diff --git a/swift/account/auditor.py b/swift/account/auditor.py
index 3410089d..e93e8a9c 100644
--- a/swift/account/auditor.py
+++ b/swift/account/auditor.py
@@ -118,10 +118,10 @@ class AccountAuditor(Daemon):
                 broker.get_info()
                 self.logger.increment('passes')
                 self.account_passes += 1
-                self.logger.debug(_('Audit passed for %s') % broker.db_file)
+                self.logger.debug(_('Audit passed for %s') % broker)
         except (Exception, Timeout):
             self.logger.increment('failures')
             self.account_failures += 1
             self.logger.exception(_('ERROR Could not get account info %s'),
-                                  (broker.db_file))
+                                  path)
         self.logger.timing_since('timing', start_time)
diff --git a/swift/common/db.py b/swift/common/db.py
index aca0cc6d..5e3b1e22 100644
--- a/swift/common/db.py
+++ b/swift/common/db.py
@@ -187,6 +187,14 @@ class DatabaseBroker(object):
         self.container = container
         self._db_version = -1
 
+    def __str__(self):
+        """
+        Returns a string indentifying the entity under broker to a human.
+        The baseline implementation returns a full pathname to a database.
+        This is vital for useful diagnostics.
+        """
+        return self.db_file
+
     def initialize(self, put_timestamp=None):
         """
         Create the DB
diff --git a/swift/common/db_replicator.py b/swift/common/db_replicator.py
index 1ac38ac5..3481cba4 100644
--- a/swift/common/db_replicator.py
+++ b/swift/common/db_replicator.py
@@ -296,8 +296,8 @@ class Replicator(Daemon):
         if objects:
             self.logger.debug(_(
                 'Synchronization for %s has fallen more than '
-                '%s rows behind; moving on and will try again next pass.') %
-                (broker.db_file, self.max_diffs * self.per_diff))
+                '%s rows behind; moving on and will try again next pass.'),
+                broker, self.max_diffs * self.per_diff)
             self.stats['diff_capped'] += 1
             self.logger.increment('diff_caps')
         else:
@@ -606,7 +606,7 @@ class ReplicatorRpc(object):
             info = broker.get_replication_info()
         except (Exception, Timeout) as e:
             if 'no such table' in str(e):
-                self.logger.error(_("Quarantining DB %s") % broker.db_file)
+                self.logger.error(_("Quarantining DB %s"), broker)
                 quarantine_db(broker.db_file, broker.db_type)
                 return HTTPNotFound()
             raise
diff --git a/swift/container/auditor.py b/swift/container/auditor.py
index f0d414fe..62491a39 100644
--- a/swift/container/auditor.py
+++ b/swift/container/auditor.py
@@ -118,10 +118,10 @@ class ContainerAuditor(Daemon):
                 broker.get_info()
                 self.logger.increment('passes')
                 self.container_passes += 1
-                self.logger.debug(_('Audit passed for %s'), broker.db_file)
+                self.logger.debug(_('Audit passed for %s'), broker)
         except (Exception, Timeout):
             self.logger.increment('failures')
             self.container_failures += 1
             self.logger.exception(_('ERROR Could not get container info %s'),
-                                  broker.db_file)
+                                  path)
         self.logger.timing_since('timing', start_time)
diff --git a/swift/container/sync.py b/swift/container/sync.py
index 9594c852..5fd7b34c 100644
--- a/swift/container/sync.py
+++ b/swift/container/sync.py
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ class ContainerSync(Daemon):
                 if err:
                     self.logger.info(
                         _('ERROR %(db_file)s: %(validate_sync_to_err)s'),
-                        {'db_file': broker.db_file,
+                        {'db_file': str(broker),
                          'validate_sync_to_err': err})
                     self.container_failures += 1
                     self.logger.increment('failures')
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ class ContainerSync(Daemon):
             self.container_failures += 1
             self.logger.increment('failures')
             self.logger.exception(_('ERROR Syncing %s'),
-                                  broker.db_file if broker else path)
+                                  broker if broker else path)
 
     def container_sync_row(self, row, sync_to, sync_key, broker, info):
         """
@@ -397,14 +397,14 @@ class ContainerSync(Daemon):
             else:
                 self.logger.exception(
                     _('ERROR Syncing %(db_file)s %(row)s'),
-                    {'db_file': broker.db_file, 'row': row})
+                    {'db_file': str(broker), 'row': row})
             self.container_failures += 1
             self.logger.increment('failures')
             return False
         except (Exception, Timeout) as err:
             self.logger.exception(
                 _('ERROR Syncing %(db_file)s %(row)s'),
-                {'db_file': broker.db_file, 'row': row})
+                {'db_file': str(broker), 'row': row})
             self.container_failures += 1
             self.logger.increment('failures')
             return False