diff --git a/devstack-vm-delete.py b/devstack-vm-delete.py
index 6431f869..6d3501b3 100755
--- a/devstack-vm-delete.py
+++ b/devstack-vm-delete.py
@@ -34,14 +34,19 @@ NODE_NAME = sys.argv[1]
 UPSTREAM_BUILD_URL=os.environ.get('UPSTREAM_BUILD_URL', '')
 UPSTREAM_JOB_NAME=os.environ.get('UPSTREAM_JOB_NAME', '')
 UPSTREAM_BRANCH=os.environ.get('UPSTREAM_BRANCH', '')
-
+BUILD_URL=os.environ.get('BUILD_URL', '')
 
 def main():
     db = vmdatabase.VMDatabase()
 
     machine = db.getMachineByJenkinsName(NODE_NAME)
     if machine.state != vmdatabase.HOLD:
+        utils.log.debug("Set deleted ID: %s old state: %s build: %s" % (
+                machine.id, machine.state, BUILD_URL))
         machine.state = vmdatabase.DELETE
+    else:
+        utils.log.debug("Hold ID: %s old state: %s build: %s" % (
+                machine.id, machine.state, BUILD_URL))
 
     try:
         utils.update_stats(machine.base_image.provider)
diff --git a/devstack-vm-inprogress.py b/devstack-vm-inprogress.py
index 4796a093..29c583b5 100755
--- a/devstack-vm-inprogress.py
+++ b/devstack-vm-inprogress.py
@@ -35,8 +35,10 @@ NODE_NAME = sys.argv[1]
 DEVSTACK_GATE_SECURE_CONFIG = os.environ.get('DEVSTACK_GATE_SECURE_CONFIG',
                                              os.path.expanduser(
                                              '~/devstack-gate-secure.conf'))
+SKIP_DEVSTACK_GATE_JENKINS = os.environ.get('SKIP_DEVSTACK_GATE_JENKINS', None)
+BUILD_URL=os.environ.get('BUILD_URL', '')
 
-LABEL_RE = re.compile(r'<label>.*</label>')
+LABEL_RE = re.compile(r'<label>(.*)</label>')
 
 
 def main():
@@ -45,19 +47,39 @@ def main():
     config = ConfigParser.ConfigParser()
     config.read(DEVSTACK_GATE_SECURE_CONFIG)
 
-    jenkins = myjenkins.Jenkins(config.get('jenkins', 'server'),
-                                config.get('jenkins', 'user'),
-                                config.get('jenkins', 'apikey'))
-    jenkins.get_info()
+    if not SKIP_DEVSTACK_GATE_JENKINS:
+        jenkins = myjenkins.Jenkins(config.get('jenkins', 'server'),
+                                    config.get('jenkins', 'user'),
+                                    config.get('jenkins', 'apikey'))
+        jenkins.get_info()
+    else:
+        jenkins = None
 
     machine = db.getMachineByJenkinsName(NODE_NAME)
+    utils.log.debug("Used ID: %s old state: %s build:%s" % (
+            machine.id, machine.state, BUILD_URL))
+
     machine.state = vmdatabase.USED
 
-    if machine.jenkins_name:
-        if jenkins.node_exists(machine.jenkins_name):
-            config = jenkins.get_node_config(machine.jenkins_name)
-            config = LABEL_RE.sub('<label>devstack-used</label>', config)
-            jenkins.reconfig_node(machine.jenkins_name, config)
+    if jenkins:
+        if machine.jenkins_name:
+            if jenkins.node_exists(machine.jenkins_name):
+                config = jenkins.get_node_config(machine.jenkins_name)
+                old = None
+                m = LABEL_RE.search(config)
+                if m:
+                    old = m.group(1)
+                config = LABEL_RE.sub('<label>devstack-used</label>', config)
+                for i in range(3):
+                    try:
+                        jenkins.reconfig_node(machine.jenkins_name, config)
+                    except:
+                        if i==2:
+                            utils.log.exception("Unable to relabel ID: %s" % machine.id)
+                            raise
+                        time.sleep(5)
+                utils.log.debug("Relabeled ID: %s old label: %s new label: %s" % (
+                        machine.id, old, 'devstack-used'))
 
     utils.update_stats(machine.base_image.provider)
 
diff --git a/devstack-vm-launch.py b/devstack-vm-launch.py
index 2e87433c..65714ba7 100755
--- a/devstack-vm-launch.py
+++ b/devstack-vm-launch.py
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ def launch_node(client, snap_image, image, flavor, last_name):
     print "    id: %s" % (server.id)
     print "  name: %s" % (name)
     print
+    utils.log.debug("Launching ID: %s name: %s provider ID: %s" %
+                    (machine.id, name, server.id))
     return server, machine
 
 
@@ -137,6 +139,7 @@ def check_machine(jenkins, client, machine, error_counts):
             create_jenkins_node(jenkins, machine)
             print "Machine %s is ready" % machine.id
             machine.state = vmdatabase.READY
+            utils.log.debug("Online ID: %s" % machine.id)
             return
     elif not server.status.startswith('BUILD'):
         count = error_counts.get(machine.id, 0)
@@ -220,6 +223,7 @@ def main():
             except:
                 traceback.print_exc()
                 print "Abandoning machine %s" % machine.id
+                utils.log.exception("Abandoning ID: %s" % machine.id)
                 machine.state = vmdatabase.ERROR
                 error = True
             db.commit()
diff --git a/devstack-vm-reap.py b/devstack-vm-reap.py
index ce44fc22..63406200 100755
--- a/devstack-vm-reap.py
+++ b/devstack-vm-reap.py
@@ -63,12 +63,14 @@ def delete_machine(jenkins, client, machine):
         # If we have deleted a server, don't believe it.  Instead, wait for
         # the next run of the script and only if the server doesn't exist,
         # delete it from Jenkins and the DB.
+        utils.log.debug("Delete ID: %s" % machine.id)
         return
 
     if jenkins:
         if machine.jenkins_name:
             if jenkins.node_exists(machine.jenkins_name):
                 jenkins.delete_node(machine.jenkins_name)
+                utils.log.debug("Delete jenkins node ID: %s" % machine.id)
 
     machine.delete()
 
diff --git a/utils.py b/utils.py
index f237e803..bc22f407 100644
--- a/utils.py
+++ b/utils.py
@@ -28,9 +28,17 @@ import paramiko
 import socket
 from sshclient import SSHClient
 from statsd import statsd
+import logging
+import logging.handlers
 
 import vmdatabase
 
+log = logging.getLogger('devstack-gate')
+log.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
+handler = logging.handlers.SysLogHandler(address = '/dev/log')
+handler.setFormatter(logging.Formatter("devstack-gate: %(message)s"))
+log.addHandler(handler)
+
 def iterate_timeout(max_seconds, purpose):
     start = time.time()
     count = 0