diff --git a/java/google/registry/proxy/ProxyServer.java b/java/google/registry/proxy/ProxyServer.java
index 47b5d99ab..db8b10e29 100644
--- a/java/google/registry/proxy/ProxyServer.java
+++ b/java/google/registry/proxy/ProxyServer.java
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ public class ProxyServer implements Runnable {
       inboundChannel.attr(PROTOCOL_KEY).set(inboundProtocol);
       inboundChannel.attr(RELAY_BUFFER_KEY).set(new ArrayDeque<>());
       addHandlers(inboundChannel.pipeline(), inboundProtocol.handlerProviders());
+      logger.atInfo().log("Connection established: %s %s", inboundProtocol.name(), inboundChannel);
 
       if (!inboundProtocol.hasBackend()) {
         // If the frontend has no backend to relay to (health check, web WHOIS redirect, etc), start
@@ -146,10 +147,9 @@ public class ProxyServer implements Runnable {
                           .get()
                           .forEach(
                               msg -> {
-                                // TODO (jianglai): do not log the message once retry behavior is
-                                // confirmed.
                                 logger.atWarning().log(
-                                    "Unfinished relay for connection %s: %s", inboundChannel, msg);
+                                    "Unfinished relay for connection %s\nHASH: %s",
+                                    inboundChannel, msg.hashCode());
                                 ReferenceCountUtil.release(msg);
                               });
                     });
@@ -194,14 +194,13 @@ public class ProxyServer implements Runnable {
               Object[] messages = relayBuffer.toArray();
               relayBuffer.clear();
               for (Object msg : messages) {
-                // TODO (jianglai): do not log the message once retry behavior is confirmed.
                 logger.atInfo().log(
-                    "Relay retried: %s <-> %s\nFRONTEND: %s\nBACKEND: %s\nMESSAGE: %s",
+                    "Relay retried: %s <-> %s\nFRONTEND: %s\nBACKEND: %s\nHASH: %s",
                     inboundProtocol.name(),
                     outboundProtocol.name(),
                     inboundChannel,
                     outboundChannel,
-                    msg);
+                    msg.hashCode());
                 writeToRelayChannel(inboundChannel, outboundChannel, msg, true);
               }
               // When this outbound connection is closed, try reconnecting if the inbound connection
@@ -220,6 +219,13 @@ public class ProxyServer implements Runnable {
                                   outboundChannel);
                               connectOutboundChannel(
                                   bootstrap, inboundProtocol, outboundProtocol, inboundChannel);
+                            } else {
+                              logger.atInfo().log(
+                                  "Relay terminated: %s <-> %s\nFRONTEND: %s\nBACKEND: %s",
+                                  inboundProtocol.name(),
+                                  outboundProtocol.name(),
+                                  inboundChannel,
+                                  outboundChannel);
                             }
                           });
             } else {
diff --git a/java/google/registry/proxy/handler/BackendMetricsHandler.java b/java/google/registry/proxy/handler/BackendMetricsHandler.java
index cb65203df..5371deae1 100644
--- a/java/google/registry/proxy/handler/BackendMetricsHandler.java
+++ b/java/google/registry/proxy/handler/BackendMetricsHandler.java
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ public class BackendMetricsHandler extends ChannelDuplexHandler {
 
   @Override
   public void channelRegistered(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception {
-    // Backend channel is always established after a frontend channel is connected, so this
+    // Backend channel is always established after a frontend channel is connected, so this call
+    // should always return a non-null relay channel.
     relayedChannel = ctx.channel().attr(RELAY_CHANNEL_KEY).get();
     checkNotNull(relayedChannel, "No frontend channel found.");
     relayedProtocolName = relayedChannel.attr(PROTOCOL_KEY).get().name();
diff --git a/java/google/registry/proxy/handler/RelayHandler.java b/java/google/registry/proxy/handler/RelayHandler.java
index e71d954e8..61fd6c79d 100644
--- a/java/google/registry/proxy/handler/RelayHandler.java
+++ b/java/google/registry/proxy/handler/RelayHandler.java
@@ -101,14 +101,13 @@ public class RelayHandler<I> extends SimpleChannelInboundHandler<I> {
             .addListener(
                 future -> {
                   if (!future.isSuccess()) {
-                    // TODO (jianglai): do not log the message once retry behavior is confirmed.
                     logger.atWarning().withCause(future.cause()).log(
-                        "Relay failed: %s --> %s\nINBOUND: %s\nOUTBOUND: %s\nMESSAGE: %s",
+                        "Relay failed: %s --> %s\nINBOUND: %s\nOUTBOUND: %s\nHASH: %s",
                         channel.attr(PROTOCOL_KEY).get().name(),
                         relayChannel.attr(PROTOCOL_KEY).get().name(),
                         channel,
                         relayChannel,
-                        msg);
+                        msg.hashCode());
                     // If we cannot write to the relay channel and the originating channel has
                     // a relay buffer (i. e. we tried to relay the frontend to the backend), store
                     // the message in the buffer for retry later. The relay channel (backend) should
@@ -129,15 +128,13 @@ public class RelayHandler<I> extends SimpleChannelInboundHandler<I> {
                     ChannelFuture unusedFuture2 = relayChannel.close();
                   } else {
                     if (retry) {
-                      // TODO (jianglai): do not log the message once retry behavior is confirmed.
                       logger.atInfo().log(
-                          "Relay retry succeeded: %s --> %s\nINBOUND: %s\nOUTBOUND: %s\n"
-                              + "MESSAGE: %s",
+                          "Relay retry succeeded: %s --> %s\nINBOUND: %s\nOUTBOUND: %s\nHASH: %s",
                           channel.attr(PROTOCOL_KEY).get().name(),
                           relayChannel.attr(PROTOCOL_KEY).get().name(),
                           channel,
                           relayChannel,
-                          msg);
+                          msg.hashCode());
                     }
                     // If the write is successful, we know that no retry is needed. This function
                     // will decrement the reference count if the message is reference counted,