diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/mutexDebug.cxx b/panda/src/pipeline/mutexDebug.cxx
index d0666eaa56..d630bea105 100755
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/mutexDebug.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/mutexDebug.cxx
@@ -132,8 +132,8 @@ do_lock() {
 
     // Go to sleep on the condition variable until it's unlocked.
 
-    if (thread_cat.is_spam()) {
-      thread_cat.spam()
+    if (thread_cat.is_debug()) {
+      thread_cat.debug()
         << *this_thread << " blocking on " << *this << " (held by "
         << *_locking_thread << ")\n";
     }
@@ -141,8 +141,8 @@ do_lock() {
       _cvar_impl.wait();
     }
     
-    if (thread_cat.is_spam()) {
-      thread_cat.spam()
+    if (thread_cat.is_debug()) {
+      thread_cat.debug()
         << *this_thread << " awake on " << *this << "\n";
     }
 
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleImpl_no_opt_.cxx b/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleImpl_no_opt_.cxx
index 3b49a2b4f9..1be1a6859a 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleImpl_no_opt_.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleImpl_no_opt_.cxx
@@ -46,7 +46,13 @@ setup_context_2(ThreadSimpleImpl *self) {
   // Here we are executing within the thread.
   v_self->setup_context_3();
 
+  // We shouldn't get here.
   abort();
+
+  // Even though this line should never be executed, setting it here
+  // seems to help the compiler figure out not to optimize away
+  // v_self.
+  *v_self = 0;
   return v_self;
 }
 
diff --git a/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleManager.cxx b/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleManager.cxx
index 293ef6da1a..e893a1e10a 100644
--- a/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleManager.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/pipeline/threadSimpleManager.cxx
@@ -182,9 +182,8 @@ next_context() {
   // Mark the current thread's resume point.
 
 #ifdef HAVE_PYTHON
-  // Query the current Python thread state.
+  // Save the current Python thread state.
   _current_thread->_python_state = PyThreadState_Swap(NULL);
-  PyThreadState_Swap(_current_thread->_python_state);
 #endif  // HAVE_PYTHON
 
 #ifdef HAVE_UCONTEXT_H
@@ -280,9 +279,18 @@ next_context() {
   _current_thread->_start_time = now;
 
   // All right, the thread is ready to roll.  Begin.
-  if (thread_cat.is_spam()) {
-    thread_cat.spam()
-      << "Switching to " << *_current_thread->_parent_obj << "\n";
+  if (thread_cat.is_debug()) {
+    size_t blocked_count = 0;
+    Blocked::const_iterator bi;
+    for (bi = _blocked.begin(); bi != _blocked.end(); ++bi) {
+      const FifoThreads &threads = (*bi).second;
+      blocked_count += threads.size();
+    }
+    
+    thread_cat.debug()
+      << "Switching to " << *_current_thread->_parent_obj
+      << " (" << _ready.size() << " other threads ready, " << blocked_count
+      << " blocked, " << _sleeping.size() << " sleeping)\n";
   }
 
 #ifdef HAVE_UCONTEXT_H