+	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "getfd")) {
 		char *msg;
 
 		msg = send_recv_proc(ckp->connector, "getfd");
diff --git a/src/connector.c b/src/connector.c
index 7ea47e6f..676f23dc 100644
--- a/src/connector.c
+++ b/src/connector.c
@@ -499,6 +499,9 @@ static int connector_loop(proc_instance_t *pi, conn_instance_t *ci)
 			goto out;
 		}
 	} while (selret < 1);
+
+	LOGWARNING("%s connector ready", ckp->name);
+
 retry:
 	close(sockd);
 	sockd = accept(us->sockd, NULL, NULL);
@@ -514,30 +517,30 @@ retry:
 		LOGWARNING("Failed to get message in connector_loop");
 		goto retry;
 	}
-	if (!strncasecmp(buf, "ping", 4)) {
+	if (cmdmatch(buf, "ping")) {
 		LOGDEBUG("Connector received ping request");
 		send_unix_msg(sockd, "pong");
 		goto retry;
 	}
-	if (!strncasecmp(buf, "accept", 6)) {
+	if (cmdmatch(buf, "accept")) {
 		LOGDEBUG("Connector received accept signal");
 		ci->accept = true;
 		goto retry;
 	}
-	if (!strncasecmp(buf, "reject", 6)) {
+	if (cmdmatch(buf, "reject")) {
 		LOGDEBUG("Connector received reject signal");
 		ci->accept = false;
 		goto retry;
 	}
-	if (!strncasecmp(buf, "loglevel", 8)) {
+	if (cmdmatch(buf, "loglevel")) {
 		sscanf(buf, "loglevel=%d", &ckp->loglevel);
 		goto retry;
 	}
 
 	LOGDEBUG("Connector received message: %s", buf);
-	if (!strncasecmp(buf, "shutdown", 8))
+	if (cmdmatch(buf, "shutdown"))
 		goto out;
-	if (!strncasecmp(buf, "dropclient", 10)) {
+	if (cmdmatch(buf, "dropclient")) {
 		client_instance_t *client;
 		int client_id;
 
@@ -556,7 +559,7 @@ retry:
 			LOGINFO("Connector dropped client id: %d", client_id);
 		goto retry;
 	}
-	if (!strncasecmp(buf, "getfd", 5)) {
+	if (cmdmatch(buf, "getfd")) {
 		send_fd(ci->serverfd, sockd);
 		goto retry;
 	}
@@ -595,6 +598,8 @@ int connector(proc_instance_t *pi)
 	const int on = 1;
 	int tries = 0;
 
+	LOGWARNING("%s connector starting", ckp->name);
+
 	if (ckp->serverurl) {
 		if (!extract_sockaddr(ckp->serverurl, &url, &port)) {
 			LOGWARNING("Failed to extract server address from %s", ckp->serverurl);
diff --git a/src/generator.c b/src/generator.c
index 85f04c42..b0fc61c5 100644
--- a/src/generator.c
+++ b/src/generator.c
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ static int gen_loop(proc_instance_t *pi)
 	server_instance_t *si = NULL;
 	unixsock_t *us = &pi->us;
 	ckpool_t *ckp = pi->ckp;
+	bool started = false;
 	char *buf = NULL;
 	connsock_t *cs;
 	gbtbase_t *gbt;
@@ -255,8 +256,13 @@ retry:
 			LOGINFO("No best block hash support from %s:%s",
 				cs->url, cs->port);
 			send_unix_msg(sockd, "Failed");
-		} else
+		} else {
+			if (unlikely(!started)) {
+				started = true;
+				LOGWARNING("%s generator ready", ckp->name);
+			}
 			send_unix_msg(sockd, hash);
+		}
 	} else if (cmdmatch(buf, "getlast")) {
 		int height = get_blockcount(cs);
 
@@ -269,6 +275,11 @@ retry:
 				send_unix_msg(sockd, "Failed");
 				goto reconnect;
 			} else {
+				if (unlikely(!started)) {
+					started = true;
+					LOGWARNING("%s generator ready", ckp->name);
+				}
+
 				send_unix_msg(sockd, hash);
 				LOGDEBUG("Hash: %s", hash);
 			}
@@ -1330,6 +1341,8 @@ static int proxy_mode(ckpool_t *ckp, proc_instance_t *pi)
 		proxi->cs = &si->cs;
 	}
 
+	LOGWARNING("%s generator ready", ckp->name);
+
 	ret = proxy_loop(pi);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < ckp->proxies; i++) {
@@ -1358,6 +1371,8 @@ int generator(proc_instance_t *pi)
 	ckpool_t *ckp = pi->ckp;
 	int ret;
 
+	LOGWARNING("%s generator starting", ckp->name);
+
 	if (ckp->proxy)
 		ret = proxy_mode(ckp, pi);
 	else
diff --git a/src/stratifier.c b/src/stratifier.c
index f3bd2b75..19074635 100644
--- a/src/stratifier.c
+++ b/src/stratifier.c
@@ -413,9 +413,23 @@ static void purge_share_hashtable(int64_t wb_id)
 		LOGINFO("Cleared %d shares from share hashtable", purged);
 }
 
-static void ckdbq_add(ckpool_t *ckp, const int idtype, json_t *val)
+static char *status_chars = "|/-\\";
+
+static void _ckdbq_add(ckpool_t *ckp, const int idtype, json_t *val, const char *file,
+		      const char *func, const int line)
 {
+	static int counter = 0;
 	ckdb_msg_t *msg;
+	char ch;
+
+	ch = status_chars[(counter++) & 0x3];
+	fprintf(stdout, "%c\r", ch);
+	fflush(stdout);
+
+	if (!val) {
+		LOGWARNING("Invalid json sent to ckdbq_add from %s %s:%d", file, func, line);
+		return;
+	}
 
 	if (ckp->standalone)
 		return json_decref(val);
@@ -426,6 +440,8 @@ static void ckdbq_add(ckpool_t *ckp, const int idtype, json_t *val)
 	ckmsgq_add(ckdbq, msg);
 }
 
+#define ckdbq_add(ckp, idtype, val) _ckdbq_add(ckp, idtype, val, __FILE__, __func__, __LINE__)
+
 static void send_workinfo(ckpool_t *ckp, workbase_t *wb)
 {
 	char cdfield[64];
@@ -696,6 +712,7 @@ static void update_notify(ckpool_t *ckp)
 		 workpadding);
 	LOGDEBUG("Header: %s", header);
 	hex2bin(wb->headerbin, header, 112);
+	wb->txn_hashes = ckzalloc(1);
 
 	ck_rlock(&workbase_lock);
 	strcpy(wb->enonce1const, proxy_base.enonce1);
@@ -2130,17 +2147,25 @@ out:
 
 static void ckdbq_process(ckpool_t *ckp, ckdb_msg_t *data)
 {
+	static bool failed = false;
 	bool logged = false;
 	char *buf = NULL;
 
 	while (!buf) {
 		buf = json_ckdb_call(ckp, ckdb_ids[data->idtype], data->val, logged);
 		if (unlikely(!buf)) {
-			LOGWARNING("Failed to talk to ckdb, queueing messages");
+			if (!failed) {
+				failed = true;
+				LOGWARNING("Failed to talk to ckdb, queueing messages");
+			}
 			sleep(5);
 		}
 		logged = true;
 	}
+	if (failed) {
+		failed = false;
+		LOGWARNING("Successfully resumed talking to ckdb");
+	}
 	LOGINFO("Got %s ckdb response: %s", ckdb_ids[data->idtype], buf);
 	free(buf);
 }
@@ -2426,6 +2451,8 @@ int stratifier(proc_instance_t *pi)
 	char *buf;
 	int ret;
 
+	LOGWARNING("%s stratifier starting", ckp->name);
+
 	/* Store this for use elsewhere */
 	hex2bin(scriptsig_header_bin, scriptsig_header, 41);
 	address_to_pubkeytxn(pubkeytxnbin, ckp->btcaddress);
@@ -2464,6 +2491,8 @@ int stratifier(proc_instance_t *pi)
 
 	cklock_init(&share_lock);
 
+	LOGWARNING("%s stratifier ready", ckp->name);
+
 	ret = stratum_loop(ckp, pi);
 out:
 	return process_exit(ckp, pi, ret);