diff --git a/WHATS_NEW b/WHATS_NEW
index 4cc921cd1..57e02ef94 100644
--- a/WHATS_NEW
+++ b/WHATS_NEW
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 Version 2.02.71 -
 ===============================
+  Add more verbose messages while checking volume_list and hosttags settings.
   Add log_error when strdup fails in {vg|lv}_change_tag().
   Remove unnecessary includes in liblvm files.
   Use __attribute__ consistently throughout.
diff --git a/lib/activate/activate.c b/lib/activate/activate.c
index 7edd72872..f424d11e9 100644
--- a/lib/activate/activate.c
+++ b/lib/activate/activate.c
@@ -262,6 +262,9 @@ static int _passes_activation_filter(struct cmd_context *cmd,
 	char path[PATH_MAX];
 
 	if (!(cn = find_config_tree_node(cmd, "activation/volume_list"))) {
+		log_verbose("activation/volume_list configuration setting "
+			    "not defined, checking host tags only");
+
 		/* If no host tags defined, activate */
 		if (dm_list_empty(&cmd->tags))
 			return 1;
@@ -271,11 +274,18 @@ static int _passes_activation_filter(struct cmd_context *cmd,
 		    str_list_match_list(&cmd->tags, &lv->vg->tags))
 			return 1;
 
+		log_verbose("No host tag matches %s/%s",
+			    lv->vg->name, lv->name);
+
 		/* Don't activate */
 		return 0;
 	}
 
 	for (cv = cn->v; cv; cv = cv->next) {
+		log_verbose("activation/volume_list configuration setting "
+			    "defined, checking the list to match %s/%s",
+			    lv->vg->name, lv->name);
+
 		if (cv->type != CFG_STRING) {
 			log_error("Ignoring invalid string in config file "
 				  "activation/volume_list");
@@ -330,6 +340,9 @@ static int _passes_activation_filter(struct cmd_context *cmd,
 			return 1;
 	}
 
+	log_verbose("No item supplied in activation/volume_list configuration "
+		    "setting matches %s/%s", lv->vg->name, lv->name);
+
 	return 0;
 }