diff --git a/core/block_validator.go b/core/block_validator.go
index 3353683c07..65f975345c 100644
--- a/core/block_validator.go
+++ b/core/block_validator.go
@@ -93,14 +93,14 @@ func (v *BlockValidator) ValidateBlock(block *types.Block) error {
 	// Verify UncleHash before running other uncle validations
 	unclesSha := types.CalcUncleHash(block.Uncles())
 	if unclesSha != header.UncleHash {
-		return fmt.Errorf("invalid uncles root hash. received=%x calculated=%x", header.UncleHash, unclesSha)
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid uncles root hash (remote: %x local: %x)", header.UncleHash, unclesSha)
 	}
 
 	// The transactions Trie's root (R = (Tr [[i, RLP(T1)], [i, RLP(T2)], ... [n, RLP(Tn)]]))
 	// can be used by light clients to make sure they've received the correct Txs
 	txSha := types.DeriveSha(block.Transactions())
 	if txSha != header.TxHash {
-		return fmt.Errorf("invalid transaction root hash. received=%x calculated=%x", header.TxHash, txSha)
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid transaction root hash (remote: %x local: %x)", header.TxHash, txSha)
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -113,23 +113,23 @@ func (v *BlockValidator) ValidateBlock(block *types.Block) error {
 func (v *BlockValidator) ValidateState(block, parent *types.Block, statedb *state.StateDB, receipts types.Receipts, usedGas *big.Int) (err error) {
 	header := block.Header()
 	if block.GasUsed().Cmp(usedGas) != 0 {
-		return ValidationError(fmt.Sprintf("gas used error (%v / %v)", block.GasUsed(), usedGas))
+		return ValidationError(fmt.Sprintf("invalid gas used (remote: %v local: %v)", block.GasUsed(), usedGas))
 	}
 	// Validate the received block's bloom with the one derived from the generated receipts.
 	// For valid blocks this should always validate to true.
 	rbloom := types.CreateBloom(receipts)
 	if rbloom != header.Bloom {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unable to replicate block's bloom=%x vs calculated bloom=%x", header.Bloom, rbloom)
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid bloom (remote: %x  local: %x)", header.Bloom, rbloom)
 	}
 	// Tre receipt Trie's root (R = (Tr [[H1, R1], ... [Hn, R1]]))
 	receiptSha := types.DeriveSha(receipts)
 	if receiptSha != header.ReceiptHash {
-		return fmt.Errorf("invalid receipt root hash. received=%x calculated=%x", header.ReceiptHash, receiptSha)
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid receipt root hash (remote: %x local: %x)", header.ReceiptHash, receiptSha)
 	}
 	// Validate the state root against the received state root and throw
 	// an error if they don't match.
 	if root := statedb.IntermediateRoot(v.config.IsEIP158(header.Number)); header.Root != root {
-		return fmt.Errorf("invalid merkle root: header=%x computed=%x", header.Root, root)
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid merkle root (remote: %x local: %x)", header.Root, root)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ func ValidateHeader(config *params.ChainConfig, pow pow.PoW, header *types.Heade
 
 	expd := CalcDifficulty(config, header.Time.Uint64(), parent.Time.Uint64(), parent.Number, parent.Difficulty)
 	if expd.Cmp(header.Difficulty) != 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Difficulty check failed for header %v, %v", header.Difficulty, expd)
+		return fmt.Errorf("Difficulty check failed for header (remote: %v local: %v)", header.Difficulty, expd)
 	}
 
 	a := new(big.Int).Set(parent.GasLimit)
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ func ValidateHeader(config *params.ChainConfig, pow pow.PoW, header *types.Heade
 	b := new(big.Int).Set(parent.GasLimit)
 	b = b.Div(b, params.GasLimitBoundDivisor)
 	if !(a.Cmp(b) < 0) || (header.GasLimit.Cmp(params.MinGasLimit) == -1) {
-		return fmt.Errorf("GasLimit check failed for header %v (%v > %v)", header.GasLimit, a, b)
+		return fmt.Errorf("GasLimit check failed for header (remote: %v local_max: %v)", header.GasLimit, b)
 	}
 
 	num := new(big.Int).Set(parent.Number)
diff --git a/core/blockchain.go b/core/blockchain.go
index bbcff3b92d..9ace6d79a0 100644
--- a/core/blockchain.go
+++ b/core/blockchain.go
@@ -878,7 +878,7 @@ func (self *BlockChain) InsertChain(chain types.Blocks) (int, error) {
 
 		if BadHashes[block.Hash()] {
 			err := BadHashError(block.Hash())
-			reportBlock(block, err)
+			self.reportBlock(block, nil, err)
 			return i, err
 		}
 		// Stage 1 validation of the block using the chain's validator
@@ -910,7 +910,7 @@ func (self *BlockChain) InsertChain(chain types.Blocks) (int, error) {
 				continue
 			}
 
-			reportBlock(block, err)
+			self.reportBlock(block, nil, err)
 
 			return i, err
 		}
@@ -924,19 +924,19 @@ func (self *BlockChain) InsertChain(chain types.Blocks) (int, error) {
 			err = self.stateCache.Reset(chain[i-1].Root())
 		}
 		if err != nil {
-			reportBlock(block, err)
+			self.reportBlock(block, nil, err)
 			return i, err
 		}
 		// Process block using the parent state as reference point.
 		receipts, logs, usedGas, err := self.processor.Process(block, self.stateCache, vm.Config{})
 		if err != nil {
-			reportBlock(block, err)
+			self.reportBlock(block, receipts, err)
 			return i, err
 		}
 		// Validate the state using the default validator
 		err = self.Validator().ValidateState(block, self.GetBlock(block.ParentHash(), block.NumberU64()-1), self.stateCache, receipts, usedGas)
 		if err != nil {
-			reportBlock(block, err)
+			self.reportBlock(block, receipts, err)
 			return i, err
 		}
 		// Write state changes to database
@@ -1207,10 +1207,23 @@ func (self *BlockChain) update() {
 }
 
 // reportBlock logs a bad block error.
-func reportBlock(block *types.Block, err error) {
+func (bc *BlockChain) reportBlock(block *types.Block, receipts types.Receipts, err error) {
 	if glog.V(logger.Error) {
-		glog.Errorf("Bad block #%v (%s)\n", block.Number(), block.Hash().Hex())
-		glog.Errorf("    %v", err)
+		var receiptString string
+		for _, receipt := range receipts {
+			receiptString += fmt.Sprintf("\t%v\n", receipt)
+		}
+		glog.Errorf(`
+########## BAD BLOCK #########
+Chain config: %v
+
+Number: %v
+Hash: 0x%x
+%v
+
+Error: %v
+##############################
+`, bc.config, block.Number(), block.Hash(), receiptString, err)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/core/blockchain_test.go b/core/blockchain_test.go
index 934ae74e1a..2d4e2b6b22 100644
--- a/core/blockchain_test.go
+++ b/core/blockchain_test.go
@@ -143,12 +143,12 @@ func testBlockChainImport(chain types.Blocks, blockchain *BlockChain) error {
 		}
 		receipts, _, usedGas, err := blockchain.Processor().Process(block, statedb, vm.Config{})
 		if err != nil {
-			reportBlock(block, err)
+			blockchain.reportBlock(block, receipts, err)
 			return err
 		}
 		err = blockchain.Validator().ValidateState(block, blockchain.GetBlockByHash(block.ParentHash()), statedb, receipts, usedGas)
 		if err != nil {
-			reportBlock(block, err)
+			blockchain.reportBlock(block, receipts, err)
 			return err
 		}
 		blockchain.mu.Lock()
diff --git a/eth/backend.go b/eth/backend.go
index 67598bdbb3..2351a62c8b 100644
--- a/eth/backend.go
+++ b/eth/backend.go
@@ -218,6 +218,8 @@ func New(ctx *node.ServiceContext, config *Config) (*Ethereum, error) {
 
 	eth.chainConfig = config.ChainConfig
 
+	glog.V(logger.Info).Infoln("Chain config:", eth.chainConfig)
+
 	eth.blockchain, err = core.NewBlockChain(chainDb, eth.chainConfig, eth.pow, eth.EventMux())
 	if err != nil {
 		if err == core.ErrNoGenesis {
diff --git a/params/config.go b/params/config.go
index d083adf46a..8c285781e9 100644
--- a/params/config.go
+++ b/params/config.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package params
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
@@ -66,6 +67,19 @@ type ChainConfig struct {
 	EIP158Block *big.Int `json:"eip158Block"` // EIP158 HF block
 }
 
+// String implements the Stringer interface.
+func (c *ChainConfig) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("{ChainID: %v Homestead: %v DAO: %v DAOSupport: %v EIP150: %v EIP155: %v EIP158: %v}",
+		c.ChainId,
+		c.HomesteadBlock,
+		c.DAOForkBlock,
+		c.DAOForkSupport,
+		c.EIP150Block,
+		c.EIP155Block,
+		c.EIP158Block,
+	)
+}
+
 var (
 	TestChainConfig = &ChainConfig{big.NewInt(1), new(big.Int), new(big.Int), true, new(big.Int), common.Hash{}, new(big.Int), new(big.Int)}
 	TestRules       = TestChainConfig.Rules(new(big.Int))