diff --git a/aos/events/logging/log_namer.cc b/aos/events/logging/log_namer.cc
index a880f35..9830a61 100644
--- a/aos/events/logging/log_namer.cc
+++ b/aos/events/logging/log_namer.cc
@@ -107,9 +107,9 @@
     QueueHeader(MakeHeader());
   }
   CHECK_EQ(state_[node_index_].boot_uuid, source_node_boot_uuid);
+  CHECK(writer);
   CHECK(header_written_) << ": Attempting to write message before header to "
                          << writer->filename();
-  CHECK(writer);
   writer->QueueSizedFlatbuffer(fbb, now);
 }
 
diff --git a/aos/events/logging/logfile_utils.cc b/aos/events/logging/logfile_utils.cc
index 20e38d2..37bf9a9 100644
--- a/aos/events/logging/logfile_utils.cc
+++ b/aos/events/logging/logfile_utils.cc
@@ -704,9 +704,13 @@
       size_t monotonic_remote_boot = 0xffffff;
 
       if (m.value().message().has_monotonic_remote_time()) {
+        const Node *node = parts().config->nodes()->Get(
+            source_node_index_[m->message().channel_index()]);
+
         std::optional<size_t> boot = parts_message_reader_.boot_count(
             source_node_index_[m->message().channel_index()]);
-        CHECK(boot) << ": Failed to find boot for node "
+        CHECK(boot) << ": Failed to find boot for node " << MaybeNodeName(node)
+                    << ", with index "
                     << source_node_index_[m->message().channel_index()];
         monotonic_remote_boot = *boot;
       }