diff --git a/src/sync.c b/src/sync.c
index 1efa960..4ebc438 100644
--- a/src/sync.c
+++ b/src/sync.c
@@ -1036,9 +1036,9 @@ box_loaded( int sts, message_t *msgs, int total_msgs, int recent_msgs, void *aux
 					// Consequently, the srec's flags are committed right away as well.
 					srec->flags = (srec->flags | srec->aflags[t]) & ~srec->dflags[t];
 					JLOG( "^ %u %u %u %u", (srec->uid[F], srec->uid[N], srec->pflags, srec->flags),
-					      "upgrading placeholder, dummy's flags %s, srec flags %s",
-					      (fmt_lone_flags( srec->pflags ).str, fmt_lone_flags( srec->flags ).str) );
-					nsrec = upgrade_srec( svars, srec );
+					      "upgrading %s placeholder, dummy's flags %s, srec flags %s",
+					      (str_fn[t], fmt_lone_flags( srec->pflags ).str, fmt_lone_flags( srec->flags ).str) );
+					nsrec = upgrade_srec( svars, srec, t );
 				}
 			}
 			// This is separated, because the upgrade can come from the journal.
@@ -1199,7 +1199,7 @@ box_loaded( int sts, message_t *msgs, int total_msgs, int recent_msgs, void *aux
 				           ((srec->status & (S_EXPIRE|S_EXPIRED)) && (srec->msg[N]->flags & F_DELETED))) {
 					/* The message is excess or was already (being) expired. */
 					srec->status |= S_NEXPIRE;
-					debug( "  pair(%u,%u) expired\n", srec->uid[F], srec->uid[N] );
+					debug( "  expiring pair(%u,%u)\n", srec->uid[F], srec->uid[N] );
 					todel--;
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/src/sync_p.h b/src/sync_p.h
index fe43b00..9fc48ee 100644
--- a/src/sync_p.h
+++ b/src/sync_p.h
@@ -95,4 +95,4 @@ void assign_uid( sync_vars_t *svars, sync_rec_t *srec, int t, uint uid );
 void assign_tuid( sync_vars_t *svars, sync_rec_t *srec );
 int match_tuids( sync_vars_t *svars, int t, message_t *msgs );
 
-sync_rec_t *upgrade_srec( sync_vars_t *svars, sync_rec_t *srec );
+sync_rec_t *upgrade_srec( sync_vars_t *svars, sync_rec_t *srec, int t );
diff --git a/src/sync_state.c b/src/sync_state.c
index 1fb8402..0f7553d 100644
--- a/src/sync_state.c
+++ b/src/sync_state.c
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ load_state( sync_vars_t *svars )
 					error( "Error: journal entry at %s:%d refers to non-existing sync state entry\n", svars->jname, line );
 					goto jbail;
 				  syncfnd:
-					debugn( "  entry(%u,%u,%u) ", srec->uid[F], srec->uid[N], srec->flags );
+					debugn( "  entry(%u,%u) ", srec->uid[F], srec->uid[N] );
 					switch (c) {
 					case '-':
 						debug( "killed\n" );
@@ -392,11 +392,12 @@ load_state( sync_vars_t *svars )
 						srec->status = S_PENDING | (!srec->uid[F] ? S_DUMMY(F) : S_DUMMY(N));
 						break;
 					case '^':
+						tn = (srec->status & S_DUMMY(F)) ? F : N;
 						srec->pflags = (uchar)t3;
 						srec->flags = (uchar)t4;
-						debug( "is being upgraded, dummy's flags %s, srec flags %s\n",
-						       fmt_lone_flags( t3 ).str, fmt_lone_flags( t4 ).str );
-						srec = upgrade_srec( svars, srec );
+						debug( "upgrading %s placeholder, dummy's flags %s, srec flags %s\n",
+						       str_fn[tn], fmt_lone_flags( t3 ).str, fmt_lone_flags( t4 ).str );
+						srec = upgrade_srec( svars, srec, tn );
 						break;
 					default:
 						assert( !"Unhandled journal entry" );
@@ -564,7 +565,7 @@ match_tuids( sync_vars_t *svars, int t, message_t *msgs )
 }
 
 sync_rec_t *
-upgrade_srec( sync_vars_t *svars, sync_rec_t *srec )
+upgrade_srec( sync_vars_t *svars, sync_rec_t *srec, int t )
 {
 	// Create an entry and append it to the current one.
 	sync_rec_t *nsrec = nfzalloc( sizeof(*nsrec) );
@@ -574,7 +575,6 @@ upgrade_srec( sync_vars_t *svars, sync_rec_t *srec )
 		svars->srecadd = &nsrec->next;
 	svars->nsrecs++;
 	// Move the placeholder to the new entry.
-	int t = (srec->status & S_DUMMY(F)) ? F : N;
 	nsrec->uid[t] = srec->uid[t];
 	srec->uid[t] = 0;
 	if (srec->msg[t]) {  // NULL during journal replay; is assigned later.