diff --git a/ipn/ipnlocal/network-lock.go b/ipn/ipnlocal/network-lock.go
index 499082445..6acb9fe1d 100644
--- a/ipn/ipnlocal/network-lock.go
+++ b/ipn/ipnlocal/network-lock.go
@@ -288,8 +288,11 @@ func (b *LocalBackend) tkaSyncIfNeeded(nm *netmap.NetworkMap, prefs ipn.PrefsVie
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	if b.tka != nil || nm.TKAEnabled {
-		b.logf("tkaSyncIfNeeded: enabled=%v, head=%v", nm.TKAEnabled, nm.TKAHead)
+	isEnabled := b.tka != nil
+	wantEnabled := nm.TKAEnabled
+
+	if isEnabled || wantEnabled {
+		b.logf("tkaSyncIfNeeded: isEnabled=%t, wantEnabled=%t, head=%v", isEnabled, wantEnabled, nm.TKAHead)
 	}
 
 	ourNodeKey, ok := prefs.Persist().PublicNodeKeyOK()
@@ -297,8 +300,6 @@ func (b *LocalBackend) tkaSyncIfNeeded(nm *netmap.NetworkMap, prefs ipn.PrefsVie
 		return errors.New("tkaSyncIfNeeded: no node key in prefs")
 	}
 
-	isEnabled := b.tka != nil
-	wantEnabled := nm.TKAEnabled
 	didJustEnable := false
 	if isEnabled != wantEnabled {
 		var ourHead tka.AUMHash
@@ -948,7 +949,7 @@ func (b *LocalBackend) NetworkLockLog(maxEntries int) ([]ipnstate.NetworkLockUpd
 			if err == os.ErrNotExist {
 				break
 			}
-			return out, fmt.Errorf("reading AUM: %w", err)
+			return out, fmt.Errorf("reading AUM (%v): %w", cursor, err)
 		}
 
 		update := ipnstate.NetworkLockUpdate{
diff --git a/tka/builder.go b/tka/builder.go
index 642f39d77..199cec06d 100644
--- a/tka/builder.go
+++ b/tka/builder.go
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ func (b *UpdateBuilder) Finalize(storage Chonk) ([]AUM, error) {
 				needCheckpoint = false
 				break
 			}
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("reading AUM: %v", err)
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("reading AUM (%v): %v", cursor, err)
 		}
 
 		if aum.MessageKind == AUMCheckpoint {
diff --git a/tka/tailchonk.go b/tka/tailchonk.go
index cb683c273..d01c5826e 100644
--- a/tka/tailchonk.go
+++ b/tka/tailchonk.go
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ func markActiveChain(storage Chonk, verdict map[AUMHash]retainState, minChain in
 				// We've reached the end of the chain we have stored.
 				return h, nil
 			}
-			return AUMHash{}, fmt.Errorf("reading active chain (retainStateActive) (%d): %w", i, err)
+			return AUMHash{}, fmt.Errorf("reading active chain (retainStateActive) (%d, %v): %w", i, parent, err)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@ func markActiveChain(storage Chonk, verdict map[AUMHash]retainState, minChain in
 			return AUMHash{}, errors.New("reached genesis AUM without finding an appropriate lastActiveAncestor")
 		}
 		if next, err = storage.AUM(parent); err != nil {
-			return AUMHash{}, fmt.Errorf("searching for compaction target: %w", err)
+			return AUMHash{}, fmt.Errorf("searching for compaction target (%v): %w", parent, err)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -632,7 +632,7 @@ func markActiveChain(storage Chonk, verdict map[AUMHash]retainState, minChain in
 				// We've reached the end of the chain we have stored.
 				break
 			}
-			return AUMHash{}, fmt.Errorf("reading active chain (retainStateCandidate): %w", err)
+			return AUMHash{}, fmt.Errorf("reading active chain (retainStateCandidate, %v): %w", parent, err)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -744,7 +744,7 @@ func markAncestorIntersectionAUMs(storage Chonk, verdict map[AUMHash]retainState
 	if didAdjustCandidateAncestor {
 		var next AUM
 		if next, err = storage.AUM(candidateAncestor); err != nil {
-			return AUMHash{}, fmt.Errorf("searching for compaction target: %w", err)
+			return AUMHash{}, fmt.Errorf("searching for compaction target (%v): %w", candidateAncestor, err)
 		}
 
 		for {
@@ -760,7 +760,7 @@ func markAncestorIntersectionAUMs(storage Chonk, verdict map[AUMHash]retainState
 				return AUMHash{}, errors.New("reached genesis AUM without finding an appropriate candidateAncestor")
 			}
 			if next, err = storage.AUM(parent); err != nil {
-				return AUMHash{}, fmt.Errorf("searching for compaction target: %w", err)
+				return AUMHash{}, fmt.Errorf("searching for compaction target (%v): %w", parent, err)
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/tka/tka.go b/tka/tka.go
index 234c87fe1..c37c39754 100644
--- a/tka/tka.go
+++ b/tka/tka.go
@@ -102,14 +102,14 @@ func computeChainCandidates(storage Chonk, lastKnownOldest *AUMHash, maxIter int
 
 		iterAgain = false
 		for j := range candidates {
-			parent, hasParent := candidates[j].Oldest.Parent()
+			parentHash, hasParent := candidates[j].Oldest.Parent()
 			if hasParent {
-				parent, err := storage.AUM(parent)
+				parent, err := storage.AUM(parentHash)
 				if err != nil {
 					if err == os.ErrNotExist {
 						continue
 					}
-					return nil, fmt.Errorf("reading parent: %v", err)
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("reading parent %s: %v", parentHash, err)
 				}
 				candidates[j].Oldest = parent
 				if lastKnownOldest != nil && *lastKnownOldest == parent.Hash() {
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ func fastForwardWithAdvancer(
 	}
 	nextAUM, err := storage.AUM(*startState.LastAUMHash)
 	if err != nil {
-		return AUM{}, State{}, fmt.Errorf("reading next: %v", err)
+		return AUM{}, State{}, fmt.Errorf("reading next (%v): %v", *startState.LastAUMHash, err)
 	}
 
 	curs := nextAUM
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ func computeStateAt(storage Chonk, maxIter int, wantHash AUMHash) (State, error)
 		// If we got here, the current state is dependent on the previous.
 		// Keep iterating backwards till thats not the case.
 		if curs, err = storage.AUM(parent); err != nil {
-			return State{}, fmt.Errorf("reading parent: %v", err)
+			return State{}, fmt.Errorf("reading parent (%v): %v", parent, err)
 		}
 	}