diff --git a/src/internal/connector/exchange/service_iterators.go b/src/internal/connector/exchange/service_iterators.go
index 12ef679bc..07eab2f7b 100644
--- a/src/internal/connector/exchange/service_iterators.go
+++ b/src/internal/connector/exchange/service_iterators.go
@@ -51,10 +51,7 @@ func filterContainersAndFillCollections(
 		tombstones = makeTombstones(dps)
 	)
 
-	logger.Ctx(ctx).Infow(
-		"filling collections",
-		"metadata_count",
-		len(dps))
+	logger.Ctx(ctx).Infow("filling collections", "len_deltapaths", len(dps))
 
 	// TODO(rkeepers): this should be passed in from the caller, probably
 	// as an interface that satisfies the NewCollection requirements.
diff --git a/src/internal/kopia/upload.go b/src/internal/kopia/upload.go
index 9111cd73b..b618e5d62 100644
--- a/src/internal/kopia/upload.go
+++ b/src/internal/kopia/upload.go
@@ -960,14 +960,16 @@ func inflateBaseTree(
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	ctx = clues.Add(ctx, "snapshot_base_id", snap.ID)
+
 	root, err := loader.SnapshotRoot(snap.Manifest)
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrapf(err, "getting snapshot %s root directory", snap.ID)
+		return clues.Wrap(err, "getting snapshot root directory").WithClues(ctx)
 	}
 
 	dir, ok := root.(fs.Directory)
 	if !ok {
-		return errors.Errorf("snapshot %s root is not a directory", snap.ID)
+		return clues.New("snapshot root is not a directory").WithClues(ctx)
 	}
 
 	// For each subtree corresponding to the tuple
@@ -976,27 +978,28 @@ func inflateBaseTree(
 	for _, subtreePath := range snap.SubtreePaths {
 		// We're starting from the root directory so don't need it in the path.
 		pathElems := encodeElements(subtreePath.PopFront().Elements()...)
+		ictx := clues.Add(ctx, "subtree_path", subtreePath)
 
-		ent, err := snapshotfs.GetNestedEntry(ctx, dir, pathElems)
+		ent, err := snapshotfs.GetNestedEntry(ictx, dir, pathElems)
 		if err != nil {
 			if isErrEntryNotFound(err) {
-				logger.Ctx(ctx).Infow("base snapshot missing subtree", "error", err)
+				logger.CtxErr(ictx, err).Infow("base snapshot missing subtree")
 				continue
 			}
 
-			return errors.Wrapf(err, "snapshot %s getting subtree root", snap.ID)
+			return clues.Wrap(err, "getting subtree root").WithClues(ictx)
 		}
 
 		subtreeDir, ok := ent.(fs.Directory)
 		if !ok {
-			return errors.Wrapf(err, "snapshot %s subtree root is not directory", snap.ID)
+			return clues.Wrap(err, "subtree root is not directory").WithClues(ictx)
 		}
 
 		// We're assuming here that the prefix for the path has not changed (i.e.
 		// all of tenant, service, resource owner, and category are the same in the
 		// old snapshot (snap) and the snapshot we're currently trying to make.
 		if err = traverseBaseDir(
-			ctx,
+			ictx,
 			0,
 			updatedPaths,
 			subtreePath.Dir(),
@@ -1004,7 +1007,7 @@ func inflateBaseTree(
 			subtreeDir,
 			roots,
 		); err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrapf(err, "traversing base snapshot %s", snap.ID)
+			return clues.Wrap(err, "traversing base snapshot").WithClues(ictx)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1042,9 +1045,13 @@ func inflateDirTree(
 		baseIDs = append(baseIDs, snap.ID)
 	}
 
-	logger.Ctx(ctx).Infow(
-		"merging hierarchies from base snapshots",
-		"snapshot_ids", baseIDs)
+	ctx = clues.Add(ctx, "len_base_snapshots", len(baseSnaps), "base_snapshot_ids", baseIDs)
+
+	if len(baseIDs) > 0 {
+		logger.Ctx(ctx).Info("merging hierarchies from base snapshots")
+	} else {
+		logger.Ctx(ctx).Info("no base snapshots to merge")
+	}
 
 	for _, snap := range baseSnaps {
 		if err = inflateBaseTree(ctx, loader, snap, updatedPaths, roots); err != nil {
diff --git a/src/internal/kopia/wrapper.go b/src/internal/kopia/wrapper.go
index 45203a9ca..df2600622 100644
--- a/src/internal/kopia/wrapper.go
+++ b/src/internal/kopia/wrapper.go
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ func (w Wrapper) makeSnapshotWithRoot(
 		bc  = &stats.ByteCounter{}
 	)
 
-	snapIDs := make([]manifest.ID, 0, len(prevSnapEntries))
+	snapIDs := make([]manifest.ID, 0, len(prevSnapEntries)) // just for logging
 	prevSnaps := make([]*snapshot.Manifest, 0, len(prevSnapEntries))
 
 	for _, ent := range prevSnapEntries {
@@ -210,9 +210,17 @@ func (w Wrapper) makeSnapshotWithRoot(
 		snapIDs = append(snapIDs, ent.ID)
 	}
 
-	logger.Ctx(ctx).Infow(
-		"using snapshots for kopia-assisted incrementals",
-		"snapshot_ids", snapIDs)
+	ctx = clues.Add(
+		ctx,
+		"len_prev_base_snapshots", len(prevSnapEntries),
+		"assist_snap_ids", snapIDs,
+		"additional_tags", addlTags)
+
+	if len(snapIDs) > 0 {
+		logger.Ctx(ctx).Info("using snapshots for kopia-assisted incrementals")
+	} else {
+		logger.Ctx(ctx).Info("no base snapshots for kopia-assisted incrementals")
+	}
 
 	tags := map[string]string{}
 
diff --git a/src/internal/operations/backup.go b/src/internal/operations/backup.go
index f60641484..4b4a7a7eb 100644
--- a/src/internal/operations/backup.go
+++ b/src/internal/operations/backup.go
@@ -671,26 +671,28 @@ func (op *BackupOperation) createBackupModels(
 	sscw streamstore.CollectorWriter,
 	snapID string,
 	backupID model.StableID,
-	backupDetails *details.Details,
+	deets *details.Details,
 ) error {
-	ctx = clues.Add(ctx, "snapshot_id", snapID)
+	ctx = clues.Add(ctx, "snapshot_id", snapID, "backup_id", backupID)
 	// generate a new fault bus so that we can maintain clean
 	// separation between the errors we serialize and those that
 	// are generated during the serialization process.
 	errs := fault.New(true)
 
-	if backupDetails == nil {
+	if deets == nil {
 		return clues.New("no backup details to record").WithClues(ctx)
 	}
 
-	err := sscw.Collect(ctx, streamstore.DetailsCollector(backupDetails))
+	ctx = clues.Add(ctx, "details_entry_count", len(deets.Entries))
+
+	err := sscw.Collect(ctx, streamstore.DetailsCollector(deets))
 	if err != nil {
-		return clues.Wrap(err, "creating backupDetails persistence").WithClues(ctx)
+		return clues.Wrap(err, "collecting details for persistence").WithClues(ctx)
 	}
 
 	err = sscw.Collect(ctx, streamstore.FaultErrorsCollector(op.Errors.Errors()))
 	if err != nil {
-		return clues.Wrap(err, "creating errors persistence").WithClues(ctx)
+		return clues.Wrap(err, "collecting errors for persistence").WithClues(ctx)
 	}
 
 	ssid, err := sscw.Write(ctx, errs)
@@ -698,6 +700,8 @@ func (op *BackupOperation) createBackupModels(
 		return clues.Wrap(err, "persisting details and errors").WithClues(ctx)
 	}
 
+	ctx = clues.Add(ctx, "streamstore_snapshot_id", ssid)
+
 	b := backup.New(
 		snapID, ssid,
 		op.Status.String(),
@@ -707,12 +711,9 @@ func (op *BackupOperation) createBackupModels(
 		op.Results.StartAndEndTime,
 		op.Errors.Errors())
 
-	err = op.store.Put(
-		clues.Add(ctx, "streamstore_snapshot_id", ssid),
-		model.BackupSchema,
-		b)
+	logger.Ctx(ctx).Info("creating new backup")
 
-	if err != nil {
+	if err = op.store.Put(ctx, model.BackupSchema, b); err != nil {
 		return clues.Wrap(err, "creating backup model").WithClues(ctx)
 	}