diff --git a/init-script b/init-script
index 61b1986..7a234e1 100755
--- a/init-script
+++ b/init-script
@@ -23,11 +23,22 @@
 set -x
 exec > /init.log 2>&1
 echo "Running Mer Boat Loader"
+[ -f /dev/kmsg ] || mknod -m 600 /dev/kmsg c 1 11
 
 BOOTLOGO=%BOOTLOGO%
 ALWAYSDEBUG=%ALWAYSDEBUG%
 DATA_PARTITION=%DATA_PART%
 DEFAULT_OS=%DEFAULT_OS%
+DEBUG_REASON=
+
+log(){
+    # log to std out
+    echo "$*"
+
+    # log to kernel log
+    [ -w /dev/kmsg ] && echo "init-script: $*" >> /dev/kmsg
+}
+
 
 set_welcome_msg(){
 cat <<EOF > /etc/issue.net
@@ -108,7 +119,7 @@ get_opt() {
 # Minimal mounts for initrd or pre-init debug session
 do_mount_devprocsys()
 {
-    echo "########################## mounting devprocsys"
+    log "mounting devprocsys"
     mkdir /dev
     mount -t devtmpfs devtmpfs /dev
     # telnetd needs /dev/pts/ entries
@@ -137,20 +148,32 @@ bootsplash() {
 
 
 mount_stowaways() {
-    echo "########################## mounting stowaways"
+    log "mounting stowaways DATA_PARTITION=\"$DATA_PARTITION\", data_subdir=\"$data_subdir\""
     if [ ! -z $DATA_PARTITION ]; then
         data_subdir="$(get_opt data_subdir)"
 
-	mkdir /data
-	mkdir /target
-
-	mount $DATA_PARTITION /data
-	mount /data/rootfs.img /target
+        mkdir /data
+        mount $DATA_PARTITION /data
+        retval=$?
+        if [ $retval -ne 0 ] ; then
+            log "Failed to mount /data [$retval]" >> /diagnosis.log
+            DEBUG_REASON="/data not mounted"
+            return
+        fi
+
+        mkdir /target
+        mount /data/rootfs.img /target
+        retval=$?
+        if [ $retval -ne 0 ] ; then
+            log "Failed to mount /target [$retval]" >> /diagnosis.log
+            DEBUG_REASON="/target not mounted"
+            return
+        fi
 
 	mkdir -p /target/data # in new fs
 	mount --bind /data/${data_subdir} /target/data
     else
-        echo "Failed to mount /target, device node '$DATA_PARTITION' not found!" >> /diagnosis.log
+        log "Failed to mount /target, device node '$DATA_PARTITION' not found!" >> /diagnosis.log
     fi
     mount
 }
@@ -176,7 +199,7 @@ inject_loop() {
     mkfifo $INJ_STDIN
     echo "This entire directory is for debugging init - it can safely be removed" > $INJ_DIR/README
 
-    echo "########################## Beginning inject loop"
+    log "Beginning inject loop"
     while : ; do
         while read IN; do
 	    if [ "$IN" = "continue" ]; then break 2;fi
@@ -184,7 +207,7 @@ inject_loop() {
         done <$INJ_STDIN
     done
     rm -rf $INJ_DIR # Clean up if we exited nicely
-    echo "########################## inject loop done"
+    log "inject loop done"
 }
 
 # This sets up the USB with whatever USB_FUNCTIONS are set to
@@ -202,18 +225,18 @@ usb_setup() {
       write $ANDROID_USB/functions     $USB_FUNCTIONS
       write $ANDROID_USB/enable        1
 }
+
 # This lets us communicate errors to host (if it needs disable/enable then that's a problem)
 usb_info() {
     # make sure USB is settled
-    echo "########################## usb_info: $1"
+    log "usb_info: $1"
     sleep 1
     write $ANDROID_USB/iSerial       "$1"
 }
 
-
 run_debug_session() {
     CUSTOMPRODUCT=$1
-    echo "########################## Debug session : $1"
+    log "run_debug_session : $1"
     usb_setup "Mer Debug setting up (DONE_SWITCH=$DONE_SWITCH)"
 
     USB_IFACE=notfound
@@ -240,7 +263,7 @@ run_debug_session() {
     echo "option subnet 255.255.255.0" >> /etc/udhcpd.conf
 
     # Be explicit about busybox so this works in a rootfs too
-    echo "########################## starting dhcpd"
+    log "starting dhcpd"
     $EXPLICIT_BUSYBOX udhcpd
 
     HALT_BOOT="${2:-y}"
@@ -248,7 +271,7 @@ run_debug_session() {
 
     if [ -z $DISABLE_TELNET ]; then
     # Non-blocking telnetd
-    echo "########################## starting telnetd"
+    log "starting telnetd"
     # We run telnetd on different ports pre/post-switch_root This
     # avoids problems with an unterminated pre-switch_root telnetd
     # hogging the port
@@ -273,9 +296,9 @@ run_debug_session() {
 
 # writes to /diagnosis.log if there's a problem
 check_kernel_config() {
-    echo "Checking kernel config"
+    log "Checking kernel config"
     if [ ! -e /proc/config.gz ]; then
-	echo "No /proc/config.gz. Enable CONFIG_IKCONFIG and CONFIG_IKCONFIG_PROC" >> /diagnosis.log
+        log "No /proc/config.gz. Enable CONFIG_IKCONFIG and CONFIG_IKCONFIG_PROC" >> /diagnosis.log
     else
 	# Must be =y
 	for x in CONFIG_CGROUPS CONFIG_AUTOFS4_FS CONFIG_DEVTMPFS_MOUNT CONFIG_DEVTMPFS CONFIG_UNIX CONFIG_INOTIFY_USER CONFIG_SYSVIPC CONFIG_NET CONFIG_PROC_FS CONFIG_SIGNALFD CONFIG_SYSFS CONFIG_TMPFS_POSIX_ACL CONFIG_VT; do
@@ -318,6 +341,7 @@ if [ "$DONE_SWITCH" = "no" ]; then
     [ x$ALWAYSDEBUG = x1 ] && DBG_REASON="Always debug: rndis + mass_storage"
     [ -f /target/init_enter_debug ] && DBG_REASON="/init_enter_debug exists"
     [ -f /target/init_disable_telnet ] && DISABLE_TELNET="y"
+    log "DBG_REASON=\"$DBG_REASON\""
 
     if ! [ "$DBG_REASON" = "" ] ; then
 	# During debug we export mmc too (some variations in location here)
@@ -346,12 +370,12 @@ if [ "$DONE_SWITCH" = "no" ]; then
     echo "" > /proc/sys/kernel/hotplug
 
     if [ -f "/target/init-debug" ]; then
-        echo "hybris-boot: Running init-debug" > /target/data/init-debug-stderrout
+        log "exec switch_root /target /init-debug" > /target/data/init-debug-stderrout
         exec switch_root /target /init-debug >> /target/data/init-debug-stderrout 2>&1
     else
         # Prefer /sbin/preinit over /sbin/init
         [ -x /target/sbin/preinit ] && INIT=/sbin/preinit || INIT=/sbin/init
-        echo "hybris-boot: Booting $INIT in real rootfs" > /target/data/init-stderrout
+        log "exec switch_root /target $INIT" > /target/data/init-stderrout
         exec switch_root /target $INIT >> /target/data/init-stderrout 2>&1
     fi
     run_debug_session "Failed to boot init in real rootfs"
@@ -374,6 +398,7 @@ else
     # Now try to boot the real init
     # Prefer /sbin/preinit over /sbin/init
     [ -x /sbin/preinit ] && INIT=/sbin/preinit || INIT=/sbin/init
+    log "exec $INIT"
     exec $INIT &> /boot/systemd_stdouterr
     run_debug_session "init in real rootfs failed"
 fi