diff --git a/tor/torProvider.go b/tor/torProvider.go
index 537b791..d45effc 100644
--- a/tor/torProvider.go
+++ b/tor/torProvider.go
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ func newHideCmd(exePath string) process.Creator {
 
 func (tp *torProvider) checkVersion() error {
 	// attempt connect to system tor
-	log.Debugf("dialing system tor control port")
+	log.Debugf("dialing tor control port")
 	controlport, err := dialControlPort(tp.controlPort)
 	if err == nil {
 		defer controlport.Close()
@@ -373,11 +373,11 @@ func startTor(appDirectory string, bundledTorPath string, controlPort int, authe
 
 	tp := &torProvider{authenticator: authenticator, controlPort: controlPort, appDirectory: appDirectory, bundeledTorPath: bundledTorPath, childListeners: make(map[string]*onionListenService), breakChan: make(chan bool), statusCallback: nil, lastRestartTime: time.Now().Add(-restartCooldown)}
 
-	log.Debugf("launching system tor")
+	log.Debugf("checking if there is a running system tor")
 	if err := tp.checkVersion(); err == nil {
 		controlport, err := dialControlPort(tp.controlPort)
 		if err == nil {
-			log.Debugf("creating tor handler fom system tor")
+			log.Debugf("creating tor handler from system tor")
 			tp.t = createFromExisting(controlport, dataDir)
 		}
 		tp.dialer, err = tp.t.Dialer(context.TODO(), &tor.DialConf{Authenticator: tp.authenticator})
@@ -392,6 +392,7 @@ func startTor(appDirectory string, bundledTorPath string, controlPort int, authe
 	}
 
 	// if not, try running system tor
+	log.Debugln("checking if we can run system installed tor or bundled tor")
 	if checkCmdlineTorVersion("tor") {
 		t, err := tor.Start(context.TODO(), &tor.StartConf{ControlPort: tp.controlPort, DisableCookieAuth: true, UseEmbeddedControlConn: false, DisableEagerAuth: true, EnableNetwork: true, DataDir: dataDir, TorrcFile: path.Join(torDir, "torrc"), DebugWriter: nil, ProcessCreator: newHideCmd("tor")})
 		if err != nil {
@@ -400,13 +401,16 @@ func startTor(appDirectory string, bundledTorPath string, controlPort int, authe
 		}
 		tp.t = t
 	} else if bundledTorPath != "" && checkCmdlineTorVersion(bundledTorPath) {
-		log.Debugln("attempting using bundled tor '" + bundledTorPath + "'")
+		log.Debugln("bundled tor appears viable, attempting to use '" + bundledTorPath + "'")
 		t, err := tor.Start(context.TODO(), &tor.StartConf{ControlPort: tp.controlPort, DisableCookieAuth: true, UseEmbeddedControlConn: false, DisableEagerAuth: true, EnableNetwork: true, DataDir: dataDir, TorrcFile: path.Join(torDir, "torrc"), ExePath: bundledTorPath, DebugWriter: nil, ProcessCreator: newHideCmd(bundledTorPath)})
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Debugf("Error running bundled tor %v\n", err)
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		tp.t = t
+	} else {
+		log.Debugln("Could not find a viable tor running or to run")
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Could not connect to or start Tor that met requirements (min Tor version 0.3.5.x)")
 	}
 
 	err = tp.checkVersion()
@@ -415,7 +419,7 @@ func startTor(appDirectory string, bundledTorPath string, controlPort int, authe
 		tp.dialer, err = tp.t.Dialer(context.TODO(), &tor.DialConf{Authenticator: tp.authenticator})
 		return tp, err
 	}
-	return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not connect to or start Tor that met requirments (min Tor version 0.3.5.x): %v", err)
+	return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not connect to running tor: %v", err)
 }
 
 func (tp *torProvider) GetPID() (int, error) {