diff --git a/libraries/chain/finality/finalizer.cpp b/libraries/chain/finality/finalizer.cpp
index 5a2ec84004..75790288ac 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/finality/finalizer.cpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/finality/finalizer.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ finalizer::vote_result finalizer::decide_vote(const block_state_ptr& bsp) {
       res.liveness_check = bsp->core.latest_qc_block_timestamp() > fsi.lock.timestamp;
 
       if (!res.liveness_check) {
-         fc_ilog(vote_logger, "liveness check failed, block ${bn} ${id}: ${c} <= ${l}, fsi.lock ${lbn} ${lid}, latest_qc_claim: ${qc}",
+         fc_dlog(vote_logger, "liveness check failed, block ${bn} ${id}: ${c} <= ${l}, fsi.lock ${lbn} ${lid}, latest_qc_claim: ${qc}",
                  ("bn", bsp->block_num())("id", bsp->id())("c", bsp->core.latest_qc_block_timestamp())("l", fsi.lock.timestamp)
                  ("lbn", fsi.lock.block_num())("lid", fsi.lock.block_id)
                  ("qc", bsp->core.latest_qc_claim()));
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ finalizer::vote_result finalizer::decide_vote(const block_state_ptr& bsp) {
          // Safety check : check if this proposal extends the proposal we're locked on
          res.safety_check = bsp->core.extends(fsi.lock.block_id);
          if (!res.safety_check) {
-            fc_wlog(vote_logger, "safety  check  failed, block ${bn} ${id} did not extend fsi.lock ${lbn} ${lid}",
+            fc_dlog(vote_logger, "safety check failed, block ${bn} ${id} did not extend fsi.lock ${lbn} ${lid}",
                     ("bn", bsp->block_num())("id", bsp->id())("lbn", fsi.lock.block_num())("lid", fsi.lock.block_id));
          }
       }
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ finalizer::vote_result finalizer::decide_vote(const block_state_ptr& bsp) {
       // Safety and Liveness both fail if `fsi.lock` is empty. It should not happen.
       // `fsi.lock` is initially set to `lib` when switching to IF or starting from a snapshot.
       // -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-      fc_wlog(vote_logger, "liveness check & safety check failed, block ${bn} ${id}, fsi.lock is empty", ("bn", bsp->block_num())("id", bsp->id()));
+      fc_wlog(vote_logger, "liveness check & safety check failed, block ${bn} ${id}, fsi.lock is empty",
+              ("bn", bsp->block_num())("id", bsp->id()));
       res.liveness_check = false;
       res.safety_check   = false;
    }
@@ -94,9 +95,21 @@ finalizer::vote_result finalizer::decide_vote(const block_state_ptr& bsp) {
       fsi.last_vote = bsp->make_block_ref();
    }
 
-   fc_dlog(vote_logger, "block=${bn} ${id}, liveness_check=${l}, safety_check=${s}, monotony_check=${m}, can vote=${can_vote}, voting=${v}, locked=${lbn} ${lid}",
-           ("bn", bsp->block_num())("id", bsp->id())("l",res.liveness_check)("s",res.safety_check)("m",res.monotony_check)
-           ("can_vote",can_vote)("v", res.decision)("lbn", fsi.lock.block_num())("lid", fsi.lock.block_id));
+   if (res.liveness_check) {
+      fc_dlog(vote_logger, "block=${bn} ${id}, liveness=${l}, can vote=${cn}, voting=${v}, locked=${lbn} ${lid}",
+              ("bn", bsp->block_num())("id", bsp->id())("l",res.liveness_check)
+              ("cn",can_vote)("v", res.decision)("lbn", fsi.lock.block_num())("lid", fsi.lock.block_id));
+   } else if (can_vote) {
+      fc_dlog(vote_logger, "block=${bn} ${id}, liveness=${l}, safety=${s}, can vote=${cn}, voting=${v}, locked=${lbn} ${lid}",
+              ("bn", bsp->block_num())("id", bsp->id())("l",res.liveness_check)("s",res.safety_check)
+              ("cn",can_vote)("v", res.decision)("lbn", fsi.lock.block_num())("lid", fsi.lock.block_id));
+   } else {
+      fc_ilog(vote_logger, "block=${bn} ${id}, liveness=${l}, safety=${s}, can vote=${cn}, voting=${v}, "
+                           "${ct} <= ${lt}, locked=${lbn} ${lid}, latest_qc_claim: ${qc}",
+              ("bn", bsp->block_num())("id", bsp->id())("l",res.liveness_check)("s",res.safety_check)
+              ("cn",can_vote)("v", res.decision)("ct", bsp->core.latest_qc_block_timestamp())("lt", fsi.lock.timestamp)
+              ("lbn", fsi.lock.block_num())("lid", fsi.lock.block_id)("qc", bsp->core.latest_qc_claim()));
+   }
    return res;
 }
 
@@ -326,7 +339,7 @@ my_finalizers_t::fsi_map my_finalizers_t::load_finalizer_safety_info() {
 
       // close file after write
       cfile_ds.close();
-   } FC_LOG_AND_RETHROW()
+   } FC_RETHROW_EXCEPTIONS(log_level::error, "corrupted finalizer safety persistence file ${p}", ("p", persist_file_path))
    // don't remove file we can't load
    return res;
 }
diff --git a/plugins/chain_plugin/tracked_votes.cpp b/plugins/chain_plugin/tracked_votes.cpp
index 93196b4be2..16c6cdb4fd 100644
--- a/plugins/chain_plugin/tracked_votes.cpp
+++ b/plugins/chain_plugin/tracked_votes.cpp
@@ -39,9 +39,13 @@ namespace eosio::chain_apis {
                return;
 
             if (!block->contains_extension(chain::quorum_certificate_extension::extension_id())) {
-               fc_ilog(chain::vote_logger, "Block ${id}... #${n} @ ${t} produced by ${p}, latency: ${l}ms has no votes",
-                       ("id", id.str().substr(8, 16))("n", block->block_num())("t", block->timestamp)("p", block->producer)
-                       ("l", (now - block->timestamp).count() / 1000));
+               if (chain::vote_logger.is_enabled(fc::log_level::info)) {
+                  std::optional<chain::block_header_extension> fin_ext = block->extract_header_extension(chain::finality_extension::extension_id());
+                  chain::qc_claim_t claim = fin_ext ? std::get<chain::finality_extension>(*fin_ext).qc_claim : chain::qc_claim_t{};
+                  fc_ilog(chain::vote_logger, "Block ${id}... #${n} @ ${t} produced by ${p}, latency: ${l}ms has no qc, claim: ${c}",
+                          ("id", id.str().substr(8, 16))("n", block->block_num())("t", block->timestamp)("p", block->producer)
+                          ("l", (now - block->timestamp).count() / 1000)("c", claim));
+               }
                return;
             }
 
diff --git a/plugins/producer_plugin/producer_plugin.cpp b/plugins/producer_plugin/producer_plugin.cpp
index a69f72532c..26c2799e2f 100644
--- a/plugins/producer_plugin/producer_plugin.cpp
+++ b/plugins/producer_plugin/producer_plugin.cpp
@@ -755,23 +755,32 @@ class producer_plugin_impl : public std::enable_shared_from_this<producer_plugin
       }
    }
 
-   // true if paused due to not receiving votes
-   bool is_implicitly_paused() const {
+   enum class implicit_pause {
+      not_paused,   // not implicitly paused
+      prod_paused,  // paused due to not receiving vote associated with producer
+      other_paused  // paused due to not receiving any vote from finalizers not associated with producer
+   };
+   implicit_pause implicitly_paused() const {
       if (_producers.empty() || _production_pause_vote_timeout.count() == 0)
-         return false;
+         return implicit_pause::not_paused;
       if (!_is_savanna_active)
-         return false; // no implicit pause in legacy
+         return implicit_pause::not_paused; // no implicit pause in legacy
       if (_producers.contains(eosio::chain::config::system_account_name)) // disable implicit pause for eosio
-         return false;
+         return implicit_pause::not_paused;
 
       auto last_producer_vote_received = _last_producer_vote_received.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
       auto last_other_vote_received    = _last_other_vote_received.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
 
       // need a vote within timeout of last accepted block
-      return (_is_producer_active_finalizer &&
-              _accepted_block_time - last_producer_vote_received > _production_pause_vote_timeout)
-          || (_other_active_finalizers &&
-              _accepted_block_time - last_other_vote_received    > _production_pause_vote_timeout);
+      if (_is_producer_active_finalizer &&
+          _accepted_block_time - last_producer_vote_received > _production_pause_vote_timeout) {
+         return implicit_pause::prod_paused;
+      }
+      if (_other_active_finalizers &&
+          _accepted_block_time - last_other_vote_received    > _production_pause_vote_timeout) {
+         return implicit_pause::other_paused;
+      }
+      return implicit_pause::not_paused;
    }
 
    void abort_block() {
@@ -1598,7 +1607,7 @@ void producer_plugin::resume() {
 }
 
 bool producer_plugin::paused() const {
-   return my->_pause_production || my->is_implicitly_paused();
+   return my->_pause_production || (my->implicitly_paused() != producer_plugin_impl::implicit_pause::not_paused);
 }
 
 void producer_plugin_impl::update_runtime_options(const producer_plugin::runtime_options& options) {
@@ -1963,28 +1972,30 @@ producer_plugin_impl::start_block_result producer_plugin_impl::start_block() {
    } else if (_producers.find(scheduled_producer.producer_name) == _producers.end()) {
       _pending_block_mode = pending_block_mode::speculating;
    } else if (num_relevant_signatures == 0) {
-      fc_elog(_log, "Not producing block because I don't have any private keys relevant to authority: ${authority}",
-              ("authority", scheduled_producer.authority));
+      fc_elog(_log, "Not producing block because I don't have any private keys relevant to authority: ${authority}, block ${t}",
+              ("authority", scheduled_producer.authority)("t", block_time));
       _pending_block_mode = pending_block_mode::speculating;
       not_producing_when_time = true;
    } else if (_pause_production) {
-      fc_wlog(_log, "Not producing block because production is explicitly paused");
+      fc_wlog(_log, "Not producing block because production is explicitly paused, block ${t}", ("t", block_time));
       _pending_block_mode = pending_block_mode::speculating;
       not_producing_when_time = true;
    } else if (_max_irreversible_block_age_us.count() >= 0 && irreversible_block_age >= _max_irreversible_block_age_us) {
-      fc_elog(_log, "Not producing block because the irreversible block is too old [age:${age}s, max:${max}s]",
-              ("age", irreversible_block_age.count() / 1'000'000)("max", _max_irreversible_block_age_us.count() / 1'000'000));
+      fc_elog(_log, "Not producing block because the irreversible block is too old [age:${age}s, max:${max}s], block ${t}",
+              ("age", irreversible_block_age.count() / 1'000'000)("max", _max_irreversible_block_age_us.count() / 1'000'000)
+              ("t", block_time));
       _pending_block_mode = pending_block_mode::speculating;
       not_producing_when_time = true;
-   } else if (is_implicitly_paused()) {
-      fc_elog(_log, "Not producing block because no recent votes, last producer vote ${pv}, other votes ${ov}, last block time ${bt}",
-              ("pv", _last_producer_vote_received.load(std::memory_order_relaxed))
+   } else if (implicit_pause p = implicitly_paused(); p != implicit_pause::not_paused) {
+      std::string reason = p == implicit_pause::prod_paused ? "producer votes" : "votes received";
+      fc_elog(_log, "Not producing block because no recent ${r}, block ${t}, last producer vote ${pv}, other votes ${ov}, last accepted block time ${bt}",
+              ("r", std::move(reason))("t", block_time)("pv", _last_producer_vote_received.load(std::memory_order_relaxed))
               ("ov", _last_other_vote_received.load(std::memory_order_relaxed))("bt", _accepted_block_time));
       _pending_block_mode = pending_block_mode::speculating;
       not_producing_when_time = true;
    } else if (_max_reversible_blocks > 0 && head_block_num - head.irreversible_blocknum() > _max_reversible_blocks) {
-      fc_elog(_log, "Not producing block because max-reversible-blocks ${m} reached, head ${h}, lib ${l}.",
-              ("m", _max_reversible_blocks)("h", head_block_num)("l", head.irreversible_blocknum()));
+      fc_elog(_log, "Not producing block because max-reversible-blocks ${m} reached, head ${h}, lib ${l}, block ${t}",
+              ("m", _max_reversible_blocks)("h", head_block_num)("l", head.irreversible_blocknum())("t", block_time));
       _pending_block_mode = pending_block_mode::speculating;
       not_producing_when_time = true;
    }
diff --git a/tests/liveness_test.py b/tests/liveness_test.py
index 9dd45c8bb5..ba526d039e 100755
--- a/tests/liveness_test.py
+++ b/tests/liveness_test.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
     # test relies on production continuing
     extraNodeosArgs=" --production-pause-vote-timeout-ms 0 "
     # "mesh" shape connects nodeA and nodeB to each other
-    if cluster.launch(topo="mesh", pnodes=totalProducerNodes,
+    if cluster.launch(topo="mesh", pnodes=totalProducerNodes, extraNodeosArgs=extraNodeosArgs,
                       totalNodes=totalNodes, totalProducers=totalProducerNodes, loadSystemContract=False,
                       activateIF=activateIF, biosFinalizer=False) is False:
         Utils.cmdError("launcher")