diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index f26718a8dd..b122cb10db 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+2004-03-24  Benjamin Otte  <otte@gnome.org>
+
+	* ext/alsa/gstalsa.c: (gst_alsa_open_audio),
+	(gst_alsa_probe_hw_params):
+	* ext/alsa/gstalsa.h:
+	  debugging output fixes
+
 2004-03-24  Benjamin Otte  <otte@gnome.org>
 
 	* ext/gnomevfs/gstgnomevfssrc.c: (gst_gnomevfssrc_set_property):
diff --git a/ext/alsa/gstalsa.c b/ext/alsa/gstalsa.c
index f4e75e5267..88b170f5e1 100644
--- a/ext/alsa/gstalsa.c
+++ b/ext/alsa/gstalsa.c
@@ -1114,7 +1114,7 @@ gst_alsa_open_audio (GstAlsa * this)
   if (!gst_element_get_pad_list (GST_ELEMENT (this)))
     return TRUE;
 
-  GST_INFO ("Opening alsa device \"%s\"...\n", this->device);
+  GST_INFO ("Opening alsa device \"%s\"...", this->device);
 
 #if 0
   /* enable this to get better debugging */
@@ -1151,7 +1151,7 @@ gst_alsa_probe_hw_params (GstAlsa * this, GstAlsaFormat * format)
   g_return_val_if_fail (this != NULL, FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (format != NULL, FALSE);
 
-  GST_INFO ("Probing format: %s %dHz, %d channels\n",
+  GST_INFO ("Probing format: %s %dHz, %d channels",
       snd_pcm_format_name (format->format), format->rate, format->channels);
 
   snd_pcm_hw_params_alloca (&hw_params);
@@ -1159,8 +1159,10 @@ gst_alsa_probe_hw_params (GstAlsa * this, GstAlsaFormat * format)
   SIMPLE_ERROR_CHECK (snd_pcm_hw_params_set_periods_integer (this->handle,
           hw_params));
 
+#if 0
   /* enable this for soundcard specific debugging */
-  /* snd_pcm_hw_params_dump (hw_params, this->out); */
+  snd_pcm_hw_params_dump (hw_params, this->out);
+#endif
 
   mask = alloca (snd_pcm_access_mask_sizeof ());
   snd_pcm_access_mask_none (mask);
diff --git a/ext/alsa/gstalsa.h b/ext/alsa/gstalsa.h
index 9b9c9d1ee5..b0cb95b9a5 100644
--- a/ext/alsa/gstalsa.h
+++ b/ext/alsa/gstalsa.h
@@ -37,7 +37,11 @@ GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_EXTERN (alsa_debug);
 /* NOTE: these functions require a GObject *this and can only be used in 
    functions that return TRUE on success and FALSE on error */
 #define SIMPLE_ERROR_CHECK(value) G_STMT_START{ \
-  int err = (value); if (err < 0) { return FALSE; } \
+  int err = (value); \
+  if (err < 0) { \
+    GST_WARNING_OBJECT (this, "\"" #value "\": %s", snd_strerror (err)); \
+    return FALSE; \
+  } \
 }G_STMT_END