diff --git a/changes/2024-05-30T145052-0400.txt b/changes/2024-05-30T145052-0400.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..63861cbe23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/2024-05-30T145052-0400.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Cut pipeline logging is more descriptive
diff --git a/src/Chainweb/BlockHash.hs b/src/Chainweb/BlockHash.hs
index 9bb019fee7..6c49da4ac8 100644
--- a/src/Chainweb/BlockHash.hs
+++ b/src/Chainweb/BlockHash.hs
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ module Chainweb.BlockHash
 , decodeBlockHash
 , nullBlockHash
 , blockHashToText
+, blockHashToTextShort
 , blockHashFromText
 
 -- * Block Hash Record
@@ -154,6 +155,9 @@ blockHashToText :: BlockHash_ a -> T.Text
 blockHashToText = encodeB64UrlNoPaddingText . runPutS . encodeBlockHash
 {-# INLINE blockHashToText #-}
 
+blockHashToTextShort :: BlockHash_ a -> T.Text
+blockHashToTextShort = T.take 6 . blockHashToText
+
 blockHashFromText
     :: MerkleHashAlgorithm a
     =>  MonadThrow m
diff --git a/src/Chainweb/BlockHeader.hs b/src/Chainweb/BlockHeader.hs
index f8539dc594..ccf7da04c8 100644
--- a/src/Chainweb/BlockHeader.hs
+++ b/src/Chainweb/BlockHeader.hs
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ module Chainweb.BlockHeader
 , decodeBlockHeaderWithoutHash
 , decodeBlockHeaderChecked
 , decodeBlockHeaderCheckedChainId
+, blockHeaderShortDescription
 , ObjectEncoded(..)
 
 , timeBetween
@@ -386,6 +387,18 @@ instance IsCasValue BlockHeader where
 
 type BlockHeaderCas tbl = Cas tbl BlockHeader
 
+-- | Used for quickly identifying "which block" this is.
+-- Example output:
+-- "0 @ bSQgL5 (height 4810062)"
+blockHeaderShortDescription :: BlockHeader -> T.Text
+blockHeaderShortDescription bh =
+    T.unwords
+        [ toText (_chainId bh)
+        , "@"
+        , blockHashToTextShort (_blockHash bh)
+        , "(height " <> sshow (getBlockHeight $ _blockHeight bh) <> ")"
+        ]
+
 makeLenses ''BlockHeader
 
 -- | During the first epoch after genesis there are 10 extra difficulty
diff --git a/src/Chainweb/Cut.hs b/src/Chainweb/Cut.hs
index 1d0aed3362..de3cdde527 100644
--- a/src/Chainweb/Cut.hs
+++ b/src/Chainweb/Cut.hs
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@
 --
 module Chainweb.Cut
 ( Cut
+, cutToTextShort
+, cutDiffToTextShort
 , _cutMap
 , cutMap
 , _cutHeight
@@ -106,9 +108,11 @@ import Data.Functor.Of
 import qualified Data.HashMap.Strict as HM
 import qualified Data.HashSet as HS
 import qualified Data.Heap as H
+import qualified Data.List as List
 import Data.Maybe (catMaybes, fromMaybe)
 import Data.Monoid
 import Data.Ord
+import Data.Text (Text)
 import qualified Data.Text as T
 import Data.These
 
@@ -898,3 +902,22 @@ forkDepth wdb a b = do
     maxDepth l u = maximum
         $ (\(_, x, y) -> _blockHeight y - _blockHeight x)
         <$> zipCuts l u
+
+cutToTextShort :: Cut -> [Text]
+cutToTextShort c =
+    [ blockHeaderShortDescription bh
+    | (_, bh) <- List.sortOn fst $ HM.toList (_cutHeaders c)
+    ]
+
+cutDiffToTextShort :: Cut -> Cut -> [Text]
+cutDiffToTextShort c c' =
+    [ T.unwords
+        [ maybe "No block" blockHeaderShortDescription bh
+        , "->"
+        , maybe "No block" blockHeaderShortDescription bh'
+        ]
+    | cid <- List.sort $ HM.keys $ HM.union (_cutHeaders c) (_cutHeaders c')
+    , let bh = HM.lookup cid (_cutHeaders c)
+    , let bh' = HM.lookup cid (_cutHeaders c')
+    , bh /= bh'
+    ]
diff --git a/src/Chainweb/CutDB.hs b/src/Chainweb/CutDB.hs
index ca2cee9fde..b0d4fc00dd 100644
--- a/src/Chainweb/CutDB.hs
+++ b/src/Chainweb/CutDB.hs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE TypeApplications #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE TypeFamilies #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE UndecidableInstances #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE TupleSections #-}
 
 -- |
 -- Module: Chainweb.CutDB
@@ -433,7 +434,8 @@ startCutDb config logfun headerStore payloadStore cutHashesStore = mask_ $ do
             (Just $ over _1 succ $ casKey $ cutToCutHashes Nothing initialCut, Nothing)
     cutVar <- newTVarIO initialCut
     c <- readTVarIO cutVar
-    logg Info $ "got initial cut: " <> sshow c
+    logg Info $ T.unlines $
+        "got initial cut:" : ["    " <> block | block <- cutToTextShort c]
     queue <- newEmptyPQueue
     cutAsync <- asyncWithUnmask $ \u -> u $ processor queue cutVar
     logg Info "CutDB started"
@@ -554,19 +556,16 @@ processCuts
 processCuts conf logFun headerStore payloadStore cutHashesStore queue cutVar = do
     rng <- Prob.createSystemRandom
     queueToStream
-        & S.chain (\c -> loggc Debug c "start processing")
+        & S.chain (\c -> loggCutId logFun Debug c "start processing")
         & S.filterM (fmap not . isVeryOld)
         & S.filterM (fmap not . farAhead)
         & S.filterM (fmap not . isOld)
         & S.filterM (fmap not . isCurrent)
-        & S.chain (\c -> loggc Debug c "fetch all prerequesites")
+
+        & S.chain (\c -> loggCutId logFun Info c "fetching all prerequisites")
         & S.mapM (cutHashesToBlockHeaderMap conf logFun headerStore payloadStore)
-        & S.chain (either
-            (\(T2 hsid c) -> loggc Warn hsid $ "failed to get prerequesites for some blocks. Missing: " <> encodeToText c)
-            (\c -> loggc Info c "got all prerequesites")
-            )
-        & S.concat
-            -- ignore left values for now
+        & S.catMaybes
+        -- ignore unsuccessful values for now
 
         -- using S.scanM would be slightly more efficient (one pointer dereference)
         -- by keeping the value of cutVar in memory. We use the S.mapM variant with
@@ -577,14 +576,22 @@ processCuts conf logFun headerStore payloadStore cutHashesStore queue cutVar = d
                 $ joinIntoHeavier_ hdrStore (_cutMap curCut) newCut
             unless (_cutDbParamsReadOnly conf) $ do
                 maybePrune rng (cutAvgBlockHeight v curCut)
-                loggc Info newCut "writing cut"
+                loggCutId logFun Debug newCut "writing cut"
                 casInsert cutHashesStore (cutToCutHashes Nothing resultCut)
             atomically $ writeTVar cutVar resultCut
-            loggc Info resultCut "published cut"
+            let cutDiff = cutDiffToTextShort curCut resultCut
+            let currentCutIdMsg = T.unwords
+                    [ "current cut is now"
+                    , cutIdToTextShort (_cutId resultCut) <> ","
+                    , "diff:"
+                    ]
+            let catOverflowing x xs =
+                    if length xs == 1
+                    then T.unwords (x : xs)
+                    else T.intercalate "\n" (x : (map ("    " <>) xs))
+            logFun @T.Text Info $ catOverflowing currentCutIdMsg cutDiff
             )
   where
-    loggc :: HasCutId c => LogLevel -> c -> T.Text -> IO ()
-    loggc l c msg = logFun @T.Text l $  "cut " <> cutIdToTextShort (_cutId c) <> ": " <> msg
 
     v = _chainwebVersion headerStore
 
@@ -615,7 +622,7 @@ processCuts conf logFun headerStore payloadStore cutHashesStore queue cutVar = d
         curMax <- maxChainHeight <$> readTVarIO cutVar
         let newMax = _cutHashesMaxHeight x
         let r = newMax >= curMax + farAheadThreshold
-        when r $ loggc Debug x
+        when r $ loggCutId logFun Debug x
             $ "skip far ahead cut. Current maximum block height: " <> sshow curMax
             <> ", got: " <> sshow newMax
             -- log at debug level because this is a common case during catchup
@@ -635,7 +642,7 @@ processCuts conf logFun headerStore payloadStore cutHashesStore queue cutVar = d
         let diam = diameter $ chainGraphAt headerStore curMin
             newMin = _cutHashesMinHeight x
         let r = newMin + 2 * (1 + int diam) <= curMin
-        when r $ loggc Debug x "skip very old cut"
+        when r $ loggCutId logFun Debug x "skip very old cut"
             -- log at debug level because this is a common case during catchup
         return r
 
@@ -644,13 +651,13 @@ processCuts conf logFun headerStore payloadStore cutHashesStore queue cutVar = d
     isOld x = do
         curHashes <- cutToCutHashes Nothing <$> readTVarIO cutVar
         let r = all (>= (0 :: Int)) $ (HM.unionWith (-) `on` (fmap (int . _bhwhHeight) . _cutHashes)) curHashes x
-        when r $ loggc Debug x "skip old cut"
+        when r $ loggCutId logFun Debug x "skip old cut"
         return r
 
     isCurrent x = do
         curHashes <- cutToCutHashes Nothing <$> readTVarIO cutVar
         let r = _cutHashes curHashes == _cutHashes x
-        when r $ loggc Debug x "skip current cut"
+        when r $ loggCutId logFun Debug x "skip current cut"
         return r
 
 -- | Stream of most recent cuts. This stream does not generally include the full
@@ -754,7 +761,7 @@ cutHashesToBlockHeaderMap
     -> WebBlockHeaderStore
     -> WebBlockPayloadStore tbl
     -> CutHashes
-    -> IO (Either (T2 CutId (HM.HashMap ChainId BlockHash)) (HM.HashMap ChainId BlockHeader))
+    -> IO (Maybe (HM.HashMap ChainId BlockHeader))
         -- ^ The 'Left' value holds missing hashes, the 'Right' value holds
         -- a 'Cut'.
 cutHashesToBlockHeaderMap conf logfun headerStore payloadStore hs =
@@ -768,9 +775,13 @@ cutHashesToBlockHeaderMap conf logfun headerStore payloadStore hs =
                 $ "Timeout while processing cut "
                     <> cutIdToTextShort hsid
                     <> " at height " <> sshow (_cutHashesHeight hs)
-                    <> cutOriginText
-            return $! Left $! T2 hsid mempty
-        Just x -> return $! x
+                    <> " from origin " <> cutOriginText
+            return Nothing
+        Just (Left missing) -> do
+            loggCutId logfun Warn hs $ "Failed to get prerequisites for some blocks. Missing: " <> encodeToText missing
+            return Nothing
+        Just (Right headers) -> do
+            return (Just headers)
   where
     hsid = _cutId hs
     go =
@@ -792,12 +803,12 @@ cutHashesToBlockHeaderMap conf logfun headerStore payloadStore hs =
                 & S.fold_ (\x (cid, h) -> HM.insert cid h x) mempty id
                 & S.fold (\x (cid, h) -> HM.insert cid h x) mempty id
             if null missing
-            then return (Right headers)
+            then return $! Right headers
             else do
                 when (isJust $ _cutHashesLocalPayload hs) $
                     logfun @Text Error
                         "error validating locally mined cut; the mining loop will stall until unstuck by another mining node"
-                return $! Left $! T2 hsid missing
+                return $! Left missing
 
     origin = _cutOrigin hs
     priority = Priority (- int (_cutHashesHeight hs))
@@ -883,3 +894,7 @@ getQueueStats db = QueueStats
     <*> (int <$> TM.size (_webBlockHeaderStoreMemo $ view cutDbWebBlockHeaderStore db))
     <*> pQueueSize (_webBlockPayloadStoreQueue $ view cutDbPayloadStore db)
     <*> (int <$> TM.size (_webBlockPayloadStoreMemo $ view cutDbPayloadStore db))
+
+-- Logging
+loggCutId :: HasCutId c => LogFunction -> LogLevel -> c -> T.Text -> IO ()
+loggCutId logFun l c msg = logFun @T.Text l $  "cut " <> cutIdToTextShort (_cutId c) <> ": " <> msg