diff --git a/kmod/src/quorum.c b/kmod/src/quorum.c
index 8017642f..6cff0a9d 100644
--- a/kmod/src/quorum.c
+++ b/kmod/src/quorum.c
@@ -556,10 +556,8 @@ out:
 			ret = err;
 	}
 
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		scoutfs_err(sb, "error %d attempting to find and fence previous leaders", ret);
+	if (ret < 0)
 		scoutfs_inc_counter(sb, quorum_fence_error);
-	}
 
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -733,13 +731,15 @@ static void scoutfs_quorum_worker(struct work_struct *work)
 			ret = scoutfs_server_start(sb, qst.term);
 			if (ret < 0) {
 				clear_bit(QINF_FLAG_SERVER, &qinf->flags);
-				scoutfs_err(sb, "server startup failed with %d", ret);
 				/* store our increased term */
 				err = update_quorum_block(sb, SCOUTFS_QUORUM_EVENT_STOP, qst.term,
 							  true);
-				if (err < 0 && ret == 0)
+				if (err < 0) {
 					ret = err;
-				goto out;
+					goto out;
+				}
+				ret = 0;
+				continue;
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -789,7 +789,7 @@ static void scoutfs_quorum_worker(struct work_struct *work)
 	update_quorum_block(sb, SCOUTFS_QUORUM_EVENT_END, qst.term, true);
 out:
 	if (ret < 0) {
-		scoutfs_err(sb, "quorum service saw error %d, shutting down.  Cluster will be degraded until this slot is remounted to restart the quorum service",
+		scoutfs_err(sb, "quorum service saw error %d, shutting down.  This mount is no longer participating in quorum.  It should be remounted to restore service.",
 			    ret);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/kmod/src/server.c b/kmod/src/server.c
index c0be71fd..e7a78b80 100644
--- a/kmod/src/server.c
+++ b/kmod/src/server.c
@@ -3463,13 +3463,15 @@ static void scoutfs_server_worker(struct work_struct *work)
 
 	trace_scoutfs_server_work_enter(sb, 0, 0);
 
+	scoutfs_quorum_slot_sin(super, opts->quorum_slot_nr, &sin);
+	scoutfs_info(sb, "server starting at "SIN_FMT, SIN_ARG(&sin));
+
 	/* first make sure no other servers are still running */
 	ret = scoutfs_quorum_fence_leaders(sb, server->term);
-	if (ret < 0)
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		scoutfs_err(sb, "server error %d attempting to fence previous leaders", ret);
 		goto out;
-
-	scoutfs_quorum_slot_sin(super, opts->quorum_slot_nr, &sin);
-	scoutfs_info(sb, "server setting up at "SIN_FMT, SIN_ARG(&sin));
+	}
 
 	conn = scoutfs_net_alloc_conn(sb, server_notify_up, server_notify_down,
 				      sizeof(struct server_client_info),
@@ -3490,8 +3492,10 @@ static void scoutfs_server_worker(struct work_struct *work)
 
 	/* start up the server subsystems before accepting */
 	ret = scoutfs_read_super(sb, super);
-	if (ret < 0)
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		scoutfs_err(sb, "server error %d reading super block", ret);
 		goto shutdown;
+	}
 
 	/* update volume options early, possibly for use during startup */
 	write_seqcount_begin(&server->volopt_seqcount);
@@ -3529,10 +3533,17 @@ static void scoutfs_server_worker(struct work_struct *work)
 	}
 	scoutfs_server_set_seq_if_greater(sb, max_seq);
 
-	ret = scoutfs_lock_server_setup(sb, &server->alloc, &server->wri) ?:
-	      start_recovery(sb);
-	if (ret)
+	ret = scoutfs_lock_server_setup(sb, &server->alloc, &server->wri);
+	if (ret) {
+		scoutfs_err(sb, "server error %d starting lock server", ret);
 		goto shutdown;
+	}
+
+	ret = start_recovery(sb);
+	if (ret) {
+		scoutfs_err(sb, "server error %d starting client recovery", ret);
+		goto shutdown;
+	}
 
 	/* start accepting connections and processing work */
 	server->conn = conn;
diff --git a/tests/funcs/filter.sh b/tests/funcs/filter.sh
index 9ca9f304..4dfea4e9 100644
--- a/tests/funcs/filter.sh
+++ b/tests/funcs/filter.sh
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ t_filter_dmesg()
 	# mount and unmount spew a bunch
 	re="$re|scoutfs.*client connected"
 	re="$re|scoutfs.*client disconnected"
-	re="$re|scoutfs.*server setting up"
+	re="$re|scoutfs.*server starting"
 	re="$re|scoutfs.*server ready"
 	re="$re|scoutfs.*server accepted"
 	re="$re|scoutfs.*server closing"